Riff Tone

1979 (Remastered 2012)

The Smashing Pumpkins

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 80s, with Lace Sensor pickups, as used by Billy Corgan in the studio for '1979')

AmpMarshall JCM800 (2203 preamp circuit, as cloned in Corgan's Salvation Mods rack for studio use on Mellon Collie era, with Mesa/Boogie Strategy 500 power amp and Marshall 1960 4x12 cab)

PickupsFender Lace Sensor single-coil (likely Blue or Silver, as per Corgan's typical studio Strat setup in the 1990s)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

compressionUnknown Compression pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1995-1996 (Mellon Collie era). Billy Corgan used a Stratocaster with Lace Sensor pickups into a Marshall JCM800-style preamp (Salvation Mods clone) and Mesa/Boogie Strategy 500 power amp, into a Marshall 1960 4x12 cab. No fuzz or Big Muff on '1979' riff; clean/compressed tone. No chorus, flanger, or phaser audible in riff. Compression pedal may have been used, but sources suggest clean Strat into amp is sufficient.

Tone Character(10)

clean and shimmeringglassy highsslightly compressed attackarticulate and percussiverounded lowsopen and airyminimal breakupdynamic and touch-sensitivesubtle amp reverbstudio clarity

Difficulty

The riff is moderately easy but requires clean, articulate picking and careful muting to maintain clarity, especially at the original tempo.

Sources

Potent Pairings: How to Sound like the Smashing Pumpkins | Reverb News Rig Rundown - Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan - Premier Guitar

This tone has been researched 6 times by the community

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