In a fascinating new interview, Billy Corgan revisits his Reverend Z-One signature guitar and shares the amazing story of how he took advice from the legendary Tony Iommi to bring a romanticized guitar tone into the 21st century.
During a sit-down with Joe Naylor, the founder of Reverend Guitars, on the Chicago Music Exchange YouTube channel, the Smashing Pumpkins star delves into the latest version of his signature guitar, and how Iommi’s words have aged beautifully.
“I remember talking to Tony Iommi years ago about his relationship with certain amp makers,” Corgan reveals, referring to Iommi’s longstanding use of Laney Amplification. “He was talking about how people romanticize the old sound, but how he’s trying to update that into the modern era.
“At the time I didn’t get it, but as I’ve gotten older I realized that you want your sound, but at the same time, you don’t want it to be dated or old. You want your sound to be brought into the 21st century.”
In his discussions with the Detroit-based guitar builders, Corgan referenced classic tracks like Bodies and Zero in particular for the thickness of the guitar sound he was after.
He says: “I was playing an original [Reverend] signature guitar which I still love, but it has a much brighter, more modern tone and a clarity that’s really good for recording with. From the live side, playing old Pumpkins stuff I found myself fighting with the guitar, wanting something a little darker with less high end on the very top and the Tony Iommi low-mid note.
“The most impressive thing about the guitar is its ability to get a vintage tone but find that balance with modernity.”
To achieve those ends, Reverend has opted for an alder body. This is in contrast to the brighter, scooped tones the korina builds they are known for offer, including the signature’s first iteration.
It also features Railhammer pickups, which have been wound to be a little hotter. Designed by Naylor himself, they’re based on the company’s Humcutter pickups and combine the clarity and attack of a P-90 with the output and sustain you’d expect from a humbucker.
Reverend also took a leap of faith by adorning the aluminium pickups with artowkr that references classic Pumpkins EP The Aeroplane Flies High – something it did without Corgan’s permission.
“I get so many compliments, people love the design element,” Corgan says. “It’s something I wouldn’t usually think of, and so it’s become really signature to the way I view the guitar and it also represents a bit of my history.”
Corgan and Naylor released his first Reverend model over seven years ago, with this their third model together. It succeeds the short-scale Billy Corgan Terz and original Billy Corgan Signature.
(Image credit: Chicago Music Exchange)
He’s clearly pleased with the end product,