On Jan 21 there was a post on the Fender blog with the following quote: “soon-to-be Fender signature artist Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins” Which would indicate an official signature guitar is on the horizon. Along with that post was a great video of Billy visiting the Fender booth at Winter NAMM 2008.
The blog post and video have since been removed by Fender so it appears the community team jumped the gun a bit in sharing the news of this signature guitar.
EDIT: the Fender blog post and video that were unavailable since Jan 24 have now returned. (Jan 29)
Fender Blog Post with video [link]
The online buzz is that the strat will be the one he’s been playing on the latest pumpkins tour. The newish looking 70s styled strat. And it will come in 2 colors, black and white (creme?).
Hopefully Fender will give some official info soon.
hmmm, i wonder if it will look exactly like this: http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0300510506
i figured there would be one when asked about what type guitar he’s been playing he responded “i’m generally playing uh custom built stratocasters”.
it’ll probably be hardtail, dimarzio p’ups, a maple neck and ash body or something dense.
Each time I see a signature model I think about the artist as being a technician of some sort. Here’s just the marketing thing, get more people, popularity rules. Whatever.
i love the idea of the billy corgan strat! i have been collecting strats for years most of them i dont play but i just love them anyway the history and the sound and the feel and the just rock man there arent anyother words for these guitars i have to have this puppy!
To b-spot: I’d expect r/s/b lace sensors and a tremolo. Most of his older guitars were like that
I worked in a music store, We are a Fender Dealer. I dont see whats the excitement about ANOTHER signature Strat, being the vanilla of guitars. Ive played every signature strat there is from Eric Claptons to Eric Johnsons. Besides woods and a few pickup tweeks. You can save your money, get a standard strat, buy some after market pickups from Dimarzio or Seymour Duncan and hot rod it, Just like every other guitar. And it will cost you half the price. Ohhh its made in america. Wood is wood. Anyone who sneezes gets a “signature strat” their boring and nothing special. Hell you could buy a body off warmouth and a neck and build a much better guitar. They can say anything they want about the pickups etc . Your paying for the artists name. Its Just a Strat, a hot rodded strat.WOOO HOO
Biggest sell point for me on this strat versus most others is the fact that its a hardtail bridge. I really can’t stand standard fender trems….and not many strats come as hardtails.
To be honnest i think that from all artist Billy corgan actually made sure that his name is given to a quality guitar that he actually plays. And also that the price is such that it is not a wopping figure beyond 2000 Dollars.So that the average person can actually afford it.
Actually i am sure that he is the least commercial person from the whole line of signature strats. There are some that just signed a deal and didnt give a shite about the guitar
i have played 3 shows so far with this guitar and it KICKS ASS!!!!it has the feel of a vintage guitar with more definition and power……i could have bought whatever i wanted and i bought this….i got the white one…..i may even get the black as a back up…they are that good!!!!!!!!!!!they also look cool which is a huge bonus…it looks sleazy like it is from a vegas rock show in the 70’s…even though it says that it has the same finish as the highway one strat this one is done alot better…….with better wood….i can tell i worked in lumber sales…..