With Billy Corgan joining the ranks of the Laney artist family, we thought we’d show you how to get his amplifier sound by using the Laney LA-Studio for those who missed out on the Laney LA100SM model. Fortunately for you, you don’t need a full studio’s worth of equipment, vintage amps and long out-of-production amplifiers – you have everything you need in a 3-watt head!
If you’re reading this, you already know how important Billy Corgan’s guitar sound has been and continues to be. You’ll also know how difficult it is to nail down. Which is why we showed you the Billy Corgan amp settings he’s using now!
Billy Corgan has a sound that has captivated and continues to inspire generations of musicians. His unique guitar tone, characterised by thick distortion and a cranked midrange punch, set the band apart from their peers in the early 90s and has been the subject of countless articles or “sound like” videos.
The Grunge movement in the ’90s was defined by bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and of course, Smashing Pumpkins. But Billy Corgan’s unique sound played a significant role in shaping the genre of Grunge, and later the Alternative sound as a whole – especially when it came to the Mellon Collie and Machina era sounds. His innovative approach to guitar tones and effects influenced many musicians (like me) and his sound remains relevant and highly sought-after today.
There was always one constant – the fact Billy was always chasing the sound of a Laney Supergroup.
“For me, Sabbath was the blueprint and until I started using a Laney amp and I bought a vintage amp which was the same supergroup series (as the original LA100BL) I never realised that part of what attracted me to that sound was the Laney sound.
And I’ve chased that sound my whole life.”
When Billy Corgan reached out to us at Laney and asked us to source a Laney LA100SM Head and Laney LA412 Cabinet for his USA tour, we were absolutely thrilled. Hearing the crushing opening riffs of ‘Cherub Rock’ and ‘Today’ being blasted out onstage during his worldwide tour played through two Laney amps was an out-of-body experience for anyone in attendance.
But how did he come to love Laney Amps?
Thanks to his love of Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi and the incredible influence that sound had on him, Corgan was always chasing that classic Laney LA100BL sound. Which unfortunately was hard to get considering the amps had been out of production for decades. After rediscovering the Laney Supergroup sound, he started using Laney amplifiers in the studio, recently adding a 2nd hand Laney LA100SM Super Modified amplifier to his rig. You can watch the video below about how he managed to source another for him!
Due to the incredible response to the Laney Supergroup LA100SM Super Modified amplifier, they sold out in a few days.
A well-known gear and sound purist, the frontman was using Laney amps to get the amp sound of Smashing Pumpkins’ onstage. Billy Corgan’s guitar sound is something that we guitarists have come to know and love and tried to emulate – fortunately, we can actually sound like Billy Corgan using the Laney LA-Studio, too.
If you want to sound like Billy Corgan, we have a solution and an amp that actually packs WAY more sounds than the 100-watt version – the Laney LA-Studio – designed to give you the incredible Laney Supergroup sound made famous by the likes of Tony Iommi and now Billy Corgan, on a lower wattage amp and more affordable price point, but still retaining the sound and quality of a tube amp . Best of all, you can record directly to your DAW or hook it up to a speaker cab or PA system and enjoy a range of cab sims and Impulse responses and take a sound snapshot directly from the early era Pumpkins guitar sound.
So if you missed out on the LA100SM, we’re going to show you how to get the Billy Corgan sound and the sound of Smashing Pumpkins using the Laney LA-Studio, including Billy Corgan’s amp settings and some recommended pedals.
With the release of the LA-Studio, you can achieve that unmistakable Billy Corgan sound, without having to search for vintage Supergroup amplifiers on the 2nd hand market. You can get the Billy Corgan sound right now. And I’ll show you how to do it. We’ve discussed how to get Billy Corgan’s Laney LA100SM amplifier settings, and they’re slightly different on the LA-Studio. (INTERLINK)
In this blog post, I’ll provide settings, hacks, and tips for capturing the essence of his tone on the LA-Studio.
The Laney LA-STUDIO is an Impulse Response loaded, 3W <0.1W – watt version of the critically acclaimed LA30BL head. You have 3 x ECC83 preamp tubes and a single 12BH7 power tube for those real dynamics that only tube amps can deliver.
With one key difference:
It’s loaded with a full TWO NOTES Torpedo module. This means you get all the feel and benefits of a real tube amp but all the reliability and tone sculpting features of the onboard digital PLUGIN. But you can also change power amps using the Torpedo Remote interface, which is included as part of your purchase and automatically downloads when you register at Two Notes.
Key features of the LA-Studio include:
We’ve discussed the unique presets on the LA-Studio and why we built the LA-Studio and who it’s for, so worth reading those articles too. This will show you exactly why modern-day guitarists who want an amp they can play live with AND record at home will love the Laney LA-Studio – especially Smashing Pumpkins fans.
The Laney Supergroup amp from 1967 was a beast. It was loud, it was heavy, and it sounded amazing – it’s now extremely hard to get hold of on the 2nd hand market.
Now, Laney has taken that classic amp and reimagined it in a studio format.
The LA-STUDIO is an Impulse Response loaded, 3W <0.1W – watt version of the critically acclaimed LA30BL head. You have 3 x ECC83 preamp tubes and a single 12BH7 power tube for those real dynamics that only tube amps can deliver – with one key difference.
It’s loaded with a full TWO NOTES Torpedo module. This means you get all the feel and benefits of a real tube amp but all the reliability and tone sculpting features of the onboard digital PLUGIN.
Straight out of the box, you have 6 virtual cabinets/impulse responses recorded by our engineers. The DynIR is the next-generation impulse response technology developed by Two Notes Audio Engineering which revolutionises what a static impulse response can do. Each DynIR Virtual Cabinet from Two Notes comes with 8 microphones, and a choice of multiple rooms so you can essentially record in different locations without leaving your home. Simply plug it into your computer and use it with your favourite DAW.
Best of all, by using the Two Notes app, you can change the studio, position the mics either in front or behind the cabinet, alter EQ, sculpt your ideal sound, and hear the subtle changes in real-time.
It responds exactly like a tube amp because it IS a tube amp – just with DAW connectivity and onboard Cab Sims and DynIR technology.
You also have the Presence, Bass, Middle, Treble and Gain controls as well as a dual channel connection that you can actually blend – just like the vintage Supergroup amps!
To achieve the Billy Corgan “Siamese Dream” sound on the Laney LA-Studio, start with the following settings on the amp head:
Using the Torpedo Remote interface alongside the built-in Two Notes embedded Torpedo module, use the following settings:
Why?
Well, Billy Corgan used the EL34 power amp valves in his JCM800, and Butch Vig close mic’d his amps using an SM57 in a live room when recording Siamese Dream – so you’re totally authentic there.
That’s how you sound like Billy Corgan, or get the Billy Corgan sound on the Laney LA-Studio.
To achieve the Billy Corgan live guitar sound on the Laney LA-Studio, start with the following settings on the LA-Studio amp head (as per Billy Corgan’s LANEY LA100SM amp settings):
Using the Torpedo Remote interface alongside the built-in Two Notes embedded Torpedo module, use the following settings:
Why?
Well, Billy Corgan uses the EL34 power amp valves in his LANEY LA100SM, dynamic Sm57 mics are the industry standard live guitar cab mics and this set-up not only recreates the sound of the classic Smashing Pumpkins guitar sound, but provides the exact sound of Billy Corgan’s live amplifier rig.
And that is how you sound like Billy Corgan on the Laney LA-Studio.
Remember that these settings are a starting point, if you want to change anything go for it!
Here are some additional tips to help you fine-tune your Billy Corgan sound:
Experiment with guitar pedals, such as fuzz or overdrive, to add extra layers of distortion and warmth to your tone.
The Laney LA-Studio is not only an excellent tool for achieving the Billy Corgan sound, but it can also inspire creativity and innovation in your playing, opening up doorways to sonic landscapes and signature artist sounds you may have previously not thought possible.
If there’s an artist’s guitar sound you like, you can get it with the Laney LA-Studio.
So many modern bands and musicians have been influenced by Corgan’s sound and the Grunge movement that it’s hard to comprehend what music would be like without the man. We’re just happy to welcome him to the Laney roster and be able to provide anyone with the building blocks to get the Billy Corgan sound on the Laney LA-Studio.
Happy playing!