Billy Corgan offers $20,000 for the return of his "Gish" guitar.

UPDATE!

Billy Corgan stated on his facebook page(RIP) that he would pay $20,000 No Questions Asked for the return of his "GISH" Stratocaster guitar.(pictured above) At the time of its disappearance the guitar was Yellow with hand painted multi-colored "flowers"
If you have any info regarding this guitar please leave it in the comment section of this blog. Thanks to Grunge Report.net KROQ.com WXRT.com and all the other media outlets that have been helping spread the word.

Pictured below is Billy's backup guitar from the same time period. THIS IS NOT THE GUITAR THAT WAS STOLEN!

I bought this guitar around 1989 or 1990 because I needed a spare for playing live, and wanted an almost identical sound to go with my main one at the time which was an early 70's Strat (yellow that I hand painted). THAT guitar was the featured guitar on Gish and was probably my favourite guitar ever. It was stolen in 1992 out the back door of St. Andrews Hall in Detroit and has never resurfaced. I would still pay good $ to get that guitar back, no questions asked. So THIS guitar is the last remnant of that period of my life, and I really cherish it. It was painted ala Eric Clapton's cream era guitar by my friend crazy Nick. As you can see it's taken a bit of a beating back from a time when I used to throw my guitars around like candy. The history of this guitar is its a 1978 'bullet' Strat with the flat pickups (as opposed to the staggered pole pieces). I preferred these pickups at that time because it allowed for maximum gain by running the pickups up really close to the strings. This guitar does have some recording history of note, as it was the guitar I would use for solos as it seemed to just have more cut than the main one. So all the solos on Gish were done with this guitar. It has a vicious attack as you can hear on songs like 'Tristessa', 'I Am One', 'Rhinocerous', and 'Siva'. I'm fixing this guitar up now and I hope to use it again soon. I've started using more old-school amplification, like my 1969 Marshall Super Tremolo head (currently ailing) so guitars with this kind of cut are what I'm looking for. It makes me laugh that I'm sort of back to where I started when it comes to gain and attack. I see the BC Dimarzio pickups as more the modern application of gain, and the older type pickups as a more vintage approach to the use of gain.

Beatweek Picked Smashing Pumpkins 2010 Indie Artist of the Year!

Smashing Pumpkins: Beatweek 2010 Indie Artist of the Year

RAD!

December 22, 2010

We promise this is the first and last time we ever give our “Indie Artist of the Year” award to a world-famous band which has spent most of its existence on a major label. But not only have the Smashing Pumpkins parted ways with their label, frontman Billy Corgan and crew have walked away from the entire music industry model as we know it. Not only are they giving away every song from their new forty-four song album Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, they’re doing so as each song is finished. One MP3 at a time, the Smashing Pumpkins are helping rewrite the blueprint for being an indie artist. Here is Beatweek’s conversation with Billy Corgan.

Fancy Space People Xmas Pageant & White Vinyl Pre-Order

The long awaited Vinyl release of the Fancy Space People 3P is now available for pre-order. Check out the Starry Records store.

Come party with Fancy Space People and Friends this Thursday Night Dec 23rd at the world famous Echo. Click here for Details!

This Week In The Studio

Wow, It has been an insane week at Coldwater Studio and it's only Wednesday night! On Monday and Tuesday The Smashing Pumpkins came in to finish recording the next two Teargarden by Kaleidyscope songs. Billy, Nicole and Mike recorded backing vocals that sound amazing. I have never heard big backing vocals on a Smashing Pumpkins song, it is a really cool new direction for the band. I would like to tell you what songs we recorded but then Billy would have to kill me and I am not yet ready to meet my maker.

Side Note: I have been in the recording studio for almost every SP record and never have I seen such positive band chemistry. It is very refreshing.

If you haven't checked out Billy's facebook page you should "like" it now.
(Billy has been answering questions from fans, very informative.)

Here is a candid video interview from Dec 4th where Billy talks about the future of The Smashing Pumpkins.

On Wednesday the incredibly talented Damien Youth came in to finish recording a song with David J. During dinner break we all talked about our first bands. I laughed inside as I told everyone at the table the name of my first band (St. Vitus' Dance) this of course is the name of a Bauhaus Song.... coincidence?

Here is a video of the group listening to the playback of Damien's song.

Please check out David J's Kickstarter page and be a part of his new record.

Until next time...... K

How a record is made.

After songs are recorded and mastered we need to cut a Lacquer plate for each side of the album. This is where the music is converted to analogue signals. The Lathe cuts a spiral groove using a vibrating cutting stylus. The precise groove is cut across an aluminum disc covered with a plastic coating and is cut at a speed of 33 1/3 or 45rpm.

Muzzle Cover

Billy Corgan sets up a facebook account!

"i hope everyone is having a great day today. i've got a few more days off before we head to Texas to start this last little bit of touring, and then off for the holidays (yay!). we've got big plans in the works for next year, including new Teargarden plans (different than 2010/change of direction/plans/a positive change)."

A few days ago Billy set up a facebook account and has already made numerous posts: including his thoughts on the S P Metro show on Dec 2, 2000
Go To Billy's Facebook Page

Check Out What David J Is Doing