Noted tonesmith and Reverb artist shop alum Billy Corgan made some waves in the gear sphere this week by voicing his opinion that the color of a guitar's finish can impact its tone. As reported by Music Radar and others, Corgan made the claim in a video interview with Guitar Center.
"I do think paint color actually changes the sound of a guitar," Corgan said. "I’ve found through the years that certain paints sound different, so the white Reverend, I think, sounds better. I have a couple of other ones, but this one seems to sound the best.”
You can see the video clip here:
The guitar he's referring to is his signature Reverend model. For more info on that instrument, check out the video we made with Billy when the line first launched in 2016.
Corgan admits in the video that most probably find his synesthetic notion "goofy," but he is certainly far from alone among guitarists in carrying an odd superstition about what does and does not affect the sound of an instrument. Do you think color impacts a guitar's sound? Let us know in the comments.
Reverend BC1 Billy Corgan Signature Guitar