Why The Smashing Pumpkins Founder Chooses Warmdrive As His Go-To For Lead Tone
Billy Corgan, frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins and the mastermind behind classic albums like “Siamese Dream” and “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”, recently met with Guitar World to share what’s on his pedalboard, and we're honored that his current go-to pedal is none other than our Warmdrive amp-in-a-box overdrive pedal.
In the recent Guitar World feature, Corgan walked through his full rig. Right there, front and center, was the Warmdrive with a specific callout as his absolute favorite pedal for lead tones.
“If I had to choose only one pedal for a full show...I'd pick that Warm Audio Warmdrive. I just love it; it's fantastic.” - Billy Corgan
As an artist who’s sold over 30 million albums worldwide, penned hits like “1979,” “Today,”“Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” & built one of the most recognizable guitar tones in all of rock history, it’s safe to say he doesn’t take his tone shaping lightly. His high praise offers the ultimate credibility to what Warmdrive delivers to your guitar tone.
Why the Warmdrive?
Billy calls it out specifically for how it handles high-gain situations where most overdrive pedals get lost or muddy. The Warmdrive keeps its clarity, harmonics, and punch, even when stacked with amp fuzz.
“If you’re in a high-gain situation, not every pedal works… You need a certain type of pedal that works with the fuzz of the amp.” - Billy Corgan
That’s exactly what the Warmdrive was built for. Our faithful recreation of a legendary amp-in-a-box overdrive pedal provides guitarists with a warm, tube-style breakup, offering a ton of control and musical response & is designed for players who value touch, dynamics, and tone that cuts through.
Corgan also mentioned that these days, his rig is stripped back. No huge board. No pedal overload. In fact, he’s not even using the iconic Big Muff anymore.
So when he says the Warmdrive is his go-to for solos, that’s saying a lot. Billy Corgan’s tone has shaped generations. We’re honored that Warmdrive is now part of that story!
Check out the full Guitar World piece below & also dig into the history & product specs of Warmdrive!