Yamaha Guitars have been proudly working closely with The Smashing Pumpkins for over a decade. The Rock legends’ announcement that they would be performing in Japan for the first time in twelve years was the perfect opportunity to collaborate once again, this time on unique custom instruments for this special tour.
Out of the Yamaha Guitar Development Custom Shop in Calabasas, Los Angeles, Yamaha’s Lead Electric Guitar Builder, Rafael Barajas, turned each band member’s concept into reality.
Billy Corgan’s Pacifica
The PACP12M was the natural choice for Billy Corgan to work with as a template for his custom guitar because of his familiarity the tone wood combination and overall design.
To match his ferocious sound with The Smashing Pumpkins, Rafael installed a pair of Billy’s signature humbuckers, made by Reverend. Aesthetically, the purple finish was hand-selected by Billy and is a one-of-a-kind Pacifica that will look striking onstage.
Jack Bates’ Custom BB
Jack Bates has been playing BB734A basses since they debuted in 2017 and often tours with up to eight at a time. To celebrate these special shows in Japan, Jack asked for a bright white bass and pick guard, along with a red sun circle to pay tribute to the national flag. All materials and components are stock, like his touring basses.
James Iha’s Pacifica
Yamaha has built many custom instruments for James Iha, and he always asks for them to be finished in black, white, or a mix of the two.
For this special Pacifica, James selected the PAC611H as the template for us to work on because of his preference for a hardtail bridge and the specific neck shape. The body has been repainted in a black finish mixed with iridescent sparkle to reflect stage lights and the back of the neck has been sprayed with a satin finish for smooth playability up and down the neck. Like all his stage guitars, James prefers Anderson Guitarworks high output humbuckers.
Kiki Wong’s Custom Revstar
Kiki Wong likes to perform with guitars that have a powerful look to match her onstage presence.
Already familiar with the RSP20, Kiki instantly knew that she wanted a Revstar with a leopard print finish for a wild look. She shared with us a pattern that she was drawn to and Yamaha helped make it a reality. To match her other guitars, we installed Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz humbuckers.
These one-off instruments, which were played by the band exclusively on their Japan tour dates, are now on display in the Yamaha Music Ginza Store where fans can check them out in person throughout October.
Visit The Smashing Pumpkins custom models at Yamaha’s Flagship Ginza Store: https://retailing.jp.yamaha.com/shop/ginza