Billy Corgan Signature Amplifier | Carstens Amplification - Grace | Smashing Pumpkins Tones

I am honored to get a chance to check out the incredible Carstens Amplification Grace - Billy Corgan Signature Amplifier. If you've watched any of my other videos, you've no doubt noticed the Smashing Pumpkins influence. This amp has a really unique thing going on. It's huge, it's bold, it's big, it's brawny, has tons of gain on tap, but all the while remains incredibly clear & dynamic. It's also pretty dead quiet considering how much gain is available. No pedals used! Carstens Amplification has really made something special here.

Learn more: http://www.carstensamplification.com/

0:00 Playing
12:55 Knob Turning

Signal Chain:

SIGNAL CHAIN:
• Carstens Amplification Grace
• Suhr Pete Thorn 2x12 Cabinet w/ Celestion G12H-75's
• Shure SM57 & Neumann TLM102
• Universal Audio Apollo 8p
• Logic Pro X
• Soundtoys EchoBoy, Waves rVerb, Soundtoys MicroShift (only used on the Killing Joke tune).

Riffs Played:

Smashing Pumpkins - Drown
Tool - Vicarious
Opeth - Coil
Smashing Pumpkins - I Am One
The Band Royale - Who’s Got It Better
Smashing Pumpkins - Jackboot
Killing Joke - You’ll Never Get To Me
Smashing Pumpkins - Stand Inside Your Love
Gold Key - Mechanical World
Random Noodling into Smashing Pumpkins “Starla”
Torche - Out Again

From Carstens Amplification:

Brian Carstens has long been working with the Smashing Pumpkins as an amplifier technician. In late 2018, Billy Corgan and Brian began discussing an amp collaboration. Billy expressed, in over 30 years of creating music, “I have never played a high gain amp that I like.” Billy’s lofty request: for Brian to make him an amp with an unheard of amount of gain, high headroom and distinct tone. Brian got to work, and the Carstens Amplification® Grace amplifier was born. Billy was so blown away by the Grace that this custom project turned into this signature Billy Corgan amplifier — Billy’s first and only. To really understand why Billy Corgan calls the Grace “a game changer” and “a step forward,” take a listen.

This versatile, 100W, single channel amplifier offers a staggering amount of articulate high gain, yet is exceptionally responsive to changes in your guitar volume. As such, your Grace can go from clean to breathtaking overdrive with the turn of a volume, or gain control.

Each Grace is completely handwired using premium components, including specially designed, hand-wound Mercury Magnetics transformers. The result is a beautifully open and 3-dimensional high-gain overdrive with incredible note separation.

All are completely handmade in a limited run of only 50 amplifiers. All are individually signed by Billy Corgan.

Specs:

- Tubes: 4 x EL34, 4 x 12AX7
- Controls: Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Master Volume, Presence, Bright Switch, Headroom
- Completely handmade/hand-wired in the U.S.A by Brian Carstens
- Custom cabinet handcrafted in the U.S.A
- Specially designed, hand-wound Mercury Magnetics transformers
- Mercury Magnetics power cord
- Premium capacitors
- High grade vacuum tubes for low noise and peak performance
- Powder coated/silk screened, high quality aluminum chassis
- No printed circuit boards
- 100W"
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My instagram:   / zzwish  
See what's new: https://linktr.ee/zachwish

My Bands:

Naked Pictures (guitar):
Bandcamp: https://nakedpicturesrichmond.bandcam...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4vvLi0...

Large Margin (bass):
Bandcamp: https://largemargin.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6QlKIc...

Proudly playing Ernie Ball strings.

#CarstensGrace #BillyCorgan #SmashingPumpkins