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The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 - Guitar Tab

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100%

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BPM
Key E major
The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 guitar tab video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
The Smashing Pumpkins Alternative Rock E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About 1979

"1979" by The Smashing Pumpkins is an alternative rock track from their 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Written by Billy Corgan as a nostalgic coming-of-age reflection, the song incorporates loops and samples that set it apart from the band's earlier work. Its synth-pop influenced production and melodic structure make it an engaging piece for electric guitarists seeking to expand beyond traditional rock textures.

  • Released January 23, 1996, as the second single from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
  • Billy Corgan wrote the song as a nostalgic reflection on his transition into adolescence.
  • The track features loops and samples, foreshadowing the synth-pop direction the band later pursued on Adore.

How to Play 1979

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E major · Tempo: 98 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 98 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Billy Corgan's primary weapon, particularly his late-'70s hardtail model with stock single-coils that create the Pumpkins' signature scooped, fizzy fuzz tone when slammed into a Big Muff. The single-coil bridge pickup delivers that aggressive high-end sizzle and cutting sustain central to their distorted sound.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

James Iha's go-to rhythm guitar, providing bright, cutting tones that complement Corgan's Strat-based layers and add definition to the band's wall-of-sound approach without sacrificing the clarity needed in their dense arrangements.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Corgan used Les Pauls with stock PAF-style humbuckers for warmer, thicker lead tones that contrast with his Strat's fizz, allowing him to shift between aggressive rhythm fuzz and fat, sustaining solos throughout the Pumpkins' catalog.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

A variation of Corgan's Les Paul arsenal, the Custom offered similar warm humbucker character for lead work while its thicker body resonance provided deeper low-end support for the band's heavier passages on later recordings.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

Corgan deployed this semi-hollow body for textured, slightly more organic tones that provided sonic variety beyond his Strat and Les Paul, particularly useful for cleaner, more nuanced passages that needed definition without harsh high-end artifacts.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The core of Corgan's distortion tone, cranked to the edge of breakup and pushed harder by his Big Muff pedal, the JCM800's natural tube compression and high-volume sustain became synonymous with the Pumpkins' crushing wall-of-sound aesthetic.

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