Before she beat 10,000 other guitar players to the Smashing Pumpkins gig, Kiki Wong was racking up big stats on TikTok. The amp she used during that period, she’s revealed, is one that would have gear snobs cringing. And she still uses it to this day.
Speaking in the new issue of Guitarist, Wong was asked if she’d rather buy a really good guitar and a cheap amp, or a cheap guitar and a high-quality amp. She lands definitively in the former camp.
“Now, this obviously applies to me being at home and playing,” she reasons. “I've been playing out of a Line 6 Spider III 15-watt amp that I purchased in 2007. I've made about half of my TikTok videos with that amp, which is essentially where it got me today.”
As the numbers show, the competition to join Billy Corgan’s alt-rock heavyweights was fierce. Corgan said it took a “herculean effort” to sift through the mountain of applicants – and noted that Wong’s reel-driven reputation had already preceded her.
“I was a fan of Kiki’s before she submitted her name to be considered,” he told Guitar World, “and it’s great that someone of her acumen will be part of our touring family.”
However, not everyone was so keen on her guitar tone, as Wong admits. Regardless, it just shows gear doesn't matter all that much. It's what you do with it that counts. It also shows how far a cheap, widely mocked amp can take you.
“People talk a lot of poo about my tone,” Wong continues. “But, honestly, it's what I love and have loved since I was a kid. Now, on tour, it's definitely a different story – you've gotta have all cylinders running. But, overall, I love a great guitar.”
She’d proudly listed the Spider as a part of her amp collection long before she joined the Smashing Pumpkins, finding it ideal for bedroom riffing, while a Kemper amp modeler did the heavy lifting live. However, she isn’t the only big name to back the Line 6 Spider to the hilt.
Prog rock hero Steve Howe paired one with his vintage Gibson ES-175D for Yes' 2021 album, The Quest. Erra guitarist Jesse Cash also penned most of their records using the tiny modeling combo amp.
Meanwhile, Corgan has dished the details on what it's been like trading riffs with Wong, saying there’s one aspect of her playing that's leagues above his.
Wong’s full interview can be found in the latest issue of Guitarist, which features a cover story on the playing of T Bone Walker.
Head to Magazines Direct to pick up a copy.
