“Billy Corgan literally said he wanted the ‘Sabbath note.’ He wanted that midrange that Tony Iommi has that really cuts through”: Reverend Guitars’ founders on their wild signature collabs with Smashing Pumpkins, Vernon Reid and Reeves Gabrels

Behind the scenes at Reverend Guitars, where Joe Naylor and Ken Haas steer innovative guitar designs that have captured the imaginations of Billy Corgan, Reeves Gabrels and Vernon Reid.

From day one, Joe Naylor and Ken Haas knew that making guitars was going to be their full-time gig. For Naylor, that began in 1980, on the day he brought home his first electric guitar.

With a background in woodworking and bicycle mechanics, Naylor felt comfortable enough to take the guitar – a ’70s Epiphone Coronet – down to the proverbial studs just to see how it worked.