Home Guitar Legends Noel Gallagher Guitars & Gear: The Complete Guide to Oasis’ Chief

Noel Gallagher Guitars & Gear: The Complete Guide to Oasis’ Chief

12 June 2026

Johnny Marr sent him some guitars.

It was late 1993 or early 1994. Oasis had signed to Creation Records and were preparing to record their debut album. Noel Gallagher had essentially one guitar — his Epiphone Les Paul Standard. It had served him through the early Oasis years, the toilet circuit, the writing sessions. But for recording a proper debut album, he needed something more.

Marr and Gallagher had become friends. Marr, who had previously owned a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard, sent some guitars down. Among them: the 1960 Les Paul that had previously belonged to Pete Townshend of The Who. Gallagher used it to record Definitely Maybe (1994). Marr never asked for it back. Gallagher still has it to this day.

This is the kind of guitar provenance chain that makes gear nerds lose sleep: Townshend → Marr → Gallagher. A single Les Paul connecting three generations of British rock’s most significant rhythm guitarists.

The Union Jack Epiphone Sheraton came next — a 1993 Epiphone Nashville Series guitar that his then-girlfriend Meg Mathews had painted with the Union Jack as a birthday present. He debuted it at Maine Road in 1996. It became one of the most iconic guitars in British rock history. It is currently at the British Music Experience at the O2 Arena.

Then came the Gibson ES-355. A dealer brought it to a rehearsal in late 1996. Gallagher felt the neck — impossibly thin, exactly what he wanted. He bought it on the spot. “This guitar has got the best tone. I wrote ‘Little by Little’ on it, and I played it on every Oasis record from ’96 onwards — everything! And all of my solo records. It’s the main rhythm electric guitar.”

One guitar for every Oasis record from 1996 to 2009. One guitar. Every record. The main rhythm guitar.

Background: Burnage, Manchester, the Toilet Circuit, and the Biggest Band in Britain

Noel Thomas David Gallagher was born May 29, 1967, in Longsight, Manchester, and grew up in Burnage — the same south Manchester suburb as his younger brother Liam. Their childhood was marked by poverty and their father’s violence; music was an escape from both. Noel began playing guitar as a teenager, initially learning from listening to records rather than formal instruction.

He became a roadie for The Inspiral Carpets in the late 1980s — a significant position, because touring with a successful Manchester band exposed him to professional music-making at close range while giving him time and equipment access to continue developing as a guitarist and songwriter. He wrote songs constantly. He was never the roadie who dreamed of being a rock star in an unfocused way; he had specific songs written and was waiting for the right vehicle.

When his brother Liam formed a band called The Rain with Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan, and Tony McCarroll, Noel joined on the condition that he would be the lead guitarist, main songwriter, and effectively the creative director. The band renamed themselves Oasis. Their demos, recorded at Boardwalk Studio in Manchester in 1993, attracted the attention of Creation Records boss Alan McGee at a Glasgow gig.

Definitely Maybe (1994) became the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history at the time of its release. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) was even bigger. The Knebworth concerts of August 1996 — two shows attended by a combined 250,000 people, with 2.5 million ticket applications — represented the peak of Oasis’s commercial dominance. They were, briefly, the biggest band in the world.

Gallagher left Oasis in 2009 following a backstage incident with Liam at a Paris festival. He formed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, releasing several well-received albums of more melodically sophisticated music than the Oasis era. The Oasis reunion, announced in 2024 for 2025, is one of the most commercially significant musical reunions in history.

Tone note: He was a roadie before he was a rock star. The specific knowledge that comes from watching professional musicians work — loading equipment, setting up stages, watching soundchecks, being present during recording — is embedded in his approach to sound. He is not an accidental guitarist who stumbled into the right tone; he is someone who watched professionals work for years before becoming one himself. The simplicity and effectiveness of his rig reflects that professional background.

The Rig: Noel Gallagher’s Guitars, Amps & Gear

Guitars: From Epiphone to Gibson, Album by Album

Epiphone Les Paul Standard — Definitely Maybe Writing and “Supersonic” Video

Noel’s first primary guitar as Oasis was developing — Noel’s primary guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul Standard. That guitar had been Noel’s weapon of choice as Oasis made a name for themselves on the UK toilet circuit, was used in writing and demo sessions prior to the album’s recording, and then prominently featured in the video for the band’s first single, Supersonic — it’s currently up for auction and expected to fetch as much as £80,000.

The Epiphone Les Paul Standard — the budget version of Gibson’s iconic model — was all he could afford. The guitar’s humbucking pickups provided the thick, warm character appropriate to Gallagher’s Beatles-and-Stones-influenced chord playing.

Gibson Les Paul Standard (1960, ex-Pete Townshend, via Johnny Marr) — Definitely Maybe Album

For the actual recording of Definitely Maybe, Noel needed a proper Les Paul, but as Noel was still unemployed at the time, he certainly couldn’t afford one — enter another Mancunian guitar legend. Johnny Marr had become friends with Gallagher in the years prior, and the former Smiths man let him borrow his beautiful 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard that had previously been owned by Pete Townshend of The Who.

The provenance chain: Townshend → Marr → Gallagher. Three of British rock’s most significant guitarists, connected by a single 1960 Les Paul. Marr never asked for the guitar back, and Gallagher still owns it to this day — regularly using it in the studio.

Epiphone Riviera (Wine Red) — Morning Glory Writing and Rhythm Guitar

Before and during the recording of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, Noel got this Epiphone Riviera sometime before the (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? studio sessions in late 1994. As he told the story during The Pedal Show interview in 2023, he and Bonehead visited the Johnny Roadhouse Music store in Manchester, where they each picked up an Epiphone — Noel’s in wine red and Bonehead’s in dark sunburst. “We were such Beatles fanatics, and me and Bonehead, we went to Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester, and we both bought Epiphones. Strictly because of the Beatles. This, I wrote all of What’s the Story Morning Glory on. This is on all the rhythm guitar parts.”

The Beatles connection is everything here: the Epiphone semi-hollow guitars that Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison played in the early Beatles years (Casino, Sheraton, Riviera) were the specific models that Gallagher and Bonehead sought out — not because of their sound relative to Fenders or Gibsons, but because of what band had played them.

Epiphone Sheraton “Union Jack” — The Most Iconic Guitar

The guitar most associated with Noel Gallagher — one of the most iconic instruments in British rock — is a 1993 Epiphone Sheraton painted with the Union Jack design. According to most sources, Noel got this guitar from his then-girlfriend, Meg Mathews, sometime in 1996. He used it briefly during the Morning Glory tour, including the iconic shows at Maine Road. Thanks to these performances, the guitar became one of the most iconic Oasis instruments and is one that fans most often associate with Noel. As for the custom design featuring the United Kingdom flag — this was apparently also something Meg arranged for Noel.

The guitar was most likely made in 1993 as part of a limited run of 250 Rivieras and 250 Sheratons produced in Gibson’s Nashville factory under the Epiphone brand, known as the “Nashville USA Collection.” Originally finished in sunburst, the commonly told story is that Meg Mathews had it repainted with the Union Jack design as a birthday present for Noel.

The Union Jack Sheraton is now at the British Music Experience at the O2 Arena. It spawned Gallagher’s first signature model — the Epiphone Supernova — though there’s scant evidence he actually used the Supernova himself, having already moved on to his next primary instrument.

Tone note: Meg Mathews commissioned the Union Jack paint job as a birthday present. The most recognisable guitar in Britpop history was a girlfriend’s birthday gift — a stock Epiphone Sheraton that was repainted with the British flag during the height of Cool Britannia. The guitar contained the entire cultural moment: Epiphone (affordable, democratic), Union Jack (flag-waving British cool), Maine Road (Manchester’s biggest stage), 1996 (Britpop’s apex). The instrument and the moment were the same object.

Gibson ES-355 (Cherry, 1960) — The Main Guitar from 1996 Onward

The guitar that became Gallagher’s primary instrument for the rest of Oasis and all of his solo career to date: Noel got this guitar at the end of the Morning Glory tour in late 1996. According to a 2023 interview with The Pedal Show, a guitar dealer came to the studio where the band was rehearsing, and Noel bought the guitar immediately after noticing how thin the neck was. From that point on, it essentially became his main guitar, and he used it on nearly everything he recorded from then onward. “This guitar has got the best tone. I wrote ‘Little by Little’ on it, and I played it on every Oasis record from ’96 onwards — everything! And all of my solo records. It’s the main rhythm electric guitar.”

The ES-355 is Gibson’s top-of-the-line version of the ES-335 design — same semi-hollow body, but with multiple binding, a Varitone switch, stereo electronics, and generally more elaborate cosmetics. The cherry finish is the most classic ES-355 look. The thin neck that sold Gallagher on it is the specific characteristic of 1960 Gibson necks — the “slim-taper” profile that is considerably thinner front-to-back than the thicker 1950s profiles.

This 335 is one of Gallagher’s favourites — so much so that he used it on every Oasis track from 1996 onwards. Gallagher’s 335 became so iconic that Gibson released a signature version of it, with only 200 produced worldwide.

He also felt it was “too nice” to take on the road initially. Then changed his mind: In 1997 Noel Gallagher bought himself a cherry 1960 Gibson ES-355 and promptly fell in love. It became one of his primary writing and recording guitars, but felt that it was “too nice” to let it go out on the road. Then, in the mid-2000s he realised he didn’t want to leave this guitar at home and it quickly became his number one guitar on tour as well.

Other Key Guitars

Gibson Les Paul Custom (Johnny Marr) — A second Marr-gifted Les Paul Custom; used alongside the Standard
Gibson Les Paul Florentine (Silver Sparkle Custom Shop) — A silver-sparkle finished Custom Shop one-off with F-holes that he somewhat hyperbolically once described as “the best guitar in the world” when he got it in 1997. Despite this bold claim, it was used as a touring guitar for a couple of years but never became one of his primary instruments.
Epiphone Casino (1964 blonde, worn/sanded) — For this record I used two Epiphone Casinos. One is an original 1960s… I think it’s probably a 1964 which has been sanded down, it’s blonde. And one is one of the John Lennon reissue ones. They were the two main guitars I used all the way through the album [Dig Out Your Soul].
Rickenbacker 330/6 — Given to him by Paul Weller; used in various periods
Gibson Firebird — Used in some Oasis-era sessions
Gibson Trini Lopez — In collection; used occasionally
Fender Telecaster (Paisley) — In collection
Gibson SG — Used for “Cum On Feel the Noize” at Knebworth
Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic — Primary acoustic for songwriting and MTV Unplugged appearances; “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” acoustic versions
Takamine Jasmine — Acoustic for some 1990s performances
Gibson J-45, Gibson J-200 — Later acoustic additions

Complete Guitar List (Key Instruments)

Epiphone Les Paul Standard — Pre-Definitely Maybe; “Supersonic” video; toilet circuit; first primary
Gibson Les Paul Standard 1960 (ex-Townshend, via Marr) — Definitely Maybe album; still owned; never returned
Epiphone Riviera (wine red) — Morning Glory writing and all rhythm parts; bought with Bonehead “because of the Beatles”; basis for Gallagher Signature Riviera
Epiphone Sheraton “Union Jack” (1993 Nashville Series) — Maine Road 1996; most iconic Oasis guitar; now at British Music Experience O2; spawned Epiphone Supernova signature
Epiphone Sheraton (sunburst) — Used alongside Union Jack version through 1996-97
Gibson ES-355 (cherry, 1960) — Primary from late 1996 to present day; every Oasis record from ’96; all solo records; Gibson signature model (200 made)
Gibson Les Paul Florentine (silver sparkle, Custom Shop) — “Best guitar in the world” claim; 1997-1999 touring
Epiphone Casino (1964 blonde sanded + John Lennon reissue) — Dig Out Your Soul album; both main guitars on that record
Rickenbacker 330/6 (Paul Weller gift) — In collection; occasional use
Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic — Songwriting primary; MTV Unplugged; Knebworth acoustic set

Amps: British Amps, Always

The Early Period — Marshall Valvestate and WEM Dominator

Gallagher is most associated with British amplifiers when it comes to his Oasis rig, most notably favouring Marshall, Orange, WEM and Hiwatt amps. For the band’s early recordings, Gallagher paired two combos, his Marshall Valvestate 8080 and his WEM Dominator MkIII, a lesser known 15watt combo that helped define Gallagher’s early tone.

The WEM Dominator — a small British combo amp from the 1960s, made by Watkins Electric Music — is a characterful choice. Its 15 watts at the edge of breakup provides a specific compressed, warm character that the Marshall Valvestate’s solid-state cleanliness complemented.

Vox AC30 and Marshall — Morning Glory and Beyond

Gallagher has also stated that for the recording of the band’s sophomore record ‘What’s The Story (Morning Glory)’, he was partially working with a Vox AC30 and a Marshall Bluesbraker. The AC30 — the classic British amp that defined the jangle of the 1960s British Invasion — suits the Beatles-influenced character of his playing. He also used Orange amplifiers: According to some sources Noel used 2 Orange Overdrive 120 heads with 2 4×12 cabinets.

Hiwatt — Live Stadium Era

For the biggest Oasis shows — Knebworth, Maine Road, the stadium-sized venues of 1995-1997 — Gallagher used Hiwatt amplification. The Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head is one of the loudest and cleanest British tube amps available — designed to provide enormous clean headroom for the largest stages, with the specific aggressive clean character of EL34 power tubes at working volume.

Pedals: Simple, Effective, and the Echodrive Secret

SIB Echodrive — The Preamp Secret

The most interesting pedal in Gallagher’s signal chain is the SIB Echodrive — a tape echo emulator that he used specifically for its preamp, not its delay. Most notably, Gallagher used a now rare and sought after SIB Echodrive for the band’s live shows, exclusively taking advantage of the pedal’s preamp for extra gain and not bothering with its delay effect, a trick also famously used by QOTSA’s Josh Homme.

Using a delay pedal purely as a preamp — ignoring the delay function entirely — is an unusual approach that reflects specific sonic knowledge. The SIB Echodrive’s preamp stage adds a specific warmth and harmonic richness that a conventional preamp pedal doesn’t produce. Gallagher found the sweet spot and used it consistently.

Core Pedals

SIB Echodrive — Used as preamp boost only, not for delay; rare and sought-after; key to Oasis live tone
Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer — Standard overdrive; confirmed in Mixdown Magazine
Vox Wah — His preferred wah pedal throughout Oasis; the Vox wah’s specific tonal character suits the Beatles-influenced playing style
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay — Primary delay; used for the repeated phrases in songs like “Don’t Look Back in Anger”
Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter — One notable addition to his pedalboard was a classic Boss PH-3 phaser pedal used for some psychedelic swirly sounds during live “jams” such as “I Am The Walrus” on the “There And Then” DVD.
Colorsound Tone Bender — After the halcyon days of Knebworth, Noel was using some fuzz pedal for the first time, a Coloursound Tone Bender. Used during the Be Here Now era
Dunlop Crybaby Wah — Used alongside or instead of Vox wah in later periods
Ebow — On the credits of “What’s the Story (Morning Glory)” it also says that Noel used an e-bow. The ebow produces infinite sustain on single strings by electromagnetically driving the string rather than picking it — produces the sustained, vocal quality on “Don’t Look Back in Anger”

The Recording Approach

Gallagher is not a pedal-heavy player in the studio — he relies primarily on the interaction between guitar and amp rather than effects chain to achieve his tone. His use of the SIB Echodrive as a preamp, the TS-9 for light drive, and the specific amp selections are the primary tonal tools. The simplicity reflects his songwriting-first approach: the guitar is a vehicle for the song, and the song should work without elaborate production.

Strings, Picks & Setup

Picks: Noel Gallagher uses a pick, namely Dunlop picks, such as the Tortex standard 0.73mm, which was found in one of Gallagher’s practice guitar cases backstage. The 0.73mm Tortex is a medium pick — flexible enough for the strumming patterns of his rhythm playing while providing enough definition for the single-note riffs.

The Beatles philosophy extended to strings: Gallagher’s string choice follows the same Beatles-influenced, vintage approach as his guitar choice. Standard gauges for his semi-hollow Gibsons.

The E-bow technique: The e-bow appears on Morning Glory and other recordings to produce the sustained, bowing quality on specific parts. Songs like “Don’t Look Back in Anger” feature the e-bow’s infinite sustain as a textural element beneath or alongside the main guitar parts.

Playing Style & Tone Philosophy: Songwriting First, Guitar Second

Noel Gallagher’s guitar playing philosophy is the most explicitly songwriting-oriented in this series. He is not a guitarist who writes songs; he is a songwriter who plays guitar. The distinction matters because every gear and technique choice is subordinated to the song’s requirements rather than to the display of guitar skill.

The Rhythm Guitar Foundation

Gallagher’s primary guitar role in Oasis was rhythm guitar — providing the harmonic foundation over which Liam’s vocals and the rhythm section operated. His chord voicings are sophisticated within the context of British rock: he uses full barre chords for power and drive, open voicings for jangle, and specific capo positions to achieve the right key with familiar chord shapes. The specific Beatles influence is audible in his willingness to use major seventh chords, suspended chords, and modal voicings that many straightforward rock players avoid.

The Beatles as North Star

Every guitar choice Gallagher has made traces back to Beatles fandom: the Epiphone guitars because the Beatles played Epiphones; the Vox AC30 because the Beatles used Vox amps; the specific chord vocabulary because he absorbed the Beatles catalog obsessively. We were such Beatles fanatics, and me and Bonehead, we went to Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester, and we both bought Epiphones. Strictly because of the Beatles.

This is not imitation — it is the internalization of a tradition and its extension in a specific working-class Manchester direction. Oasis sound like the Beatles went through a council estate in Burnage.

The Songwriting Guitar

The Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic is his primary songwriting instrument — the guitar on which Oasis songs were initially sketched. “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Champagne Supernova,” and the majority of the Oasis catalog were written on an acoustic guitar before being arranged for the full band. The acoustic discipline — where a song must work with only guitar and voice — explains why Oasis songs are so immediate and melodically direct. Gallagher wrote them that way from the start.

How to Sound Like Noel Gallagher: The Oasis Guitar Tone

The Guitar

Epiphone semi-hollow (Riviera, Sheraton, or Casino) or Gibson ES-355/335 — the semi-hollow character is central to the Oasis tone.

Epiphone Riviera (Noel Gallagher Signature) — The production model based on his wine red Riviera; most accessible
Epiphone Sheraton II — The Union Jack-era guitar’s production equivalent
Gibson ES-335 or ES-355 — The mature Oasis tone from 1996 onward; Gibson Noel Gallagher Signature (200 made) for full authenticity

The Amp

Vox AC30 or Hiwatt for the most authentic Oasis tone. Marshall for heavier material.

Control	Vox AC30	Notes
Volume	7–8 (natural breakup)	The AC30’s natural compression at working volume is part of the tone
Top Cut	Rolled back slightly	The AC30’s top cut is clockwise = darker; slight darkening suits Gallagher’s semi-hollow
Treble	5–6	Moderate; the ES-355’s semi-hollow character has natural brightness
Bass	4–5	Controlled; the semi-hollow adds natural warmth and low-end

The Essential Pedals

SIB Echodrive (as preamp only, delay off) — For the specific preamp warmth; hard to source; alternative: a good buffer or clean boost before the amp
Ibanez TS-9 — Standard overdrive; light gain setting
Vox Wah — For expressive passages and Beatles-influenced wah use
Boss DD-3 — Clean digital delay for song-specific delay parts

Budget vs Authentic

Budget:

Guitar: Epiphone Riviera or Sheraton (current production); or Epiphone Casino
Amp: Vox AC15 or Vox AC30 (used)
Pedals: Ibanez TS-9 + Vox Wah + Boss DD-3
Pick: Dunlop Tortex 0.73mm

Authentic:

Guitar: Gibson ES-355 (cherry, 1960) or Gibson Noel Gallagher Signature
Amp: Hiwatt DR103 + Vox AC30 (as Gallagher used for stadium shows and recording)
Pedals: SIB Echodrive (as preamp) + Ibanez TS-9 + Vox Wah + Boss DD-3

The Chord Vocabulary

Learn Oasis chord shapes — not just the chords but the specific voicings. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” uses a capo and specific open chord shapes that produce the jangle from the open strings. “Wonderwall” uses suspended chords (Esus4, Dsus2, A7sus4) that are easier to play than standard major/minor chords and produce a more complex harmonic sound. The Beatles-derived vocabulary of major 7th chords, sus4 chords, and specific capo positions is the theory behind the Gallagher rhythm approach.

Influence & Legacy: The Songwriter Who Made a Generation Pick Up Guitars

Noel Gallagher’s influence on guitar playing is primarily the influence of a songwriter — the specific songs he wrote inspired a generation of young British people to pick up guitars and attempt to play them. This is both more modest and more significant than technical guitar influence: technical guitarists inspire other guitarists; songwriters inspire people who had never considered playing.

The documented direct influences and connections:

The Beatles — The foundational influence; every guitar and amp choice traces to Beatle fandom
Johnny Marr — Friend, guitar donor, and musical model; the Smiths’ jangle and harmonic sophistication is audible in Gallagher’s playing
John Squire (Stone Roses) — The Manchester predecessor; Oasis absorbed the Madchester scene’s guitar aesthetic
Paul Weller — The British mod tradition; Weller gave Gallagher a Rickenbacker; the Jam and Style Council’s influence runs through Oasis
Every British person who learned guitar in the 1990s — “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” are among the most-learned guitar songs in UK history; their relative simplicity (achievable by beginners) and emotional power make them the perfect gateway

The Epiphone Riviera and Sheraton became aspirational instruments for a generation who saw Gallagher playing them. The Union Jack Sheraton at the British Music Experience is there because it is a cultural artifact as much as a musical one.

Johnny Marr sent him some guitars. He borrowed a 1960 Les Paul that Pete Townshend had owned and never gave it back. His girlfriend had an Epiphone painted with the Union Jack. A guitar dealer came to rehearsal with a cherry ES-355. He felt the neck. He bought it on the spot. It has been his main guitar ever since.

That’s the Noel Gallagher gear story. The songs are the other story. Both are important. One of them will outlast both of us.

Tone note: He wrote all of Morning Glory on the wine red Epiphone Riviera he bought at Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester because of the Beatles. The most commercially successful British album of the 1990s — an album that sold 22 million copies — was written on an affordable semi-hollow guitar bought in a Manchester music shop because a band from Liverpool had made Epiphone guitars cool thirty years earlier. The chain from Lennon’s Casino to Gallagher’s Riviera is direct, documented, and magnificent.

At Johnny Roadhouse Music in Manchester, Noel Gallagher and Bonehead bought wine-red and sunburst Epiphone Rivieras, respectively, because The Beatles had played Epiphones. That guitar — the wine-red Riviera — has all the rhythm guitar parts on (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Johnny Marr sent down some guitars. The 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard that Pete Townshend had previously owned was among them. It recorded Definitely Maybe. Marr never asked for it back.

His girlfriend Meg Mathews had an Epiphone Sheraton painted with the Union Jack. He debuted it at Maine Road in 1996. It is now at the British Music Experience at the O2.

A guitar dealer came to a rehearsal in late 1996 with a cherry Gibson ES-355. Gallagher felt the neck — impossibly thin, exactly right. He bought it immediately. It has been on every Oasis record from 1996 to 2009 and every solo record since. It is the main rhythm electric guitar.

One guitar for everything. Because of the Beatles. Every time.

If Noel Gallagher’s Beatles-via-Britpop guitar approach — the Epiphone semi-hollows, the Gibson ES-355, the Vox AC30, the SIB Echodrive as preamp — has you exploring the British indie tradition he inhabited, check our complete guide to John Squire’s guitars and gear — the Stone Roses guitarist who was the Madchester predecessor to Oasis’s Britpop dominance, and whose psychedelic Gretsch-and-Stratocaster sound helped define what Manchester guitar music could be before Gallagher took it to stadiums.

And for the next guitarist in this series — another British icon from the same era whose approach to guitar in a rock context is completely different from Gallagher’s songwriting-first philosophy — don’t miss our breakdown of Paul Weller’s complete gear guide.

FAQ: Noel Gallagher Guitars & Gear

What is the Union Jack Sheraton?: An Epiphone Sheraton from the 1993 Nashville Series — a limited production run of 250 guitars made in Gibson’s Nashville factory — that was painted with the Union Jack design as a birthday gift to Noel Gallagher from his then-girlfriend Meg Mathews in 1996. Originally finished in sunburst, the guitar was repainted with the British flag. Gallagher debuted it at Oasis’s legendary Maine Road shows in 1996 during the Morning Glory tour. It became one of the most iconic guitars in British rock history, representing the peak of Britpop’s Cool Britannia cultural moment. The guitar is now on display at the British Music Experience at the O2 Arena in London. It spawned Gallagher’s first signature model, the Epiphone Supernova.
What is Noel Gallagher’s main guitar?: From late 1996 to the present, Gallagher’s primary guitar is a cherry 1960 Gibson ES-355. He bought it immediately after a guitar dealer brought it to a rehearsal — he felt the neck (exceptionally thin, a 1960 “slim taper” profile) and purchased it on the spot. He has said: “This guitar has got the best tone. I wrote ‘Little by Little’ on it, and I played it on every Oasis record from ’96 onwards — everything! And all of my solo records. It’s the main rhythm electric guitar.” Gibson released a signature version with only 200 made worldwide.
What guitar did Noel Gallagher use on Definitely Maybe?: The primary guitar on Definitely Maybe (1994) was a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard borrowed from Johnny Marr — which had previously been owned by Pete Townshend of The Who. Marr, who had become friends with Gallagher, lent him the guitar because Gallagher couldn’t afford a proper Les Paul. Marr never asked for it back; Gallagher still owns it. His own Epiphone Les Paul Standard was used for writing and demos and featured in the “Supersonic” music video, but Marr’s guitar recorded the album.
Why did Noel Gallagher play Epiphone guitars?: Because of The Beatles. Gallagher and bandmate Bonehead were devoted Beatles fans, and when they visited Johnny Roadhouse Music in Manchester in late 1994, they bought Epiphone Rivieras specifically because The Beatles — Lennon, McCartney, Harrison — had played Epiphone semi-hollow guitars (Casino, Sheraton) in their early years. Gallagher: “We were such Beatles fanatics, and me and Bonehead, we went to Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester, and we both bought Epiphones. Strictly because of the Beatles.” The wine-red Riviera he bought that day has all the rhythm guitar parts on Morning Glory.
What pedals did Noel Gallagher use with Oasis?: His most distinctive pedal choice was the SIB Echodrive — used exclusively as a preamp boost, ignoring its delay function entirely, a trick also used by Josh Homme of QOTSA. Other core pedals: Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer for overdrive, Vox Wah (his preferred wah throughout Oasis), Boss DD-3 Digital Delay. He also used a Boss PH-3 phaser for psychedelic live jams, a Colorsound Tone Bender during the Be Here Now era, and an e-bow (specifically credited on Morning Glory). He was not known for an extensive pedalboard — simplicity was his default approach.
What amplifiers did Noel Gallagher use?: Gallagher consistently used British amplifiers throughout Oasis. Early period: Marshall Valvestate 8080 paired with a WEM Dominator MkIII 15-watt combo. For Morning Glory recording: Vox AC30 and Marshall Bluesbraker combo. Live during the stadium tours: Hiwatt DR103 100-watt heads (two units) with matching cabinets — the Hiwatt’s enormous clean headroom suited the stadium scale. Orange amplifiers (OR120 heads) were also used during some periods. He avoided American amplifiers almost entirely, consistent with his Beatles-influenced, British-rooted aesthetic.
How do I get Noel Gallagher’s Oasis guitar tone?: Epiphone Riviera, Sheraton, or Casino for the early Oasis era; Gibson ES-335 or ES-355 (cherry finish) for the 1996-onward era. Vox AC30 at moderate-to-high volume (natural compression at working volume). SIB Echodrive as a preamp boost (delay effect turned off) if you can source one; alternatively, a clean boost or buffer pedal in its place. Ibanez TS-9 for overdrive. Vox Wah. Boss DD-3 for delay passages. Dunlop Tortex 0.73mm pick. The most important element: learn Oasis chord shapes with the specific suspended and major seventh voicings Gallagher uses — “Wonderwall”‘s Esus4/Dsus2/A7sus4 sequence, “Don’t Look Back in Anger”‘s capo’d major shapes. The chord vocabulary is as important as the equipment.