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With just a month to go before the first reunion gig, it’s hard not to start wondering what guitars (and gear) Noel will bring along for the ride.

Some picks are all but guaranteed, others are wishful thinking – and a few are deep cuts we’d love to see dusted off, even if the chances are slim. Noel’s not exactly known for wallowing in nostalgia… but hey, maybe a few rare gems will find their way back on stage.

Keep reading for some light-hearted, gear-nerd guesswork…

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1) The no-brainers

The obvious picks everyone expects: if they’re not played, something’s wrong!

Gibson ES-355 (with Bigsby)
Would Noel really be Noel without his Cherry Red ES-355? He bought it sometime in the summer of ’97, and it’s been his main guitar since the Heathen Chemistry era.
Will he bring the original 1960 model on tour, or one of the NG signature reissues (link to the page)? Maybe both – just in case he needs a backup.

We might hear it on… Don’t Look Back in Anger, Little by Little, Lyla, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Stand by Me and just about anything else!

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Noel has been playing the Red “M2M” Les Paul lately – as seen in a recent photoshoot. Will it make the cut for the tour? Chances are, he’ll bring a Les Paul along, and realistically, it’s either going to be that red one (link here) or one of the Sunbursts (link here).

We might hear it on… Slide Away, Columbia, Supersonic, Gas Panic! (I wish!), Cigarettes and Alcohol and other heavier songs.

Epiphone USA Casino
The USA-made reissue of the Casino might just be Noel’s favorite new guitar in recent years. He never played a Casino live with Oasis, but he clearly loves the feel of it and the midrange-heavy tone of those P-90 pickups. He’s got at least three: will he bring the Royal Tan (used all over Council Skies – link), the Sunburst (link), or the Cherry one (link)?

We might hear it on… Wonderwall, Go Let It Out and The Importance of Being Idle.

Gibson J-150
Noel’s go-to acoustic these days seems to be the Blonde J-150, which he reportedly bought online sometime in 2019. Maybe he’ll bring out the iconic Sunburst J-150 instead – the one with the Adidas sticker – but my bet’s on the Blonde.

We might hear it on… well, just about any track that features him on acoustic guitar.

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2) On the wishlist…

The fan favorites that might just make it – or maybe not!

Epiphone Riviera (“Matsumoku”)
This year marks the 30th anniversary of What’s the Story Morning Glory? – and this is the electric guitar that shaped its sound. Epiphone even released a pretty accurate reissue a couple of years ago.
The original Wine Red Matsumoku Riviera (link) was pulled out for a special episode of That Pedal Show and shown at exhibitions from Liverpool to Tokyo. Will it make an appearance during the 2025 tour? We’d all love to see it – but realistically, it’s probably a long shot.

We would like to hear it on… everything off What’s the Story Morning Glory?

Gibson Les Paul Standard (’53 conversion)
The ex–Johnny Marr Cherry Sunburst Les Paul (link) also made an appearance on That Pedal Show. It’s a guitar that helped define the Definitely Maybe era – and easily one of the most iconic pieces in Noel’s collection. It’s hard to imagine him taking it on a world tour…

We would like to hear it on… Slide Away (which was written on this very guitar) and on any track that begs for a Les Paul sound.

Gibson Trini Lopez Standard
The Trini Lopez is my favorite take on the Gibson semi-hollow family. The one Noel played in the early-to-mid 2000s supposedly belongs to Andy Bell, though Noel does own at least one himself (link) – seen more recently in the hands of Gem Archer during the latest NGHFB tours. According to The Chief, he hasn’t “used the Trini Lopez on a track since Don’t Believe The Truth.” Is now the time to bring it back? Or does he feel like the model leans a bit too “Dave Grohl” these days?

We would like to hear it on… Wonderwall, Lyla and Champagne Supernova.

Rickenbacker 330
Now that’s an underrated guitar. Noel played a Rickenbacker for a few songs between 1997 and 2001 and it sounded brilliant: those hi-gain pickups have a peculiar sound that cannot be replicated. The set needs some jangly twang!
He owns at least three 330 models: the white ex-Paul Weller one (link), the Mapleglo from the Standing on the Shoulder of Giants era (link) and a Jetglo version that’s never been played live but has appeared in various exhibitions over the past decade (link).

We would like to hear it on… Wonderwall and Go Let It Out.

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3) The wild cards

Unexpected surprises and obscure models… Could a couple of them make it?

Gibson Les Paul Custom (1978)
The iconic black Les Paul Custom (link) – another ex–Johnny Marr guitar – is back in the spotlight, thanks to Gibson’s ultra-limited 20-piece reissue (link) replicating how it looked in the mid-’90s, before Noel swapped in those Firebird pickups.
He last played it in 2017, but he’s often said it’s incredibly heavy – probably not the best choice for a middle-aged man on tour. Sorry, Noel! Maybe that’s why he’s been loving the Casino lately? It’s a featherweight compared to a ’70s Les Paul.

We’d love to see a wild Les Paul Custom appear on… Whatever, of course!

Gibson ES-355 (Ebony)
I’ve been sort of obsessed with this guitar (link) ever since I downloaded a bootleg of the NGHFB V Festival set back in the summer of 2012.
To me, it’s the sexiest of all Noel’s 345/355 models. It made a few appearances after one of his ES-345s was damaged in August that year (link) – and then vanished without a trace.

We’d love to see a wild Ebony 355 appear on… Falling Down, Gas Panic!, or any of those dark, moody tracks.

Epiphone Sheraton (“Union Jack”)
Would a speculative list even be complete without this one? The Union Jack Sheraton hasn’t been played live since 1998, but it ranks among the most iconic Oasis guitars of all time. We’re all waiting for Epiphone to release an accurate replica of it.
Some say Noel had two UJ Sheratons, but very reliable sources suggest there was only one. The second, identical Nashville Sheraton – used at Knebworth and throughout 1997 – kept its original Sunburst finish (link). Sadly, that one seems to have disappeared over the years.

We’d love to see a wild UJ Sheraton appear on… Acquiesce – as the opening song of the set, of course!

Epiphone EJ-200
Now we’re entering sci-fi territory – or the realm of legendary Pokémon. This was Noel’s main acoustic in the early days, the one that appeared on the covers of Definitely Maybe and Cigarettes & Alcohol. It hasn’t been seen since around spring 1996.
Does Noel still have it? No one really knows. But there’s no doubt it’s a holy grail: so many classic songs were written on it. It might seem modest, but it’s the stuff of legend.

We’d love to see a wild EJ-200 appear on… Half the World Away and Talk Tonight.

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4) Amps & pedals

And to wrap up this facetious little blog post… a quick look at what’s on the other end of the guitar cable.

Noel’s pedalboard, as thoroughly documented on That Pedal Show (link), probably won’t change much. Gem will likely continue to handle most of the lead parts, and while there may be a few new additions, the core setup should stay intact: the essential Keeley Compressor Plus, Boss DD-3, SIB Echodrive, Pete Cornish SS-2, etc.

Could he sneak in a Tubescreamer variant? Maybe – but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Personally, I’d love to see the return of the Boss PH-2 Super Phaser… or even a wah. Think about Hello, The Swamp Song or Acquiesce…

And what about amps? Will Noel bring back the mighty Hiwatt Custom 100 combos?

My personal favorite Noel rhythm tone was during the Chasing Yesterday era, when he was running a Hiwatt Custom 100 combo, a Hiwatt 50 head into a 2×12 cab, and a small Fender Blues Junior. It had just the right amount of crunch – rich and powerful without sounding boxy or overdone.

For the following tours, he downsized to two Hiwatt 50-watt combos, with a Fender Vibrolux added for a few tracks during the Council Skies era. But with stadium shows on the horizon, could he scale the rig back up?

A return to the old VOX AC-50 and Marshall 4×12 setup isn’t impossible, but pretty unlikely, since he sold off the spares years ago.

And the Marshall Valvestate/WEM duo (link) from the early days? That would be a nostalgic dream, but let’s be honest: it’s not happening. The safest bet is still on the Hiwatt Customs, whether he sticks with the 50s or cranks up the 100s.

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Coincidentally, just as I was finishing up this post, a short audio clip leaked from the ongoing rehearsals: Cigarettes and Alcohol and Fade Away are on the setlist, and the guitars sound absolutely massive. If this is a taste of what’s coming… bring it on!

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Hope you enjoyed the read!
As always, feel free to drop a comment or shoot me an email if you’ve got tips, hints, or just something to say. The hype is building.