Picks and strings are a fundamental part of guitar playing, yet they’re often overlooked when talking about gear. Everyone gets lost in mysterious compressor pedal settings (what does “attack” even mean, anyway?), but simply using a different pick can make a big difference to your sound. The same goes for string gauges and brands: switching to another type can completely change how a guitar feels and resonates under your fingers.

As usual, the web is full of vague or outdated information about the picks and strings Noel Gallagher has used over the years. This blog post, which was put together starting from a few hints coming from reader Rob, aims to settle things once and for all, and might even get you geeking out over guitar plectrums like never before.

Keep reading for a complete guide to Noel’s choices, from the early ’90s to today…

For those who don’t feel like reading the whole thing, here are the quick links. Jump straight to the section you want.

• PART 1: Guitar PICKS used by Noel Gallagher
• PART 2: Guitar STRINGS used by Noel Gallagher

PART 1: Guitar PICKS used by Noel Gallagher

Since the first Oasis gigs in 1994, Noel has consistently favored Dunlop Tortex picks as his main choice.

Tortex is simply a brand name for a variant of Delrin, a high-performance plastic originally developed by DuPont. Jim Dunlop selected it in 1981 as a viable alternative to sea turtle shell; the Tortex logo is, fittingly, a turtle in tribute.

Tortex picks have a satin, almost powdery feel, which makes them less slippery and very comfortable between your fingers. They do become shinier and slightly more slippery with use, but the material itself is extremely durable.

This is not an ad, but once you try a Tortex, you may never want to use another pick.

As expected, they come in different thicknesses, each identified by a different color. Personally, I think the medium-thick 0.73 mm yellow one is the most versatile.

In 1994 and 1995, Noel used either red 0.50 mm or orange 0.60 mm Tortex picks. It’s hard to say for sure, but I’m inclined to think they were the orange ones: red picks would likely have been too floppy for solos or fast passages.

During this period, you can often spot several picks on the left side of Noel’s main 4×12 Marshall cab.

In 1996, Noel began using the slightly thicker yellow 0.73 mm Tortex, while still alternating between the orange/red and yellow picks throughout the year.

At Maine Road in April 1996, both types can be seen on the 4×12 Marshall cabinet (red or orange on the left side, yellow on the right).

By Knebworth in August 1996, the picks had moved to the mic stand. Once again, both types are visible, but Noel appears to have mostly used the yellow ones.

During 1997 and 1998, only the yellow Tortex was used.

Sometime in 1999, Noel switched to the green 0.88 mm Tortex, which made its first appearance during the USA mini-tour in December.

These picks are slightly thicker than the yellow ones and have a stronger attack. Personally, I really like how they hit the lower strings, especially when strumming chords on a jumbo acoustic.

The green picks are perhaps the ones most associated with Noel, as he used them consistently throughout the 2000s up until the last Oasis gigs in 2009. He used them for both electric and acoustic guitars.

During the Dig Out Your Soul tour between 2008 and 2009, the yellow Tortex made a comeback. Noel alternated between both types during gigs, often favoring the yellow picks.

By the first High Flying Birds tour in 2011, Noel had abandoned the green picks and returned to the yellow 0.73 mm Tortex.

For acoustic guitar, however, he often preferred a grey Dunlop Nylon pick – most likely a 0.88 mm version. Nylon is more flexible than Delrin/Tortex, producing a slightly warmer, less snappy sound. These picks work particularly well with bright-sounding acoustics.

The yellow Tortex became Noel’s main pick for almost a decade during the High Flying Birds era and is definitely the one he’s pictured using the most. He was leaving most of the lead guitar parts to Tim Smith and, later, Gem Archer: a mid-thickness pick like the 0.73 mm is a solid choice for rhythm guitar work, but it still retains a good attack.

In 2021, Noel switched to the thick blue 1.0 mm Tortex for electric guitars, while keeping the grey Nylon for acoustics. From 2023 onward, however, he’s been using the blue picks for both electric and acoustic.

Why the switch to a thicker pick? If I were a conspiracy theorist, I’d say that by 2021 he already knew he was about to take on more lead guitar parts in the following years… but I’ll leave those theories to James Hargreaves!

Unsurprisingly, the blue Tortex was Noel’s pick of choice during the Oasis Live ’25 tour.

If you’ve skimmed through the article so far (TL;DR), here’s a quick recap of Noel Gallagher’s pick history through the years:

1994-1995: orange Tortex 0.60 mm
           (could also be red Tortex 0.50 mm)
1996: orange Tortex 0.60 mm / yellow Tortex 0.73 mm
1997-1998: yellow Tortex 0.73 mm
1999-2006: green Tortex 0.88 mm
2008-2009: green Tortex 0.88 mm / yellow Tortex 0.73 mm
2011-2019: yellow Tortex 0.73 mm
           grey Nylon 0.88 mm (?) for acoustic
2021-2022: blue Tortex 1.0 mm
           grey Nylon 0.88 mm (?) for acoustic
2023-current: blue Tortex 1.0 mm

Now, some of you might be wondering: “Which pick should I choose?”

In my humble opinion as a (very) poor guitar player, I’d say give the yellow Tortex a try. It’s a great all-rounder. I love the green one on acoustics, and the orange is fantastic for fast strumming (Bigmouth Strikes Again, anyone?), but it can be a bit too soft and lacking the punch for most Oasis tracks.

PART 2: Guitar STRINGS used by Noel Gallagher

Strings are possibly even more overlooked than picks. But switch from a 9-42 set to an 11-48 set, and it’s like night and day, both in how the guitar feels under your fingers and how it sounds.

To keep it short: Noel Gallagher has favored 10-46 gauge strings on electric guitars throughout his career.

Does the brand matter? Unless you go for something very cheap or extremely expensive, probably not. Ernie Ball Slinky Nickel Wound, D’Addario EXL, Rotosound Rotos… they’re all in the same price range and offer the best compromise between cost, tone, and durability.

Honestly, I doubt Noel has ever cared much about the brand. Famous luthier Philippe Dubreuille also confirmed that Noel uses 10-46 gauge strings, without specifying a particular brand (thanks to Rob for the info).

In the mid ’90s, however, Oasis signed a sponsorship deal with Rotosound. Rob was very helpful here too, providing scans of two period adverts. Noel and Bonehead both reportedly used Rotosound Roto Yellows (10-46).

Historically, Noel has always been associated with the evergreen Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (10-46) string set. It’s unclear exactly when he switched from Rotosound.

In a photo that could be dated between late 1997 and early 1998, guitar tech Jason Rhodes can be seen cleaning Noel’s ES-355 #1 before restringing it. A few packages of Ernie Ball strings are visible on the bench, and the color of the package looks more like a set of Hybrid Slinky (9-46), which features thinner high strings (e, B, G) for easier bending and soloing.

Sometime in 2001, Noel used heavier strings (likely 12-54 or 12-56) during the Heathen Chemistry recording sessions, following a suggestion from friend and engineer Paul Stacey. He mentioned this himself in a 2002 interview with Guitarist magazine, though it’s unclear whether he used the heavier sets during live performances as well.

Noel’s association with Ernie Ball was referenced multiple times over the years, still being noted as late as 2015 in a Premier Guitar interview. However, starting around 2016, he appears to have switched to D’Addario strings: the colored ball ends give it away.

Thanks to TheGuitarWrist, a company that makes bracelets, rings, and other items from artists’ used guitar strings (100% of the profits from each sale go to charity, by the way), we can confirm that Noel has been using D’Addario NYXL 10–46 sets for the Oasis Live ’25 gigs.

NYXLs are the premium strings from D’Addario. They claim they “will bend farther, sing louder, and stay in tune better than any string you’ve played before.”

I’ve tried them on a couple of guitars and they’re great, but are they worth paying twice the price of regular D’Addario EXLs or Ernie Ball Slinkies? You be the judge.

There’s just one thing left to wrap up the strings breakdown: what about acoustic guitars?

Since the ’90s, Noel has been associated with Rotosound Jumbo King 12-54 strings for his acoustics: Rotosound still markets them as his choice. It’s unclear whether he ever switched to Ernie Ball or Martin strings along the way.

What we do know (again thanks to TheGuitarWrist) is that for the Oasis reunion, Noel has been using D’Addario Phosphor Bronze 12-53 strings. They’re excellent and durable, with bright highs and deep bass notes. Pair them with a jumbo guitar and a mid-thickness pick like a green Tortex, and you’ll get the acoustic sound we all love from Noel Gallagher’s best acoustic moments.

That’s enough about picks and strings… for now.
As usual, if you have any tips, corrections, photos, or anecdotes I might have missed, I’d love to hear them. Every little detail helps complete the picture!