“Here’s another sunday morning call…” (Photo: A. MacPherson)
As you might have guessed from the picture, this update has a bit of a Standing on the Shoulder of Giants theme. The “Giants” era is one of the band’s most obscure yet fascinating periods, like the musical equivalent of a hangover after a wild night out.
A thread on the Live4Ever forum, where fellow fans shared their appreciation for this underrated album, inspired me to dig deeper into the recording sessions and the instruments used.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve completely rewritten several pages from scratch, adding lots of details and behind-the-scenes geekiness. And there’s more about Giants coming in the next update.
Keep reading for a quick recap of the latest changes!
Oh, and I’ve also added half a dozen new entries to the complete list – which means the website has now passed the 100 guitars milestone! I bet even Noel doesn’t remember all of them!
Bonehead’s pedalboard for the Live ’25 tour (Photo: Bonehead via Instagram)
Following the deep dive into Noel Gallagher’s pedalboard, it’s now time to take a look at what Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs is using for the Oasis Live ’25 shows.
As expected, his setup is fairly minimal: Bonehead’s wall of sound doesn’t rely on an array of effects, but there are still a few interesting selections worth highlighting.
Noel’s pedalboard for the Live ’25 tour (Photo: NG via Instagram)
After much speculation – sparked last year by a live clip from Noel’s studio shared by Goldie, which showed an early version of the pedalboard – we finally have a clear shot, this time from The Chief himself via his official social media. The familiar staples are present, and a few Oasis-era relics have made a surprise return.
Guess which guitar has now its page on the website? (Photo: Michael Spencer Jones)
This update features a brand new page – and it’s a big one.
It has been a long time in the making. The first draft on my computer dates back to 2014 – almost a decade before this website even existed. The history of this guitar is murky, with obscure moments and twists, but I believe the reconstruction I’ve put together finally makes sense. I’ll let you be the judge.
So, what finally pushed me to finish it? Well… the fact that I was wrong. One of the guitars on stage during the Live ’25 tour isn’t what I originally thought. With better footage now available (and a hint from a sharp reader who was there), it’s clear: an old favourite is back.
Keep reading after the break for the full story & a detailed list of various updates…
Last night was a triumph – one that went well beyond most of our expectations. But after spending my evening (and much of the morning) over blurry YouTube footage, it’s time for a proper deep dive into the guitars that saw some action in Cardiff.
This post will break down the instruments used by Noel, Gem, and Bonehead during the show. There were some expected choices, but also a few surprises – and some detective work went into figuring out Bonehead’s new additions for the tour.
Keep reading after the break… if you’re not afraid of spoilers!
Spoilers from the merch store in Cardiff! (photo: WalesOnline)
With just a couple of days to go, the official merch store has opened in Cardiff: among the items on sale is an old-school tour programme, designed by none other than Brian Cannon of Microdot, the iconic designer behind so much of the Oasis golden era.
A few photos of it have already surfaced online. Inside, you’ll find archival shots by Jill Furmanovsky and new photos taken by Brian himself. And right there on pages 2 and 3? A vintage pic of Noel… plus a list and photo of the gear he’s bringing on tour. And yes… there’s a new guitar in there that no one saw coming.
If you’re avoiding spoilers until the gig, fair enough – just stop reading now. But if you’re curious, keep reading after the break to check out Noel’s touring setup!
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…
Spring is here and the Oasis reunion is just weeks away! Time flies…
This fairly extensive update doesn’t include any brand-new guitar pages (I promise — one of the long-missing “big ones” is on the way!), but there have been a few new bits you might find interesting. Here’s a recap.
UPDATED PAGES:
Two small photoshoots from recent weeks brought some interesting guitar sightings. Zoe Law (@zoelawlondon) captured Noel in his studio, strumming his Epiphone USA Casino in Sunburst finish. As one of his favorite guitars in recent years, could it make an appearance at the upcoming Oasis reunion gigs? A few minor updates were also made to the page for its twin – the Epiphone USA Casino in Royal Tan finish.
Since we’re in Les Paul territory… an email from a reader prompted me to dig a bit deeper into one of Noel’s Gibson Les Pauls in Cherry Sunburst — yes, the Familiar to Millions etc. model. Turns out, it’s a rare and historically significant model from 1993.
The page for the legendary black, ex-Johnny Marr Gibson Les Paul Custom has been updated with a couple of photos from the Standing on the Shoulder of Giants sessions at Wheeler End studios. A geeky follow-up blog post about this LP is coming in the next few weeks (and here’s the first one, in case you missed it).
Thanks to Tom Sheehan’s superb new book Roll With It (if you haven’t grabbed a copy, do — it’s easily the best Oasis photo book in years), we now have confirmation that the Goldtop Gibson Les Paul was indeed used to record Some Might Say in February 1995. During those sessions, the Gibson Firebird was also featured prominently — its page has been updated accordingly.
On the semi-hollow front… the page for the Gibson ES-345 stoptail has been fully rewritten with new photos and extra detail — including an exciting (?!) digression about its tuning machines.
Also revealed in Justin Downing’s shoot: a lovely Natural-finished Gibson ES-335 with a Bigsby vibrato. Is it a new addition or an old one? More digging needed.
The elusive Ebony Gibson ES-355 has had its page rewritten and expanded. And a reader pointed out another sighting of the unlucky Gibson ES-355 no.2 — yes, that guitar from Paris 2009…
Speaking of reader tips… since I admittedly know very little about Gretsch models, one expert rightly corrected my info about the Gretsch Country Gentleman. Its page has been rewritten. Thanks for the heads-up!
And finally… the page for the Surf Green Fender Telecaster has been expanded with new photos and a few added details. Strangely enough, it was the most viewed page on the site in March. Go figure!
This post came about after a little epiphany I had last week. I decided to dust off a guitar I hadn’t played in years – probably not since before the 2020 lockdown. Thanks to my relentless gear acquisition syndrome, it had been pretty neglected. Nothing major, but it desperately needed new strings, some fretboard conditioning, fret polishing, and, of course, a solid setup.
Once I sorted all that out, I plugged it into the amp, dialed in a crunchy, very Brit-sounding tone, and started strumming some chords. And… holy smokes! My subpar playing had never sounded closer to Definitely Maybe. How is that?
Only then did I realize something that should have been obvious – the guitar I was holding was equipped with a Dirty Fingers humbucker, famously (or infamously) known as Gibson’s highest-output pickup. And guess what pickup Noel Gallagher had in the Gibson Les Paul “conversion” that Johnny Marr gave him? Yep, a rather obscure variation of a Dirty Fingers.
Keep reading after the break for the usual geekiness…
Johnny with a replica of his red Les Paul, February 2025 (original photo from Gibson Gazette)
Everyone knows the story of the two Les Pauls that Johnny Marr gave to Noel Gallagher – the 1953 Sunburst conversion and the 1978 Black Custom (both extensively detailed in their dedicated pages). But there’s another Les Paul, arguably Johnny’s most played guitar (!), that also made its way into a few of Noel’s recordings.
The guitar in question is a 1984 Les Paul Standard in Cherry Red, fitted with a Bigsby B-5 vibrato and Seymour Duncan pickups. Over the last two decades, it has developed a cult following and earned the nickname “Meat Is Murder Les Paul“. Now, it’s been faithfully replicated in a limited run of just 20 pieces, available exclusively through the Gibson Garage in London.
Keep reading for a VERY detailed, in-depth look at this legendary instrument, which has shaped so many iconic tracks from Johnny Marr’s career with The Smiths and beyond…
The Chief's Guitars - Noel Gallagher's guitars: a complete guide - Oasis and NGHFB 