Model: Fender Stratocaster Color: Sunburst Year: 1965 (serial: L68296)1
Used in... - 1995-2010 - never played live - used during the (What's the Story) Morning Glory? sessions, to record guitar parts for She's Electric, Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger - used to write AKA... What a Life! for the first Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds album
Details This Sunburst Stratocaster, a 1965 model2, was originally owned by Johnny Marr. It was allegedly used to record Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before by The Smiths, in 1987: my guess is that the Stratocaster was played for overdubs and for the mini-solo before the outro, since the main guitar on this track is a 12-string Gibson ES-335.3 4 It was also played by Johnny in Girlfriend in a Coma.5 After Noel bought it, it was used in May and June 1995 at Rockfield Studios during the recording sessions for the album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?: it can be heard in She's Electric, Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger.6 The solo of the latter was recorded with this very guitar: "When I came to the solo, I played it on that Stratocaster, which is another one that I got off Johnny. But this one... I bought it off him, because I was feeling a bit bad!"7 Noel had talked about this guitar in a late 1995 interview with Total Guitar magazine: "I bought that off Johnny Marr as well. He's got about 50 fucking thousands of them. He's just had another kid as well, so he needs more room. I bought a few off him. I've always wanted a Strat, but it's hard finding a nice one. I got this one - it was quite expensive, but I use it a lot in the studio. It was on Don't Look Back in Anger, but I won't use it live."8
After 1995, the guitar laid forgotten for many years until 2009 or 2010: "Then one day, I don't know what on earth... I don't know why, I took it home and I wrote What a Life on it."9 In spite of the its historical significance, Noel has never played this Stratocaster live: "I never got it out of the studio, but it's played on some amazing tunes!" In the 1995 Total Guitar interview he stated that he doesn't like its sound live, because "it hasn't got enough bollocks to it."
DISCLAIMER
This is a fansite. It is not affiliated with Noel Gallagher, his management or his record label.
For informational and non-commercial use only. Please do NOT publish this content elsewhere.
Visit the “Info & About” page for contact details and more.
- Marr’s Guitars – Johnny Marr, 2023 ↩︎
- Thanks to Mick from That Pedal Show for identifying the correct year! ↩︎
- https://www.musicradar.com/news/10-of-the-greatest-gibson-es-335-tones-of-all-time ↩︎
- The 12-string Gibson ES-335 was later gifted to Bernard Butler. ↩︎
- That Pedal Show, 2023 ↩︎
- Marr’s Guitars – Johnny Marr, 2023 ↩︎
- That Pedal Show, 2023 ↩︎
- Total Guitar Magazine, February 1996 – Thanks to keke from the live4ever forum! ↩︎
- That Pedal Show, 2023 ↩︎
The Chief's Guitars - Noel Gallagher's guitars: a complete guide - Oasis and NGHFB 