Noel Gallagher’s 1992 Epiphone Les Paul Standard

In the early days of Oasis, and before the recording the band’s 1994 debut album “Definitely Maybe” Noel used an Epiphone Les Paul copy. This was his primary guitar up until the point Johnny Marr gave him one of his own Gibson Les Paul guitars, sometime in 1994.

Definetely Maybe sessons

As far as whether the guitar was used on the actual studio album – Oasis entered Monnow Valley studios in late 1993, where they intented to record Definetely Maybe. During those sessons, it could be that Noel used the Epiphone to some extent, but by that point Marr had gave him the Les Paul, and even sent out a bunch of other guitars that he could use in the stuio – including his black Rickenbacker. It’s more likely that the used those guitars, as opposed to his Epiphone.

I’ve known Johnny Marr for a few years at that point, and he sent some guitars down. He sends this – I’ll never forget it – he just sends this black and white Rickenbacker, and I’m looking at it, and I’m [thinking] – surely he’s not mad enought to send out “The Smiths guitar” to a load of scallies from a councelor state in South Manchester. Turns out – he is that mad!

The Noel Gallagher Guitars & Gear Interview

However, most of the recording done at the Monnow Valley studio was scraped, and the only track that was used on the final release of the album was “Slide Away”. Noel wrote this song in his bedroom on the Les Paul that Jonny Marr gave him, so it’s likely that he recorded it on it as well.

The songs were still great but it isn’t very loose. We’d only played 14 or 15 gigs when we got to Monnow Valley, it was too early to make that record. We were all playing in different rooms. There was loads of backing vocals and that’s not what we sounded like on stage. It was missing that thing and that was playing live together. I remember being frustrated because I just wanted to get it out. Thank God McGhee and our manager Marcus Russell had the wherewithal to say you can’t put that out. Thankfully we eventually got it right.

Oasis – ‘Definitely Maybe’ – Noel Gallagher In Conversation With John Robb

The album was re-recorded a few weeks later, at Sawmills studios, located in Golant, on the banks of the River Fowey in Cornwall. This time the sessions were produced by Noel alongside Mark Coyle – the band’s live sound engineer. The intent this time was to reproduce and capture the sound of the band playing togeather live, so the pant was to record together without soundproofing between individual instruments, with Noel overdubbing guitars afterwards. However, they were still not happy with how the album sounded.

Finally, engineer and producer Owen Morris stepped in and did the final mixing, most of it at Johnny Marr’s studio.

So during all these sessons, and during all these overdubs, it’s hard to tell which guitar Noel used on which song. Most of them were probably on Marr’s Les Paul.

Supersonic

The only song from that album that almost without a doubt was recorded on this Epiphone was “Supersonic”. This song was recorded at at the Pink Museum studio, about a month before Monnow Valley sessons, and at that point Noel didn’t have the Marr Les Paul, and the only other guitar that he owned was an Epiphone EA-250.

As the story goes, on the final day of the sessions at the Pink Museum, where the band booked time to record “Bring It on Down” for release as their debut single, Oasis started jamming on an instrumental they had previously used as a warm-up. The jam began with Tony McCarroll’s drumbeat, joined by Bonehead on rhythm guitar and Liam shaking a tambourine. Noel then joined in, and quickly added a melody over the rhythm.

Producer Mark Coyle had invited the Griffiths brothers (Chris and Tony Griffiths of the Real People) to offer advice during the session. Tony Griffiths encouraged the band to develop the jam into a full song, seeing its potential as a hit. Inspired, Noel went to a corner, wrote the lyrics on the spot, and Oasis began recording “Supersonic.”

For the song, Bonehead played a Gibson SG that belonged to recording engineer Dave Scott, through a Marshall JCM900 amp, and Noel used his Epiphone Les Paul with his Watkins Dominator MKIII combo amp.

Noel’s Epiphone Later

Noel continued using his Epiphone as a backup to Johnny Marr’s Les Paul until mid-1994. At that point, he gifted the guitar to Peter “Digsy” Deary of the band Smaller. Digsy, who inspired the Oasis track “Digsy’s Dinner,” had his band Smaller supporting Oasis on tour in the early days.

Peter held onto the guitar until around 2011, when it was sold to Rock Solid Investments for an undisclosed amount. Thirteen years later, in 2024, possibly driven by the buzz surrounding an Oasis reunion, the guitar went up for auction at Sotheby’s. It sold for £132,000 to an anonymous buyer.