How To Sound Like Oasis: Get Noel Gallagher’s Sound & More

• Oasis’ Impact On Music Itself
• How To Sound Like Noel Gallagher
• Over the years, Noel’s been spotted playing the likes of:
• How To Sound Like Paul Arthurs (Bonehead)
• How To Sound Like Liam Gallagher
• Oasis & Noel Gallagher Guitar FAQs
• Summary

Oasis might be known for green parkas, brotherly love, and the catchiest choruses in the world. But if there’s one thing that’s been a steady constant throughout their time as a band, it’s Noel Gallagher’s commanding Brit guitar sound and the timeless songwriting that came of it.

If you’ve been Wonderwalling how to get that sound, you’re in luck. In this blog, we look into Oasis’ seismic impact on modern music and the gear Noel & the gang used to make it big – plus a few bonus recommendations for different budgets!

Check Out The Gear, Right Here

Oasis’ Impact On Music Itself

Oasis are recognised as one of the defining acts in the Britpop movement, alongside the likes of Blur, Pulp, and Suede. The genre was characterised by catchy melodies, guitar-driven sound, and emotive yet tongue-in-cheek lyrics that spoke to Brits on a personal level.

The band’s debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’ topped the UK album chart and, at the time of writing, is 9-times platinum. Their second album ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ went on to become one of the bestselling albums of all time, the fifth-best-selling album in the UK, and the best-selling album in the UK of the 1990s.

Singles like ‘Supersonic’, ‘Live Forever’, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, and of course ‘Wonderwall’, are up there with the great anthems that transcend age and culture. Even if you’re not an Oasis fan, you know the words. That’s a rare thing that sets acts like Oasis apart, and it was made possible – at least in part – by gear from brands like Gibson, Hiwatt, Boss, and more. On that note…

How To Sound Like Noel Gallagher

From electric guitars to his less-is-more approach to effects pedals, we’ve rounded up the gear that Noel is known for, plus a few options for how you can get that Oasis tone on different budgets.

Noel Gallagher’s Guitars

So, what guitars does Noel Gallagher actually use? We’ve seen many classic guitars that have become synonymous with both his sound and how the band looks on stage. From Oasis classics through to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, he tends to stick with humbuckers for a full-bodied sound that crisps up nicely, complemented by semi-hollow resonance or weighty Mahogany-bodied electrics. With acoustics, again he favours the Gibson classics, particularly Jumbo models like any variation on the SJ-200. Big body = big sound = big hit!

Over the years, Noel’s been spotted playing the likes of:

• Epiphone Riviera (Matsumoku)
• Epiphone Sheraton (Union Jack)
• Epiphone USA Casino
• Epiphone Les Paul Standard
• Gibson ES-355
• Gibson ES-345
• Gibson Les Paul (’53 Conversion)
• Gibson Les Paul Custom
• Gibson Firebird
• Rickenbacker 330/6 (White)
• Fender Jazzmaster Am. Pro
• Fender ‘The Edge’ Strat

On the acoustic front, he favours classic Epiphones & Gibsons:

• Epiphone EJ-200
• Gibson J-200
• Gibson J-45

Sound Like Oasis: Recommended Guitars

Noel Gallagher’s Amps

(above: Noel’s amps mic’d up on the Oasis Live ’25 tour, spotted on his socials)

Traditionally, Gallagher has opted for cranked tones from British valve amps, famously saying ‘I used to just turn up the amps as full as I could get them.’

These have always paired well with humbucker-loaded Gibsons, but despite Oasis’ reputation for singalong classics, his tone has always had a certain bite to it. From Marshall to Hiwatt to Orange, he’s had a selection of go-to amps on rotation for decades:

• Orange Amplifiers – Noel used Orange amps throughout the late ’90s and until the early 2000s.
• Hiwatt SA-412 Combo – Noel played on a vintage model for a while during the 2008, until Hiwatt offered to make replicas for him to use. These new amps featured 2×12 speakers.
• Hiwatt Custom 100 – One of his most recent amps. He records with it and plays it live with High Flying Birds.
• Vox AC-30 – Used in the pre-Definitely Maybe era, when they were doing small gigs. In the interview with MusicRadar, Noel noted that he began using Vox AC-30 again with his new band, but can’t recall for sure if he ever recorded on one with Oasis – but nonetheless he used it live. The Vox AC-50 was also part of his usual setup on stage since around 2005.
• Marshall JCM 900 – Around the time of recording Oasis’ first album, Noel started using Marshall heads and cabinets. The usual setup was two JCM900 heads, each one connected with the Marshall cabinet. He definitely Maybe used these amps on most of the Oasis’ albums until 2000s.
• Fender Blues Junior – Used with late Oasis and more recently with the High Flying Birds.
• Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 Combo – Spotted as part of Noel’s backline on the Oasis Live ’25 tour. Hiwatt’s Custom DR amps include the same Dave Reeves circuitry that put them on the map – OG Brit tones.
• Marshall SV20C – Also spotted alongside the aforementioned Hiwatts on the Live ’25 tour. Pure Plexi-style tones for massive choruses.

Sound Like Oasis: Recommended Amps

Noel Gallagher’s Pedals

(above: Noel’s pedalboard up on the Oasis Live ’25 tour, spotted on his socials)

He’s known for his no-frills plug-and-play tone, but yes – Noel Gallagher does use pedals! He kept it simple in the early days, but in recent years pedals have provided an extra layer of crunch, punch, and ambience that makes those choruses hit a little bit harder. Pedals from Boss, Electro-Harmonix, and Ibanez have contributed to some of our favourite Gallagher tones – here’s a few more examples, including recently-spotted stompboxes:

• Ibanez Tube Screamer – In recent years, Noel has used the TS for boosted mids and to push the front of his amps harder; vital for his that signature crunch.
• Boss DS-1 & DS-2 – Extra dirt for those grungier Oasis riffs, choruses, and climactic finales.
• Boss & Roland Delays – From slapback to tape-style echo, these have made intermittent appearances both live and in the studio.
• Electro-Harmonix Memory Man – Extra texture courtesy of this analog delay classic.
• Strymon El Capistan Digital Tape Echo & Timeline – Continuing the theme of analogue/tape-style delays and echoes, the El Capistan appeared on Noel’s 2025 board alongside a Timeline.
• Kingsley Page – Again seen on the Live ’25 board, the Kingsley Page is a 12AX7-powered boost.
• SIB Electronics Fat Drive All-Tube Preamp FatDrive – Again with the 12AX7 in stompbox for 2025! This time, a rare USA-made blue box from SIB Electronics.
• ZVEX LoFi Loop Junky
• Dunlop Crybaby 535Q
• Digitech Whammy

Sound Like Oasis: Recommended Pedals

Bonus: The Oasis-Inspired Pedalboard

Inspired by his favourite gear, we’ve put together a pedalboard bundle (featuring Tone City & Landlord FX) with everything you need for the huge humbucker chords, plucky cleans, and soaring leads that put Noel & Oasis on the guitar-playing map. Here’s what’s included:

• Tone City All Spark Boost Pedal – Push humbuckers into breakup territory for rich, crisp-sounding chords and riffs.
• Landlord FX Amber Nectar Overdrive Pedal – Extra crunch & mid boost for making simple guitar parts stand out.
• Landlord FX Bar Brawl High-Gain Distortion Pedal – Some dirt for those extra-Gallagher-attitude moments.
• Tone City Tape Machine Delay – Great for slap-back & vintage-sounding delay for extra texture on those anthemic lead parts.
• Tone City Tiny Spring Reverb Pedal – A touch of ambience to fill out the mix; a reverb pedal has been a staple on Noel’s board for decades.
• Accessories – Pedalboard with carry bag, patch cables, daisy-chain power supply.

How To Sound Like Paul Arthurs (Bonehead)

Arthurs is a multi-instrumentalist, who’s taken care of a rhythm guitar, bass, and keys duties at various points in the band’s history. He played the piano and mellotron parts on ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory’ – a man of many talents.

Sound Like Paul Arthurs (Oasis): Recommended Gear

How To Sound Like Liam Gallagher

Liam Gallagher’s voice has been likened to a blend of John Lennon, Johnny Rotten, and Ian Brown. He never had vocal lessons but got his chops singing Beatles songs and recording himself. Fronting a band like Oasis requires a certain amount of attitude, which we can’t help with – but get a tambourine and a decent mic and you’re halfway there.

Sound Like Liam Gallagher: Recommended Gear

Oasis & Noel Gallagher Guitar FAQs

How to dial in Noel Gallagher’s amp tone

The key thing is taking a valve amp (or something that responds similarly) and pushing it to the point of breakup. This usually involves starting with a clean channel, and cranking the volume/gain, treble, and mids (bass can sit somewhere in the middle) until each note starts to crisp up. Strum a nice big G major chord, giving it a bit of a ‘dig’ with your pick, and keep cranking until it sounds crunchy but not too distorted.

What pickups does Noel Gallagher use?

Noel supposedly largely sticks to stock pickups in his electrics. In the case of his Gibsons, that most often means PAF-style medium output pickups known for their warmth, and their dynamic response. Roll off your volume and pick softly for cleans, then turn it up and – again – dig in for some extra bite.

Does Noel Gallagher use a capo?

Sure, you can play the likes of ‘Wonderwall’ without a capo, but it’s a bit of a stretch. Noel himself often uses a capo for some of Oasis’ biggest tunes, so don’t be afraid to experiment. This means you can enjoy open-string chords in different keys, which is often vital for getting the ‘feel’ right for certain Oasis songs.

Summary

So there you have it! By now you should be ready to plug in and live your Knebworth ’96 dreams in the comfort of your own home. Stick to humbuckers, a cranked Brit-style amp, and a couple of simple stompboxes – but a bit of attitude and a confident strumming/picking hand will go a long way. Enjoy!

Looking for more? Here are some handy links:

• Sound Like Oasis – a full selection of recommended guitars, amps, and pedals for the Gallagher sound on different budgets.
• Buy our Oasis-Inspired Pedalboard – great for beginners!
• Shop Gibson
• Shop Epiphone
• Shop Orange
• Shop Hiwatt