A guitar used by Oasis’s Noel Gallagher while writing second album, 1995’s ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’, is due to go on auction for the first time at Sotheby’s in New York. The Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic guitar is estimated to sell for just shy of £60,000.
While the Gallagher brothers and Oasis had already broken through with debut ‘Definitely Maybe’ in 1994, which brought with it singles like ‘Supersonic’, ‘Shakermaker’ and ‘Live Forever’, their legendary status was sealed with follow-up ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’. The album released at the height of their britpop rivalry with Blur, selling over 22 million copies since 1995, making it the best-selling British album of the 90s. It features the Manchester rock group’s biggest hits, including acoustic anthem ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, and ‘Champagne Supernova’.
Following Noel’s departure in 2009 which led to Oasis’ split, he had a high-profile feud with brother Liam until they confirmed they had reunited in 2024 and announced tour dates the following year. Their 2025 world tour became a monumental event, shifting over 2 million tickets and taking in nearly £398 million, while boosting the profile of the band and their music higher than ever before. If ever there was a good time to sell a piece of the band’s history, it might be now.
Noel’s Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic guitar is signed by him, and was used in the famous 15-day writing and recording process of ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’, coming with a certificate of authenticity to prove it. The story goes that Gallagher gave it to a member of their road crew, who then sold it onto the current owner who is putting it on auction. The owner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is described by Sotheby’s New York pop culture specialist Craig Inciardi as “a huge Oasis fan. He was in the social circles of people who were around the band at the time.”
Noel Gallagher’s Epiphone EJ-200 guitar. (Photograph: Sotheby’s)
The guitar is listed in Sotheby’s Rock & Pop Sale, alongside Gallagher’s Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, which he used for over 10 years with Oasis, and a hand-written manuscript lyric sheet for Oasis’s hit ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, their first single to feature Noel on lead vocals. Other lots going on auction include a unique floor tom drum owned by The Who’s Keith Moon, a travel bible belonging to Elvis Presley, as well as Presley’s Hagstrom electric guitar, which is anticipated to sell for between $1 million and $2 million. Noel Gallagher’s last guitar to go on auction was his custom Silver Sparkle Les Paul, which sold for over £226,000 in 2024.
Sotheby New York’s Rock & Pop Sale opens for bidding tomorrow, the 9th of April and running until the 23rd, with Noel Gallagher’s Epiphone guitar expected to go for between $60,000 (£45,000) and $80,000 (£60,000). If you don’t have that kind of cash lying around but want to live through Oasis’ history all the same, the band are also releasing memorabilia for the 2025 live tour, including a feature-length documentary with no release date, and a photo book which is up for pre-order and will release this May.
