The summer of 2025 has brought pop-culture the biggest reunion tour of all time, and quite possibly one of the most collectible Les Pauls, too. After Gibson teased the release last week, today it officially unveils the Murphy Lab aged replica of the black P-90 equipped Les Paul Standard that Noel Gallagher has been playing during the Oasis comeback shows.
Sometimes the marketing bumf overcooks it. But when Gibson refers to this Custom Shop signature guitar as “the most talked-about guitar of the summer” it is no exaggeration. Even players who would gladly sit out the Oasis stadium experience couldn’t help but be intrigued by Gallagher’s mystery black Les Paul Standard.
Here was this bespoke single-cut with the humbuckers swapped out for P-90s, aged nickel pickup coverings giving it an industrial look. The three-way pickup selector switch was mounted on a nickel poker chip washer. There clearly has been some aging, with the binding taking on a darker buttercream/custard yellow tinge, the lacquer checked. What was this?
Well, the Gibson Gazette revealed all on on July 30. Gallagher’s Live ’25 Les Paul Standard was a Murphy Lab special order, Light Aged in Nashville, with a second round of aging to bring it up to Gallagher’s specifications. Lee Bartram, head of commercial, marketing & cultural influence, Gibson EMEA, spilled the beans, noting that Gallagher had fallen hard for P-90s when playing Epiphone Casinos during the touring cycle with his High Flying Birds.
“It really came from a conversation around creating a Les Paul that would accommodate P-90s at high volumes, without compromising on the sound and tone of the pickup,” said Bartram. “Aesthetically, Noel had an idea of what he wanted it to look like, and we tried out a few hardware, finish, and color options before landing where we did.”
Bartram said those aged nickel pickup covers were not easy to get right. When Gibson first started working with Gallagher, no one had any idea that they were making a custom electric guitar specifically for this then-unannounced reunion tour.
“For this guitar to be part of such a monumental musical event is a thrill, and knowing it was designed specifically for it makes it even better,” he said. “The first time people saw the band together in 16 years was with a guitar that Gibson designed and built directly with the artist. That’s pretty cool.”
Agreed. So what about this replica? The first thing to note is that it is a Gibson Garage London exclusive, limited to just 25 units. The price has not been revealed.
As in restaurants with no prices on the menu, that tells you it won’t be cheap. But for Oasis fans – for Les Paul fans – this is a super-collectible instrument.
Each instrument has had the Light Aging treatment from the Murphy Lab in Nashville. Each instrument has been hand-signed by Gallagher himself (across the back, tastefully discrete). And the specs are the same as Gallagher’s original, with a SlimTaper neck, Grover tuners with nickel kidney bean-style buttons – again, lightly aged to match the pickup housings.
The case candy isn’t so bad either – come to think of it, the guitar case with its blue velvet lining is pretty sweet. Inside, you’ll find a custom-made Bear guitar strap, plus a certificate of authenticity, and a hand-written lyric sheet from Gallagher, with each of the 25 guitars shipping with lyrics to a different Oasis song. Pretty cool.
Also, in today’s press release, Bartram hints that we might not have seen the last Gibson x Oasis release this year.
“Gibson is honoured to support Noel Gallagher in what has become one of the biggest music reunion tours in recent history,” says Bartram. “When he reached out, the challenge was to create a guitar with a striking, unique look while ensuring it produced the sound needed for the Live ’25 tour. Based on the feedback from fans so far, the team has certainly nailed it.
“To kick off what is going to be a very exciting few months for our partnership, we have this truly unique collector’s package with each guitar accompanied by handwritten lyrics from Noel representing an Oasis track, meaning no two guitars will be the same. It’s the perfect way to start our Live ’25 celebrations, with more to come.”
More to come? We like the sound of that. You can read more from Bartram at the Gibson Gazette.
As for the Gibson Custom Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard, you better set a calendar reminder for August 21, when it will be available exclusively from the Gibson Garage London, in-person from 9am local time, or by calling +44 20 4570 5400 from 11am.
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