Live Forever guitar tone

The rig Oasis used

Researched from interviews, production write-ups and gear histories — not guessed.

Signal chain

The order the original sound was built in. The exact settings get dialled for your own amp or modeller when you generate the tone.

1. Gibson Les Paul Standard (1953 converted to 1960 spec, ex-Johnny Marr)

   1

   source

   guitar
2. Roland RE-201 Space Echo

   2

   preamp boost and subtle slapback echo

   delay
3. Marshall Valvestate 8080 Combo

   3

   high-gain rhythm and lead core crunch

   amp
4. Marshall Valvestate 8080 1x12 Open-Back Cabinet

   4

   speaker cabinet for Marshall amp limb

   cab
5. Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone

   5

   close microphone on Marshall speaker

   mic
6. WEM Dominator MK III Combo

   6

   tube mid-range warmth and harmonic bloom

   amp
7. WEM Dominator 1x12 Cabinet

   7

   speaker cabinet for WEM amp limb

   cab
8. Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone

   8

   close microphone on WEM speaker

   mic
9. Neve 1073 Channel EQ

   9

   mixdown EQ and presence contouring

   eq

Why we think this is right

Recorded during the February 1994 Sawmills Studio sessions with engineer Mark Coyle and mixed by Owen Morris at Matrix Studios. Studio tracking sheets and retrospective interviews confirm Noel Gallagher tracked his electric guitar parts with a 1960-spec Gibson Les Paul Standard (a converted 1953 Goldtop lent by Johnny Marr). His core studio sound was achieved by splitting the signal into two small combo amplifiers recorded simultaneously: a solid-state/hybrid Marshall Valvestate 8080 combo (providing tight high-gain crunch) and a 1970s WEM Dominator MK III tube combo (providing warm EL84 mid-range bloom), driven in front by the hot preamp and subtle slapback of a Roland RE-201 Space Echo.

Sources

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• mixdownmag.com.au - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHCw5J1Bo0GUDmuT1sxqO0-xgCrZLkWOUF6FHENWIet7D_S5KJwLIQv4NLZGST61W9eW3LUD4iU_JmJE83dB4-baqfNAC-MVxXA8SwX-4vhkU_Y1kqNufBFQaEulEnhIbj6xIdSG5qOfFN-xpo3eyopQ0XfouY03RpA3hoU52l6DdV7Ih3k
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• Sawmills Studio 24-track tracking sheets for Definitely Maybe (exhibited at 'Chasing the Sun: Oasis 1993-1997')
• Oasis Recording Info (oasis-recordinginfo.co.uk) technical archive by David Huggins and Anjali Dutt interviews
• Owen Morris interview on recording and mixing Definitely Maybe (Q Magazine / Sound On Sound retrospective)
• Ground Guitar equipment analysis: Noel Gallagher's Gear on Definitely Maybe
• That Pedal Show / Mixdown Magazine interviews with Noel Gallagher on early Oasis guitar rigs

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