Noel Gallagher’s eye-catching Gibson Les Paul Florentine is up for sale for a second time on Propstore Auction as part of its upcoming Best of British Music auction.
The guitar itself, which is held in high regard by the former Oasis man, was supposedly gifted to Gallagher by Gibson back in the late ‘90s, and featured heavily both in the studio and during high-profile live appearances across 1997 and 1998.
Specifically, the Silver Sparkle single-cut can be heard on Oasis’s third studio album, Be Here Now, which became the biggest-selling album of ‘97. Gallagher then took his prized Florentine on the road to accompany him for Oasis’ Be Here Now world tour.
Gallagher’s attachment to the sparkly instrument is clear. Speaking to Spin magazine in 1997, the Oasis guitarist called it the “best guitar” in the world.
“That's the best guitar in the world,” Gallagher said of the instrument. “It's not one of the best guitars, it's the best guitar.
“The thing about that guitar is it's got that extra... You know what I mean?” he added. “When you've got everything turned all the way up, this one gives you more. It goes to '11'.”
In terms of appointments, the Les Paul Florentine – built to reduce the weight of a solidbody Les Paul – features a none-more-glittery finish, nickel-plated hardware and an ebony fretboard with block inlays, as well as its trademark “U” Underworld sticker underneath the stopbar tailpiece.
It’s the second time the Les Paul is up for grabs after it was first snapped up by Oasis super-fan Richie Moore, who once discussed the story of his acquisition with Guitarist.
According to Moore, he spotted the guitar in 2001 at a guitar show in Manchester, England, when he was informed that Gallagher and his guitar tech Jason Rhodes had put the guitar up for sale through New Kings Road Vintage Guitar Emporium while having a gear clear-out.
After putting down a deposit and beating the auction’s unmatched reserve price, Moore took out a loan for the guitar and added it to his own collection.
However, despite gigging with it extensively, Moore was forced to sell the one-off instrument for financial reasons, though was eventually reunited with it when its third owner passed away.
According to the listing, it remained a “treasured possession” in his catalog, and is in “very good condition”.
The Les Paul has an estimated value of £300,000 – £500,000 (approx. $340,000 – $570,000), and has a current absentee bid of £170,000, which is approximately $193,000.
Gallagher's glittery guitar will be auctioned on November 4. For more information, head over to Propstore Auction.
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