Epiphone Supernova Manchester Blue, 2005

Influenced heavily by the Sheraton used by Noel Gallagher in Oasis, the Epiphone Supernova was built from 1997 to 2005, with a signature pickguard and features making it the Noel Gallagher Supernova. It was available in a variety of finishes including the Manchester Blue seen here, and a custom Union Jack graphic.

This model is, however, somewhat of a mixture of Sheraton and Riviera models – both of which Gallagher used over the life of Oasis. These two models shared a double-cutaway, thinline body but the Sheraton had a solid center block, based on the Gibson ES-335 design while the Riviera was fully hollow, rather like the ES-230 Casino.

Both Riviera and Sheraton models typically had mini-humbuckers, though full sized humbuckers were also installed from time to time, and a ‘Frequensator’ tailpiece. That tailpiece first appeared in 1937 as a design by Herb Sunshine, splitting the three treble and three bass strings into separate groups on a two-arm tailpiece. The bass strings were longer, with the goal being to allow those strings greater bass response and a fuller sound. A variety of vibrato tailpieces were also used. The Sheraton was sometimes equipped with a stop tailpiece.

Here we’re looking at an Epiphone Supernova in Manchester Blue, built during April 2005 at Unsung, South Korea and with full-sized humbuckers and a stop tailpiece. This example is in very good, clean and original condition with only light wear. At under 8 pounds, this guitar is very comfortable to play for the duration of a show. It plays well, and the switch position on the upper bass side is out of the way yet easy to reach.

This distinctive guitar is sold with a non-original, steel-string type hard shell case.