Are you trying to sound more like Oasis when playing your guitar? The legendary British band had a really iconic sound, and a lot of this was due to the equipment they used.
Being such a huge band, they could afford the best gear, but what if you don’t have super expensive guitars and amps? One of the best ways to make your guitar sound like those played in the original Oasis tracks, is by using the correct amp settings.
Quick Guide
Of course, every Oasis song uses different amp settings and different equipment. So there is not a one-size fits all amp setting that will automatically make your guitar playing sound like an original Oasis song. With that said though, here’s a rough guide to get you started.
- Bass: 5-7
- Mid: 4-6
- Treble: 6-7
- Gain: Low-Mid and Volume: High
Remember, that this is a quick guide to help get you started. You’ll need to play about with your individual amp and guitar to dial in the best settings for your equipment.
Gain and Volume
It’s a common misconception that Oasis used very high gain to create their sound. However, they actually didn’t use that much gain at all.
Of course, there are some exceptions to this, for example Supersonic has that very distorted tone as a result of higher gain. But generally, try and keep the gain relatively low, or at least lower than you initially would expect it to be.
Okay, so if Oasis are using relatively little gain, then how do their guitars sound so prominent in their tracks? Well, the answer is, volume. Lots of it. They counteract the low gain with high volume.
Breaking it Down
Okay, so now you know the basics, let’s get into the details a bit more so you can dial in that classic Oasis sound. The best way to do this, is by splitting the two main tones, clean and distorted and going through the settings for each one.
Clean Tone
So first, let’s start with the cleaner tones. Set your amp to the clean channel if it has one and have the gain as low as possible, try around 2.
Then turn the volume up high. Have your EQ controls midway (12 o’clock). In terms of effects, you’ll need some reverb to get the classic sound. The use the bridge pickup on your guitar.
Distorted Tone
Now I know I said that generally, Oasis don’t use much gain, but there are certain songs, and sections of songs that require a higher gain, for example “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”.
Have your gain set on around 5 and work from there. Crank your bass and mid settings up and then keep the treble around halfway.
Different brands also have different controls which need to be addressed. Make sure you check out the brand-specific amp controls guide which is relevant to you, to get the most from your rig:
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Amp Settings for Don't Look Back in Anger
Don’t Look Back in Anger has a relatively distorted tone for both the lead and rhythm guitars. Here are some suggested amp settings for Don’t Look Back in Anger to get you started.
Lead
- Gain: 6
- Treble: 5
- Mid: 8
- Bass: 8
Rhythm
- Gain: 4
- Treble: 5
- Mid: 5
- Bass: 5
Amp Settings for Some Might Say
Oasis’s early sound is well characterised by Some Might Say. The rhythm and lead parts are very distinctive and you’ll need to add some reverb to help get the classic tone.
Lead
- Gain: 6
- Treble: 6
- Mid: 9
- Bass: 9
Rhythm
- Gain: 6
- Treble: 5
- Mid: 5
- Bass: 5
Amp Settings for Supersonic
Supersonic is one of the Oasis’ that uses pretty high distortion. Here are some settings to give a try on your guitar and amp.
Lead
- Gain: 9
- Treble: 8
- Mid: 3
- Bass: 7
Rhythm
- Gain: 7
- Treble: 5
- Mid: 3
- Bass: 8
Amp Settings for Slide Away
This is definitely one of Oasis’ most popular songs and is very reflective of their earlier sound. You’ll get a heavier distorted sound in the verses, bridges and choruses from the rhythm guitar. But there are also plenty of short solos that cut through. You’ll need to add some reverb in order to get that tone you’re after.
Lead
- Gain: 6
- Treble: 6
- Mid: 8
- Bass: 8
Rhythm
- Gain: 7
- Treble: 5
- Mid: 4
- Bass: 8
I’ve also made an article with example amp settings for over 40 popular guitar songs here to help you sound more like your favourite players.
How to Get the Best Oasis Tone
Okay, so we’ve talked about the different amp settings you can use to try and replicate the classic Oasis tone, but unfortunately, it can only get you so far. In order to sound more like Oasis, you’ll need some specific equipment.
Guitars
Noel Gallagher has always relied on a Gibson guitar to get that classic sound you associate with Oasis. In order to replicate the sound you can invest in a Gibson ES-355. It’s a semi-hollow, dual humbucker design that produces a thick sound.
But if you don’t want to shell out for a premium Gibson model, then you can go for an Epiphone alternative like the Epiphone Riviera.
Noel also used a Gibson Les Paul and the cheaper Epiphone Les Paul Standard when recording the bands first album “Definitely Maybe” in 1994.
Amp
Oasis’ sound has always been described as being “crunchy”. Noel used Marshall amps quite often, and they were primarily used for the first album. If you’re on a budget you can go for a Marshall Code 25. Or you can go for a Marshall Valvestate 8040 or Marshall Bluesbreaker. These amps will help you replicate Oasis’ earlier sound.
If you’re looking to imitate Oasis’ later sound, or try and sound more like Noel after the band split up, then you can go for a Fender Blues Junior which he has used more recently.
Pedals
Okay so mainly we’ve talked about the guitar and the amp settings to try and sound like Oasis, but it’d be wrong to forget the pedals. Using pedals is one of the easier ways to try and emulate the classic Oasis tone without having to buy a new guitar and amp.
You’ll need two essential pedals to get started: an overdrive pedal and a delay pedal.
For your overdrive effect, you can go for an Ibanez Tubescreamer TS9. It’s one of the most popular pedals out there. It’s what helps produce that classic Oasis tone by boosting the clean sounds to give it more punch. The Joyo Vintage Overdrive pedal is a good option if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper. The Vox Wah pedal is also a pretty well known addition to Noel’s pedal board.
So there you go! Those are the best amp settings to help your guitar sound more like Oasis! Thanks for reading, I hope you’ve found it helpful.