2002 Epiphone Union Jack Supernova, as made famous by Noel Gallagher

Further Information:

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• There's a lot of discussion online about which Epiphone model was the starting point for Noel's Union Jack guitar.  For as many years as I've had it, I thought Noel's was painted onto an Epiphone USA 1964 Reissue John Lee Hooker Sheraton I - I'd read that in one of the many threads about Noel's Supernova.  Thanks very much to superfan Wayne Watkins (aka memonkeyboy007) for putting me straight late in 2020.  It's actually painted onto a 1993 Epiphone Sheraton Nashville Series that Noel owned at the time.  Had I done my research properly, I'd have realised that the first John Lee Hooker signatures didn't come out until 2000.  Noel may be magical in many ways, but he doesn't have a time machine....

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• The first production Supernovas were built from 1997 to 2005, in the Samick and Peerless factories in Korea.  To be fair, they are not the most faithful reproduction of the unique guitar Noel made famous.  A closer if not exact match has been achieved with Epiphone's 2014 Limited Edition Union Jack Sheraton Outfit.

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• Major differences to Noel's include:

  • Union Jack finish applied only to top of body

  • The Union Jack Blue is darker and the White yellows from its Arctic White brilliance under the lacquer

  • The neck and headstock back & sides are Blue, rather than Arctic White

  • A stop tailpiece replaces the Frequensator

  • Classic humbuckers replace mini-humbuckers

  • All hardware is chrome, rather than gold

  • The traditional Sheraton-style floral headstock inlay is replaced with a simpler Epiphone oval inlay

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• More simply, these early models did not base their design on the Nashville Series Sheraton that was the backdrop for the Union Jack finish that immortalised Noel's guitar.

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• But, but, but... until 2014 there was no closer reproduction available - and this plays like a dream, while looking the part (at least to all but the most devoted of Noel guitar fans).