GuitarDistortedRiff
Hotel California Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Eagles
Eagles · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1975 Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck (used for riff: 12-string neck)
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock, 1970s era)
Amp
Fender Tweed Deluxe (narrow-panel, studio recording, 1976)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (12-string neck, both pickups on in middle position)
Studio recording, 1976. Don Felder used the 12-string neck of his Gibson EDS-1275 for the main riff. Amp was a Fender Tweed Deluxe, not the Mesa/Boogie seen on tour. Effects confirmed for studio: overdrive, chorus, delay. Pedal models for studio inferred from era and Felder's own statements.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain4.5
Reverb3
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Fulltone OCD Overdrive · overdrive
- Boss CE-2 Chorus (or similar chorus pedal, model not confirmed for studio) · chorus
- Boss DD-3 Digital Delay (or tape/analog delay, model not confirmed for studio) · delay
Guitar (Gibson EDS-1275 12-string neck, both pickups) → Fulltone OCD Overdrive → Chorus pedal → Delay pedal → Fender Tweed Deluxe (spring reverb on)
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Tone Character
- chiming and lush 12-string clarity
- slightly overdriven crunch
- rich harmonic overtones
- articulate note separation
- lush chorus shimmer
- tight rhythm attack
- warm midrange
- subtle delay ambience
- classic rock jangle
- full-bodied chord voicings