2010 Gibson Custom Shop Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Felder Burst, Aged/Signed
2010 Gibson Custom Don Felder "Hotel California" '59 Les Paul - Aged/ Signed
The Gibson Custom Shop Hotel California 1959 Les Paul was created in the image of the Eagles guitarists own 1959 Les Paul Standard, a guitar Felder has owned since the mid 70’s and used for nearly all of the solos on the Eagles' Hotel California album. Released in 2010 in tandem with another Gibson guitar Felder is closely associated with the Gibson Custom Hotel California EDS-1275.
This strictly Limited Edition model was available in three tiers with 50 guitars hand-aged by Gibson Custom and personally signed by Don Felder, 100 hand-aged, and a further 150 given Gibson's VOS treatment.
Hand-aged examples were meticulously finished in a uniquely tinted and faded "Felder Burst" finish, formulated exclusively for this guitar to reproduce the look of Felder's own '59 Les Paul. It features a figured maple top specially selected to replicate the look of Felder's original, with a solid one-piece mahogany back and one-piece mahogany neck, carved to match the neck on Felder's original. Felder has been quoted as saying “The pickups that were in my original ’59 had an unbelievably hot output” and to replicate the sound Gibson employed BurstBucker Humbuckers with a BurstBucker 2 in the neck and a BurstBucker 1 in the bridge position all routed through high-quality CTS pots for volume and tone, with "bumble bee" tone capacitors, and a Switchcraft three-way toggle switch, and a Switchcraft output jack.
This instrument is #8 of the 50 Limited Edition instruments signed by Don Felder and is in the same condition as it left the Factory. Weighing in at 8.6 lbs the guitar is right in the sweet spot for many Les Paul players and the guitar feels comfortable and balanced. The ageing of this particular model is subtle and closely resembles the wear seen on the original instrument with the "Felder Burst" finish accentuating the tight figuring to the maple top. There are little nuanced finishes throughout with nicks and dings associated with countless string changes, wear and verdigris peeking trough the plating on the bridge and tailpiece to localised wear on the back from years of gigs. Such is the level of accuracy of the se guitars Felder chooses to gig with one and keeps the original ’59 under lock and key.
The guitar includes the original Gibson Don Felder Special Edition hard case, Certificate of Authenticity and hand Signed by Don Felder Hotel California Song book plus original Gibson shipping box.