2010 Gibson Hotel California EDS-1275
That song, that interweaved solo - a detail-perfect Gibson Custom Shop recreation of the guitar behind one of the greatest guitar songs of all time.
Song aside (if that's at all possible), this is a fantastic example of what the Gibson Custom Shop does to recreate not just the spec, but the gig-worn look & feel of a legendary player's guitar, down to the minutest dent, nick or crack. As an example, check out the detail of the double crack to the right running through to a single crack to the left of the bottom jack socket. It's a process that takes passion, relentless attention to detail and accuracy, and tireless effort. Hand-finished, then buffed and hand-aged. Doing that 150 times for this Limited Edition model (50 signed & aged, 100 aged). Master craftsmen at their finest.
All of which makes it a whole lot easier to strike an authentic and Guitar God pose with one of these around your neck. And back to the song (impossible to avoid, because the Limited Edition comes with a signed copy of the Hotel California tab and sheet music), all you need to complete the set-up is a Leslie rotating speaker for that 12-string intro....
See & Hear It In Action
The best place to see this one in action is the live performance of Hotel California - just tap into YouTube, relax, and let those opening chords wash over you.
The first solid-body EDS-1275s came into production in 1962. Discontinued in 1967 and reintroduced in 1977 until 1990. Since then, it's really been the Custom Shop editions (like this one) that have held the torch in later years - with signature editions for Jimmy Page, Alex Lifeson and Don Felder.
The Gibson story and spec for this Hotel California model really cannot be beaten for the wonderful detail and insight it provides. Check it out below.
But you cannot help but wonder at the attention to detail: the Burstbucker I and 2 pick-ups, Felder's pick-ups of choice, the Custom Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge for the 12-string, the Claw tailpieces, the double jack socket, allowing the guitar to be played through two amplifiers separately (in this case, a Leslie rotating speaker for that 12-string intro), and, of course, the hand-aged finish.
This is one legendary guitar for one legendary song . . . but if you're prepared to bare your chest, and picture it in a Cherry finish, you can just about get away with your very own Jimmy Page Stairway To Heaven tribute.
Specification
Make
Gibson
Model
Don Felder Hotel California EDS-1275
Colour
Aged White
Year
2010
Frets
20 + 20
Fretboard
Rosewood
Neck
Maple
Body
Mahogany
Tuners
Block Klusons
Pick-ups
Gibson Burstbuckers I & II
Bridge
ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic;
Custom Nashville Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece
Gibson Claw Tailpiece
Scale Length
24.75"
Full Length
41.00"
Sources & Links
Sadly no longer available on the Gibson website, but thanks so much to the Guitar Site for capturing the original press release here. It lacks the detail behind Don Felder's set-up for Hotel California, and the spec, documented with pride by the Gibson Custom Shop. But at least there's the overview!
If you need any more information about this one, I've a lot more specification and set-up data to hand. Just drop me a line here.
Happy to help!