Gibson introduces Limited Edition Don Felder guitar!

[pueblo47]

In addition, the Gibson Company recently honored Don as the namesake
for two of their newest Custom Shop guitar models, the "Don Felder
Hotel California EDS-1275" and the "Don Felder Hotel California 1959
Les Paul." These exact replicas of Don's own instruments hit showroom
floors in September. They have been reproduced in very limited
quantities, with only fifty of each model signed by Don. More
information about the signature Don Felder guitars as well as an
interview with Don can be found at the official Gibson site.

Just got this from Felder's newsletter.

[WalshFan88]

I would LOVE to have either one. But I would really love to have the Les Paul. I'm a huge Gibson Les Paul fan (I have three of them) and unfortunately Gibson is not making a regular USA non-customshop one and I can't afford the 10k they want.

[MikeA]

If you like Gibson but don't want to spend a ton of cash on the name, then you could look at the "Faded Studio" series LPs. I have the "Brown" version and have been really pleased with it Austin.

It is a Studio model so doesn't have any of the glitz and glitter that the high gloss trimmed models have, but with the Burstbucker Pro pups and the chambered body, it is different than most LPs that have been offered. Plus, you can get one of these new for under a grand.

[chaim]

I was talking about the Hotel California/Jethro Tull connection before in this thread. Eagles toured with Jethro Tull in the early 70's and Ian Anderson says that Tull used to play this song of theirs, "We used to know", every night. His theory is that the chord sequence for Hotel California came later subconsciously to the Eagles guys, after hearing Tull's song many times during that tour. What Ian doesn't seem to know is that the chord sequence came from Don Felder, who wasn't in Eagles at the time! Also, Ian never mentions that one chord in the HC sequence is not the same (the one before the last chord).
Anyway, here's something I just came across on YouTube. Tull plays the song (originally released in 1969) in 1996 and Ian talks about "Hotel California":

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg_T6yL1gYE&feature=related[/ame]

[MikeA]

LOL If you could claim a copyright infringement based upon chord sequence then I'm afraid that our vast catalog of music (all genre's of music) would be severely limited.

Think of all the songs that use the D,A,G sequence, or C,F,G7 or A, D, E. But I do admit that the Bm, F#m, A, E, G, D, Em may be unique to Jethro Tull and the Eagles....but I kinda doubt it *G*.

I did like your observation that Felder was not in the Eagles at the time of the common tour and that it has been clearly acknowledged that it WAS Felder who came up with that chord progression and the Reggae beat...Felder and Walsh codeveloped the solos and Henley came up with the lyrics with inspirational input by Frey.

Originally though, Hotel California was written in a completely different key. It was changed to the familiar key at the last minute by Henley so it would better fit his vocal range. I'm not sure what the original key was..."E" I think.

[chaim]

LOL If you could claim a copyright infringement based upon chord sequence then I'm afraid that our vast catalog of music (all genre's of music) would be severely limited.

Think of all the songs that use the D,A,G sequence, or C,F,G7 or A, D, E. But I do admit that the Bm, F#m, A, E, G, D, Em may be unique to Jethro Tull and the Eagles....but I kinda doubt it *G*.

I did like your observation that Felder was not in the Eagles at the time of the common tour and that it has been clearly acknowledged that it WAS Felder who came up with that chord progression and the Reggae beat...Felder and Walsh codeveloped the solos and Henley came up with the lyrics with inspirational input by Frey.

Originally though, Hotel California was written in a completely different key. It was changed to the familiar key at the last minute by Henley so it would better fit his vocal range. I'm not sure what the original key was..."E" I think.

Yeah, HC was originally in E minor, the same key the Tull song is in. Pretty much the same chord sequence can be heard on Alice Cooper's "Second coming" ('71), but in A minor. It's funny how Felder keeps saying that the HC progression is unique, though. I don't think that Ian Anderson was the first musician on this planet to discover it either!

[WalshFan88]

If you like Gibson but don't want to spend a ton of cash on the name, then you could look at the "Faded Studio" series LPs. I have the "Brown" version and have been really pleased with it Austin.

It is a Studio model so doesn't have any of the glitz and glitter that the high gloss trimmed models have, but with the Burstbucker Pro pups and the chambered body, it is different than most LPs that have been offered. Plus, you can get one of these new for under a grand.

I'll check into it Mike. I do have Gibsons (Gibson Les Paul Classic, Gibson Les Paul Standard, and a Gibson Les Paul SmartWood Studio), I just wanted the Felder edition but I can't afford the 10k they want for Felder's Les Paul model but a regular USA Gibson I have already.

However I hear there is a Gibson Goldtop Les Paul at my local music store I buy from so I might check that out this weekend and trade some acoustics and old amps I don't use anymore for it.

[MikeA]

There is a finite number of combinations of chord progressions possible on guitar. Granted, with all the variations on each chord (any combination of notes produces a chord of some sort!), that list of progressions possible seems almost infinite....BUT there are a limited number of progressions that actually harmonize and flow.

You'll hear songs that sound nothing at all alike that have the same chords and chord sequences.

It is mildly irritating that anyone would imply that a song was "stolen" even it it was done light-heartedly by Anderson. And who knows Chaim...maybe Bernie and Felder were kickin' it one night and Bernie played it remembering it from the Jethro Tull days and Felder picked it up not even realizing it...or maybe realizing it.

Whatever the case, only the basic chord progression remains of the song that Anderson and Jethro Tull came up with. It does have a vaguely familiar sound to it.

[MikeA]

I'll check into it Mike. I do have Gibsons (Gibson Les Paul Classic, Gibson Les Paul Standard, and a Gibson Les Paul SmartWood Studio), I just wanted the Felder edition but I can't afford the 10k they want for Felder's Les Paul model but a regular USA Gibson I have already.

However I hear there is a Gibson Goldtop Les Paul at my local music store I buy from so I might check that out this weekend and trade some acoustics and old amps I don't use anymore for it.

Don't blame you a bit Austin! Any excuse is a good excuse to get a guitar! Money and talent are the only two factors that prevent me from having 3 or 4 dozen guitars cluttering up my house <LOL>. I can almost ignore the "talent" part. I figure that if I buy enough guitars, one of them will be the breakthrough that will turn me into a virtuoso! Hasn't happened yet, but I haven't bought all the models that are available out there....not yet anyway!

[WalshFan88]

Don't blame you a bit Austin! Any excuse is a good excuse to get a guitar! Money and talent are the only two factors that prevent me from having 3 or 4 dozen guitars cluttering up my house <LOL>. I can almost ignore the "talent" part. I figure that if I buy enough guitars, one of them will be the breakthrough that will turn me into a virtuoso! Hasn't happened yet, but I haven't bought all the models that are available out there....not yet anyway!

Guitars are like Lays potato chips... You can't have just ONE, or two, or three, and so on!!! I'm obsessed with them.