What amp is used on Hotel California?

Both Don Felder and Joe Walsh used Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 amplifiers. These small (5W) amps break up beautifully when cranked, providing smooth, warm overdrive.

Who plays what guitar on Hotel California?

Don Felder plays a Fender Telecaster and Joe Walsh plays a Gibson Les Paul on the famous dual-guitar outro. The different tonal characters of each guitar add richness to the harmony.

How to get the Hotel California solo tone?

Use a small tube amp (5-15W) cranked to natural breakup, or set your amp for smooth, warm overdrive. Not too much gain — it should be singing, not screaming. Moderate mids, smooth treble.

Classic Rock1976Hotel California

Hotel California Amp Settings

by Eagles

Hotel California's harmonized guitar outro is one of the most famous moments in rock history. Don Felder and Joe Walsh's dual lead guitars — one on a Telecaster, one on a Les Paul — weave together through Fender Tweed Deluxe amps for a warm, singing harmony that defines classic rock.

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What Makes This Tone Iconic

The interplay between Felder's Telecaster and Walsh's Les Paul creates a rich, singing harmony that's both warm and cutting. The Fender Tweed Deluxe — a small, low-wattage tube amp — breaks up sweetly when pushed, providing a smooth, sustaining overdrive that's worlds away from harsh distortion. The two different guitars give each harmony line its own character while blending beautifully together.

Key Tone Elements

Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 — small tube amp with sweet breakup
Two guitars: Fender Telecaster (Felder) and Gibson Les Paul (Walsh)
Dual harmonized lead guitar lines
Sweet, smooth overdrive from small amp pushed hard
Warm sustain with singing quality

Original Recording Settings

VerifiedResearched tone data for "Hotel California" by Eagles

Original Gear

Guitar: Don Felder: 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (Sunburst, original PAFs) / Joe Walsh: 1970s Fender Telecaster (sunburst, modified). Intro: Takamine 12-string acoustic with DeArmond pickup.
Pickups: Gibson PAF humbuckers (Felder) / Stock Fender Tele bridge + Strat-style neck (Walsh) (bridge (both))
Amplifier: Don Felder: Fender Narrow-Panel Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (~1955-56, 12W) / Joe Walsh: Fender Narrow-Panel Tweed Deluxe (~1959)
Channel: Cranked
Tuning: standard
Pickup Selector: bridge (both guitarists)
Strings: Not documented

Both guitarists used same amp model—Tweed Deluxes—for complementary tones with contrasting guitars. Felder: 'It's just a stock Fender Tweed Deluxe, just kinda cranked up.' Solos built over 2-3 days at Criteria Studios, Miami with producer Bill Szymczyk. No pre-written parts—composed through trial and error. NOTE: The Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck was acquired AFTER recording for live performances only.

Amp Settings

Treble

6.0

Volume

8.0

Fender 5E3 Tweed Deluxe has only Volume and Tone controls per channel. Cranked for natural tube overdrive. Volume 7-10, Tone ~5-7.

Effects Chain

→

Maestro Echoplex

tape delay (12-string intro only)

→

MXR Phase 90

phaser (Walsh only)

→

1.Maestro Echoplex — Used on 12-string acoustic intro through Leslie speaker for stereo swirl effect. Felder's electric solo: Guitar World 2013: 'just the guitar into the amp' (no effects).

2.MXR Phase 90 — Walsh's parts have subtle shimmering modulation from Phase 90. Widely attributed but lacks definitive first-person confirmation.

Playing Technique

Dual guitar harmonies in thirds and sixths—one of rock's most iconic harmony guitar arrangements. Felder and Walsh composed parts in real-time at Criteria Studios, punching in extensively. Deliberate tonal separation: LP (warm) vs Tele (bright). Felder: 'Being in a band with three guitar players, one thing you need to do is learn to make each guitar voice sound separate and identifiable.'

Sources+

Guitar World 'Dear Guitar Hero' 2013: Don Felder confirms '59 LP, Tweed Deluxe, no effects on electric solo
Record Plant Diaries: Bill Szymczyk and Joe Walsh on Hotel California recording
Equipboard.com - Don Felder / Joe Walsh
Don Felder: 'Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles' autobiography