The legendary “Hotel California” guitarist on that iconic Gibson doubleneck and raising funds for children’s research
As a former lead guitarist in the Eagles and co-writer of the transcendent air-guitar anthem “Hotel California,” few musicians in history can be responsible for inspiring as many budding guitar players as Don Felder. And he hasn’t finished giving back to the next generation of guitarists just yet.
In association with Gibson Gives, a new fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital sees fans who enter the Rock & Roll Retreat Sweepstakes get the chance to win an amazing grand prize. The package includes transport and accommodation in Nashville, a personal tour of the Gibson Garage and Gibson Vault, an Epiphone EDS-1275 doubleneck guitar, entry to a special Don Felder Gibson Showcase event, a one-on-one guitar lesson with Felder himself, and more besides.
We recently caught up with Don to find out more, including what the lucky grand prize winner can expect from their one-on-one guitar lesson, and the definitive story of how he became one of the Gibson doubleneck’s most iconic exponents.
What does it mean to you to be involved in a fundraiser for an organisation like St. Jude?
“I spent two and a half months as a child in the polio ward. I was watching kids come in, and leave in an iron lung. As a young child, all I could think was that would be me soon. Thankfully, that wasn’t my fate and my side effects are minimal. I remember my only bit of hope came from the small metal speakers that I could lay under my pillow and listen to music. It was my escape from those four walls.
“I see a small bit of myself in some of these children. It means so much to be part of something that is helping save these children’s lives. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital wouldn’t have been able to take the overall childhood cancer success rate from 20 percent up to 80 percent without the support of others. I’m happy to be able to offer a really cool rock ’n’ roll weekend in Nashville and some memorable experiences through the Rock & Roll Retreat Sweepstakes, and be able to give back to an amazing cause. We are helping save children’s lives.”
Don Felder on tour this year in support of his fourth studio album, The Vault: 50 Years of Music. Photography by Jaden Osborne
The lucky winner of the Grand Prize will get a one-on-one guitar lesson from you—what themes will you be covering in the lesson, and what do you think is the most important thing that aspiring guitarists need to work on in order to progress?
“The lesson will depend on the level of the player, but will be whatever they’d like to learn. The last student I gave a few lessons to went on to do pretty well—Tom Petty! So you never know what may come of it, ha ha! If they aren’t a player at all, we can just hang out and chat, tell stories and share musical experiences.
“As for what I think is important for aspiring guitarists, it would have to be to become a triple threat. Learn to play your instrument, learn to write, and learn to sing your own material. You don’t have to be the frontman necessarily, but being able to put everything together is what it’s about. You don’t have to rely on anyone else to create. Some of the current musicians I admire are triple threats; John Mayer, Alicia Keys, and lately Reneé Rapp, are some of my favorites.”
The winner will also take home an Epiphone doubleneck similar to the Gibson model you famously used in performances of “Hotel California.” When did you first encounter your Gibson doubleneck? Can you tell us about how you customized it?
“Well it actually came about because I had no way to play ‘Hotel California’ live. I played so many guitar tracks on that song, I think 13-14 guitar parts total. So when it came time to play it live, we were stuck with the question of how I play the 12-string and the six-string throughout the song. At first we thought maybe I put a 12-string acoustic on a stand and have a six-string Les Paul™ behind my back. I could reach over and play the 12-string, and then when the six-string was needed, I could step away and pull it up from behind my back.
“I just knew the first time I was a little off balance, the guitar on the stand would fall face down, and then what do you do? Stop the song? So, I sent my tech to a guitar store to get a Gibson doubleneck and he came back with the white one. Since the 12-string needed to come out of a Leslie, and the six-string out of a regular amp, the idea of two outputs came from when I saw Chet Atkins play. He had split a pickup allowing him to play two songs at once. So I took that concept, and instead of splitting the pickup, I put in a second output jack, and split the output switch between the necks. So the Gibson doubleneck I play is not an off-the-shelf model. I have to have them modified, where the switch is switching between the outputs of the two necks. Thankfully the idea worked out pretty well!”
The grand prize includes a trip to Nashville. This year, Gibson is celebrating 50 years in Music City, but what does Nashville mean to you as an artist?
“I love Nashville! In Gainesville in the 1950s, WGGG radio would come on at sunrise and went off the air at sundown. But after the sun went down, I had a radio in my room and I could hear WLAC in Nashville. They would play some of the best music, all night long. B.B. King, Little Richard, Albert King, Elvis, etc. So during the day I could hear Pat Boone singing ‘Tutti Frutti,’ but at night I could hear Little Richard singing his version. It made me go, ‘That’s the stuff!’ So, to me, Nashville tracks back to my earliest memories and love for music.”
What’s next for you, in terms of musical projects?
“Whether it’s touring, writing in my studio at home off the road, or organizing things like the Rock & Roll Retreat Sweepstakes for St. Jude, I’m always working on something. Now that The Vault, my fourth studio album, is out, maybe a fifth album is in the works! Stay tuned!”
Entries for the Rock & Roll Retreat Sweepstakes for St. Jude close on September 6, with the grand prize experience taking place between October 23-26. Visit the official Don Felder website for the rules of the contest and to enter.
