Gibson Announce Eagles Signature Doubleneck
Gibson Custom Don Felder Hotel California EDS-1275 will be available next month 13-Aug-10
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Frequently named in polls for the "world's greatest guitar solos", and listed at #49 in Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", Don Felder and Joe Walsh's dual guitar solo on the Eagles' "Hotel California" tapped a searing tone and an atmospheric vibe that still resonate today. To give live renditions their maximum impact, Don Felder has--right from the start--played the hit song on a Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck, performing the haunting 12-string introduction on the guitar's top neck (routed through a Leslie rotating speaker unit) and switching to the lower 6-string neck for the epic soloing dual with Joe Walsh.
To honor this legendary pairing of artist and instrument, Gibson Custom introduces the Don Felder "Hotel California" SG Double Neck guitar, in a strictly Limited Edition with only 50 aged and signed units and 100 aged units produced. The instrument is crafted in the image of Gibson's iconic EDS-1275 Double 12 model, only around 110 of which were produced between 1962-'68, demanding a reissue in 1977, when Felder acquired his example. The Don Felder Double Neck carries all the classic appointments of the era, including four great Gibson PAF-style humbucking pickups (two per neck) on a resonant solid-mahogany body. In addition, however, the guitar also includes custom wiring and modifications that Felder added to his own EDS-1275 to help it suit his live performance needs. All are aged to accurately reflect the look of Felder's own Gibson Double Neck, while 50 are also signed and numbered by the artist himself. All come with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
Features
- Comfortable, rounded "Felder" profiles on both necks
- Rosewood fingerboards with split parallelogram inlays
- Equipped with a quartet of Gibson Burstbucker pickups
- Custom control setup enabling independent output for 12-string neck
- Kluson tuners with nickel buttons
One of the most recognizable tone monsters of rock, the Gibson Double Neck of the '60s and '70s was created in the image of the popular SG solidbody, but adapted to the needs of this extreme design. Following the 1977 specs, the Don Felder "Hotel California" EDS-1275 from Gibson's Custom Shop begins with a select one-piece mahogany body, and two necks carved from three pieces of maple each for added strength that this guitar demands. To ensure the neck/body joints remain stable, the neck is set further into the body than that of an SG Standard, with a joint at around the 15th fret. The headstocks of both necks are back angled, a detail that increases string pressure in the nut to improve resonance and sustain, and each carries a set of Kluson tuners.
Other hardware includes a pair of Tune-o-matic bridges, and the chunky top-mounted claw tailpieces that were custom-made for the EDS-1275 model in the '60s and which are still known for their solidity and sustain. Taking all that sizzling Felder-style tone to the max is a quartet of Gibson's Burstucker humbucking pickups, with the chromed covers removed on the 6-string pair. Some of the most accurate PAF-style pickups available today, these are constructed with the original grade of 42-gauge enamel wire and Alnico II magnets, but each coil is gently wax potted to prevent microphonic squeal during high-volume playing. From thick, warm and throaty in the neck position, to singing and aggressive in the bridge, these pickups offer the full spectrum--from wail to jangle--that these two necks can throw at you.
All this sonic goodness is run through an a control setup that mirrors Felder's own performance modifications, including the addition of a second output in place of the original bridge-pickup tone control, to enable the 12-string neck to be routed independently to a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet to produce Felder's trademark "Hotel California" tone. With a guitar like this, the look is as iconic as the sound. Gibson's Custom Shop nails it in this department with a "Aged White" finish in nitrocellulose that is carefully faded, and the entire guitar is aged to echo the look of Felder's EDS-1275. Each of the two rosewood fingerboards carries accurate split parallelogram inlays, and minimal headstock adornment. Put it all together, and it's a dead ringer for one of the most distinctive guitars in rock history.
Each Gibson Custom Don Felder "Hotel California" EDS-1275 comes protected in a custom rectangular case, includes numbered Certificate of Authenticity, owner's manual and adjustment literature, and is covered by Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Support.
Body and Finish
The Don Felder EDS-1275's body is crafted from solid light as possible mahogany in the image of the original EDS-1275, with dual asymmetrical body horns and a beveled edge for improved playing comfort. Its "Aged White" finish is hand-sprayed with nitrocellulose lacquer, then custom aged to reflect the look of Don Felder's own Double Neck.
Pickups and Electronics
The Don Felder EDS-1275 carries the artist's own choice of Gibson's Burstbucker #1 and #2 pickups, one of the most popular PAF-style humbuckers available today. These are routed through a control circuit modified to Felder's own requirements, with independent outputs for each neck, with two volume controls (for neck and bridge pickups) and a master tone control.
Neck, Headstock and Fingerboard
Like those on Felder's original 1977 EDS-1275, both of the guitar's necks are of three-piece maple construction for increased strength and sustain. They are attached with a neck/body joint around the 15th fret for added stability, with traditional headstocks, and rosewood fingerboards with split-parallelogram inlays.
Hardware
The Don Felder EDS-1275 carries a set of hardware that matches that of the 1977 EDS-1275 Double 12 in period-correct detail. From its Kluson-style tuners to its Tune-o-matic bridges with custom-designed claw tailpieces, this guitar achieves the look and feel of the famed Felder "Hotel California" EDS-1275.
Pricing and Availability:
Available in September.
Aged White: $9,174msrp
Aged White – Signed: $12,704 msrp
More information:
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