A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

Suppose you're in a band with two lead guitar players, you're adding "Hotel California" to the setlist, and you have to choose between doing either Don Felder's or Joe Walsh's parts. Which do you choose? Please elaborate on the rational for your choice as well as voting in the poll.

I was faced with this decision recently, and I choose to play Walsh's parts, because, well . . . Joe is a goofy, tasty, quirky, singularly unique badazz on guitar. Who wouldn't want to play those wicked licks? Don't get me wrong, Felder is a masterful player, so controlled and elegant, but Joe has this "sounds like he's going off the rails but always recovers" facet to his playing that I find so exciting. And the phaser is heavenly on Joe's track. I've got a MXR reissue Script Phase 90 and a vintage 70s EHX Small Stone, so I'll use one of those when I perform the song.

If you are unable to answer the question because you don't know who plays which parts, then I've got to wonder what the heck you're doing on a guitar forum in the first place?!? It's one of the most iconic guitar solos of all time. Go do some studying and come back when you're ready to hang with the grown folk.

Who?

All I know is that the intro is gorgeous, and whoever played it, that is what I want to play.

Ditto for the harmony leads.

All I know is that the intro is gorgeous, and whoever played it, that is what I want to play.

Ditto for the harmony leads.

Joe hands down.

Felder is almost too good for my taste. I want a little raw and a little wild in my rock and blues.

Voted Felder´s.

Rationalizing "why" would be hard. I like to play Walsh´s parts as well; it is one of those solos that each segment speaks for itself in a unique way. But voted Felder´s because:

- The first segment of the solo (the beginning, sliding to the 11th fret and then ending with that 1 1/2 bending) is FANTASTIC! That´s one of the best beginnings for a rock solo (IMHO).

- I find more "sentiment" in Felder´s parts overall - not to say that Walsh´s parts are lacking, mind you; they are just different-.

- I also like Felder´s riffs better in the chorus - second chorus -. But again, I like to play both parts.

Not sure if I rationalized this convincingly...

So, if this were you and me, we both would feel alright playing it, you being Walsh and I being Felder LOL

But, I still don´t play it 100% good. I´m returning from these last three sabatic months, without playing anything, with that solo, actually; go figure. Rusted fingers are the worst!

Please, be sure to record a video when you play this song, would be great to watch/listen.

I know this is an Eagles thread - but now I am hearing the intro to Funk 49 in my head.
So, Joe I suppose but no disrespect to Felder.

I saw Eagles shortly before Glen Frey passed, it was great and Joe was phenomenal; I think he has been sober.
(no Don Felder of course)

I'd be honored to be able to play either, but If I had to choose it would be Joe Walsh' part, mainly because I identify with him much more closely as a person I could relate to. He's the prototypical sqaure peg in a round hole, goofy, badass, killer player, california sun god/bad boy ( see James Gang ), defining all definitions kind of guy. He can melt your face off and still give you a corny youtube video on how to set up your Les Paul like the dorky dude at your local guitar shop.

The entire Eagles lineup of talent over the decades really kind of blows my mind when you go back and look through it

Wow! Great conversation starter!

I’d vote Felder because his parts are perfectly composed and performed.

I also love Joe’s controlled chaos sound, but you forced me to pick one!

uwmcscott wrote: ↑Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:12 pm He can melt your face off

You're not kidding. You've no doubt heard this song, but for anybody here who hasn't, it may start slow, but if you hang in there until 3:24 this will absolutely melt your face off. This song cannot be played loud enough. Undoubtedly some of the greatest hard rock guitar tones ever recorded to 2 inch tape.

I had to pick Joe, because he's a crazy SOB. In the 80's, probably early 80's, KLOS would let Joe Walsh and Rick the Bass Player come in and take over the radio station, and just do whatever. It was totally insane, but Joe made it work somehow, just like his guitar playing. Always seemed like a super fun dude.

toomanycats wrote: ↑Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:53 pm

uwmcscott wrote: ↑Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:12 pm He can melt your face off

You're not kidding. You've no doubt heard this song, but for anybody here who hasn't, it may start slow, but if you hang in there until 3:24 this will absolutely melt your face off. This song cannot be played loud enough. Undoubtedly some of the greatest hard rock guitar tones ever recorded to 2 inch tape.

Where is his amp?

People are either eagles people or Crosby stills Nash people. I'm a csn people.
I may learn all of life in the fast lane at some point.
I have no idea which solo is which.

tlarson58 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:25 pm

toomanycats wrote: ↑Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:53 pm

uwmcscott wrote: ↑Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:12 pm He can melt your face off

You're not kidding. You've no doubt heard this song, but for anybody here who hasn't, it may start slow, but if you hang in there until 3:24 this will absolutely melt your face off. This song cannot be played loud enough. Undoubtedly some of the greatest hard rock guitar tones ever recorded to 2 inch tape.

Where is his amp?

The thing about that video I wonder about the most (I mean other than whose idea it was for Joe to wear a banana hammock on film . . . but we won't go there), is whether those double cream humbuckers are Dimarzio Super Distortions, and if so, was that the guitar he used to record the track. Because damn, that tone!

In terms of the phrases played, that's a tough call to make, both are integral and pretty awesome. I chose Joe because I just don't love playing electric 12.

bleys21 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:48 pm I had to pick Joe, because he's a crazy SOB. In the 80's, probably early 80's, KLOS would let Joe Walsh and Rick the Bass Player come in and take over the radio station, and just do whatever. It was totally insane, but Joe made it work somehow, just like his guitar playing. Always seemed like a super fun dude.

That's because he was drunk, basically all the way up to the first Eagles reunion tour.

Lol, The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get I guess he was living that motto, or what its supposed to mean...

Guy should have Keith Mooned a long time ago. I'm glad he's still around though, and it's great he got sober. I remember when he released the Confessor. That almost had a heavy metal vibe at the time, and seemed a lot heavier theme-wise than the "typical" loopy Walsh subject matter, which was kind of cool.

Solo: I would go with Walsh too, simply because he's so out there with what he plays. I will say though, that he sometimes has a tendency to recycle his licks. But they're great licks!

OT a little: I caught the Eagles tour a couple years ago, and it was noticeable how the energy level jumped about 100% when Walsh took the mike and the solos. He's definitely the rock and roller of that group.

Here's a Joe Walsh story I heard around 1990ish from a close personal friend while we were both living in Manhattan.

This guy is a guitar player, and was also a bodybuilder. He's also a huge Joe Walsh fanatic. Joe was his guitar hero. He'd often play Joe's songs when we were hanging around the apartment strumming guitar, "In the City, "Falling Down", tunes like that.

Anyways, my friend, being the big strong fellow that he was, got hired as a bouncer at Woody's (co-owned by Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones). While working at the club one night Joe Walsh come's into the place, and my friend had the experience of seeing his idol completely inebriated and belligerent. What is worse, he was put in the horrendous position of having to throw Mr. Walsh out, I mean he had to literally physically remove him. When my friend told the story there was no humor in it. He was clearly shattered and traumatized by the experience of this tremendously awkward interaction with his fallen "God".

But I don't hold it against Joe. He was just a human living his life, but because he's famous people put him on a pedestal, and expect him to be something that maybe he's not.

There's a line that one guy in the band London says in The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years, "We are not role models for your life." Wise words.

I'm someone who didnt know there are two special guitar lines in that song. Nor, who played what.
Some James Gang and But Seriously, Folks are the only albums I know from Joe.

Watching this video of Joe's is like taking a time machine back to 1983. No crazy guitar work, but the guy clearly had a grasp of what was going on in the popular culture. In an autobiographical way he expresses his feeling irrelevant with the younger generation.

I like Joe more in this mode.



I am glad that he got himself together. I saw that he said Don Henley came to see him and said they were putting the Eagles back together, but if he wanted in, he had to be sober, and that was his "do I want to live or die" moment. Glad he's living.

It's a week into this thread and Joe Walsh is trouncing Don Felder in the poll. As I myself am guilty of excessively hyping up Joe, I'd like to redress the possibility of my slanting the poll by presenting this absolutely killer tune by Felder.

What make's it even cooler is that several of these stunning South Korean dancers actually work day jobs at the factory that manufactures Agile guitars.

Okay . . . I just made that last part up. I mean the part about working at the Agile factory. But they certainly are Korean beauties, no doubt about that.

But c'mon, lets show Don Felder some love here. That is one heavy, sexy, tasty riff.

When I first saw this thread title, I thought the question was going to be: "Which would you rather have in your band".

That would be a tough call...

But the actual question is a tough call as well... While I appreciate the melodic sophistication of Felder's solo, Joe just brings the FIRE. I could flip-flop back and forth all day, but Joe is a fellow friend of Bill W., and I just... like him better than Don Felder. Or I should say; I think I'd have more fun hanging out with Joe, than I would with Don... On the other hand, I also have a feeling that Joe is probably the kind of guy that you can only like in small doses... But I don't know either of them, so who knows? I'm not even really an Eagles fan!

Of course, none of that matters... but I'd still have to give the nod to Joe.

I'm more a csn / stills guy.