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Products Electric Guitars Les Paul Gibson Custom
Body
Species
The body of each Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul is crafted from a two-piece figured maple top with attached to a solid, one-piece lightweight mahogany back. Body Species Tonal Characteristics
The Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul's body woods present the classic combination of good clarity, definition and treble bite from the maple, and excellent depth and richness from the mahogany, all of which are elements that are found in the legendary tone of the original '59 Les Paul Standard. This is one of the most revered wood combinations of all time, and truly offers a best-of-both-worlds design in the way that mahogany and maple complement each other to offer superior resonance, sustain, depth, clarity and definition.  
Design
The Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul follows the body lines and dimensions of the original '59 Les Paul Standard, with a gently arched carved top and rounded lower bout, and combines the classic tonewood combination of mahogany back and carved maple top. The body's back is cut from a single piece of solid, high-grade, lightweight clear mahogany, and capped with a two-piece top of figured maple that is carved into a period-correct "dish," or arch. Body Design
Average Weight
Weights vary slightly, according to wood supplies, but Gibson's Custom Shop seeks out the lightest, most tonally advantageous mahogany for the one-piece bodies of the Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul, in order to closely match the weights and densities of original examples from the late '50s. Weight
Available Finishes
Color
TThe top of the Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul is finished in a unique "Felder Burst," while the back, sides and neck are finished in the aged red of many late '50s Les Pauls. Felder Burst Aged - Felder Burst Aged/Signed - Felder Burst
Surface Texture
All guitars will have a muted, gently aged feel, achieved in one of two ways (as described below). Process
The Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul is hand-finished in nitrocellulose in a process that closely replicates the finishing process applied to original Les Paul Standards of 1958-'60. Like the great Les Pauls made 50 years ago, this instrument is finished with minimum build-up, in an effort to produce a finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. Once this is complete, the guitars' finishes will be aged in two distinct ways, to present gently worn finish textures: 150 guitars will be aged by hand, while a further 150 will be aged in Gibson Custom's VOS process. The result in all cases will be a guitar that looks and feels like a loved and much-played vintage instrument.