Hey everyone, after numerous requests, I’m thrilled to finally release this! I wanted to share some background details about creating these tabs and the video you might have seen.
For this project, I actually bought a guitar specifically for the video. Being on a budget, I opted for a less expensive replica. When it arrived, let’s just say it presented some significant challenges. It required a considerable amount of work just to make it playable and sound decent for the recording. We’re talking stripped tuning peg screws, asymmetrical tuning pegs, a deeply buried truss rod, and some truly chaotic pickup wiring. Even the headstock logo wasn’t what I had expected! That’s just scratching the surface of the issues, but thankfully, after contacting the manufacturer, they were understanding enough to issue a full refund and told me to keep the guitar. A huge thank you to my guitar tech, Ward, who managed to work wonders and get it into a playable condition.
Despite the initial guitar hurdles, I’m really pleased with how the guitar tone turned out in the video. I relied on Amplitube for both the clean and lead guitar parts. In my opinion, Amplitube is simply the best amp simulator available, and Amplitube MAX has absolutely everything I need for my channel’s sound. They often have fantastic deals running, and if you’re interested in checking them out, I’ve included affiliate links in the description. These links help support the channel, so your support is greatly appreciated.
Finally, let’s talk about tabbing out “Hotel California.” I spent a lot of time carefully listening to the guitars. Since isolated guitar tracks aren’t available, distinguishing between the 12-string and acoustic guitar in the intro mix was quite a brain teaser. It was a fun challenge, though! Also, Don Felder and Joe Walsh don’t always play the solos identically in live performances. I watched some live footage to observe their fingerings, as nailing those nuances perfectly can be tricky. I made my best educated guesses on their fretboard positions for those licks. The harmony part in measure 102 is another example of live variations; Don often plays the harmonies higher up the neck live, but my tab reflects the studio recording more closely. The same goes for the outro.
I sincerely hope you enjoy playing along with this and find the tabs helpful if you liked the video. Are there any other classic rock staples you’d like to see tabs for on the page? Let me know in the comments below!
