03. Don Felder: How One 1965 D-35 Unlocked the Iconic Key for Hotel California

Some guitars just sit in a case. This one helped write "Hotel California."   Don Felder—Eagles guitarist from the mid-'70s through the band's first breakup, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and author of Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles—joins Jimmy Leslie from his California studio, known as The Vault. He brings along the actual 1965 Martin D-35 he bought while working at a music store in high school—the guitar that unlocked the iconic key for Hotel California. He calls it: "The love of my life for acoustic guitars."   Don walks through the wild, true story of how Hotel California song landed in B minor (a key almost nobody writes rock songs in), the friendship with Bernie Leadon that got him into the Eagles in the first place, learning slide guitar from Duane Allman as a teenager, and reworking Hotel California into the now-iconic MTV Unplugged version. He also opens up about The Vault, his recently released album built from decades of forgotten demos, including a track he wrote and recorded in tribute to Glenn Frey.   If you've ever wondered what's actually behind one of the most famous guitar parts in rock history, share this one with the guitar player in your life who needs to hear it.   Follow Martin Guitar on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@martinguitar Follow Martin Guitar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinguitar/ Follow Don Felder: https://www.instagram.com/donfeldermusic/