Hotel california amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3
The Eagles guitar tone for “Hotel california”, dialed in for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Hotel California (1976) — Joe Walsh lead solo part
Fender Telecaster into cranked small Tweed Champ / Roland Cube, subtle MXR Phase 90, tape delay/Echoplex
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Reverb | 4 |
| Master | 7 |
01Onboard Phaser / Mod
Use the ID:Core's onboard Phaser effect set very slow and subtle
02Onboard Tape Delay
Use onboard Delay section set to Tape/Linear mode for subtle studio ambiance
The Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 faceplate features an ISF control rather than standard Bass/Middle/Treble or Presence knobs, so the ISF is dialed toward the American side (around 3) to mimic Walsh's Tweed Champ response. Since the Ibanez GIO uses a hotter humbucker than Walsh's vintage single-coil Telecaster, the guitar volume is backed off to 9 and tone to 8 to shave off excess output and smooth the high-end attack. The Crunch voice at moderate gain supplies the natural power-tube saturation heard on the record without sounding overly compressed.
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These settings are for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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