Tone library / Eagles / Hotel California

Hotel California amp settings — Positive Grid Spark MINI

The Eagles guitar tone for “Hotel California”, dialed in for a Positive Grid Spark MINI with a Ibanez Sa. Studio version, Hotel California (1976) — Don Felder's outro solo

Original rig

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (PAF humbuckers) → Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 cranked, no pedals

Fat, singing, edge-of-breakup with prominent midrange and sustain from cranked small combo

Amp settings — Positive Grid Spark MINI

CHANNELTweed Deluxe model (or closest '50s Fender tweed voicing in Spark app)BRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	4
Mid	6
Treble	5
Presence	5
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tube Screamer (TS808-style) — RECOMMENDED as clean boost

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Your Ibanez SA has lower-output pickups than Felder's PAF Les Paul; a TS-style boost into the dirty amp model will add the midrange push and sustain the original had from hot PAFs hitting a cranked Tweed. In the Spark app, use the built-in Tube Screamer block with these settings.

Drive 2 · Tone 5 · Level 6

Why these settings

Your Ibanez SA has thinner, brighter single-coil-esque pickups vs Felder's fat PAF humbuckers, so I raised mid +1 (to 6) and dropped treble -1 (to 5) vs the original amp values to compensate for the brightness. The Spark's Tweed Deluxe model should be set to moderate-high gain (7) to replicate the cranked 5E3's natural breakup. The original recording was bone-dry — no reverb.

PRO TIPRoll your guitar's tone knob to 8 (not 10) to tame the SA's high-end and get closer to the PAF's smoother top; use your picking hand closer to the neck for the singing, less-aggressive attack Felder had on that solo.

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These settings are for a Positive Grid Spark MINI. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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