Don Felder is immortalized as a member of Eagles, having joined the band in 1974 and co-composing its landmark 1976 hit “Hotel California.” He was also the group’s primary guitar soloist during his 27-year tenure.

The Florida native was also Tom Petty’s guitar teacher in Gainesville, where Petty also played with a young Stephen Stills as well as future Eagles mat Bernie Leadon, and learned slide guitar from Duane Allman. On his own, meanwhile, Felder has released four solo albums and contributed to the soundtracks of “Heavy Metal” and other films. His session resume, meanwhile, includes work with the Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Nicks, Diana Ross and more.

Felder, 78, is continuing to promote his latest album — “The Vault: Fifty Years of Music,” which came out last year — this time opening for the Guess Who throughout North America. We caught up with him via Zoom from his home studio in Los Angeles…

* Felder says that he’s enjoyed being part of this year’s Guess Who, with key songwriters Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings back in control of the band. “Everybody in that organization — the band members, crew, truck drivers, everybody — have been wonderful. I’ve never been on an easier-going tour. No hissiy fits, no problems, no nothing. They’re Canadian, y’know what I mean? Very comfortable, laid-back people. And you get three acts in one ticket price; we come out and do the Eagles stuff and a bunch of solo material, my usual set, then you get the Guess Who and then you get Bachman-Turner Overdrive, so it’s like three acts going at the same time.

* This year marks the 50th anniversary of Eagles’ “Hotel California” album and the title song, which Felder began and co-wrote. The song was a No. 1 hit and certified platinum and remains a mainstay for Felder in his solo career. “I’ve played it so many times — like, every show I’ve played as a solo artist I have played ‘Hotel California.’ The one thing I do at every show, before I go on stage, is work on ‘Hotel California’ because I don’t want to disappoint anybody. Everybody knows every note in that solo, so if you hit a bad note or something, everybody’s gonna know it. So I do my best to play that, and it really takes the most amount of intense concentration to execute that solo over and over and over and over. You never want to just go on autopilot with it.”

* Felder continues to mix Eagles songs into his shows along with his solo material, which he feels fans appreciate since the band does not tour anymore, playing only at Sphere in Las Vegas and occasional stadium shows and festivals. “Having played on, o-written, recorded and toured with these songs for the 27 years I was in the band, I feel like I can execute them at least as good as we did before, if not better. I have some incredible musicians who are out with me this year,” including former REO Speedwagon guitarist Dave Amato and bassist Matt Bissonnette, a Warren native who also worked with REO after a long tenure with Elton John.

* “The Vault — Fifty Years of Music” drew from demos he found in a box that had been stored for many years. Now Felders is setting his sights on his next project. “I don’t necessarily want to go back and do the same thing, do a ‘The Vault 2,’ ‘The Vault 3’ and ‘The Vault 4.’ Somebody suggested the other day I should do a blues album; I’m not necessarily a blues player at heart, though I did cut my teeth on B.B. King and Albert King, so I learned from the right guys. But maybe if I did something like I did on (2019’s) ‘American Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and invite really great blues players to come in with me, like (Joe) Bonamassa and Slash, and play on things I like, so it’s not just me playing the blues, but a blues production, maybe that`s something that could work.”

* Felder also keeps himself busy creating original material. “I’m always coming up with ideas, writing lyrics on the plane or singing into my phone while driving 75 miles down the L.A. freeway hoping I don’t get arrested for talking (into) the phone. (laughs) So I’ve got tons and bits and pieces of guitar licks and ideas that have just accumulated. I’ve not had a lot of time with this tour, but I think when it ends around the very end of August I’ll have some time where I can take a couple of months and sit down in my studio and work on some stuff.”

Don Felder opens for the Guess Who at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 3 at the Pine Knob Music Theatre, 33 Bob Seger Drive, Independence Township. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.