You’ll be able to dive and whammy, or add a slight vibrato to your chords. There was a problem. There were numerous other differences too, such as the headstock shape, inlays, switching and controls, which all predated Smith's eventual and now-classic Custom, which came to market in 1985. The Gretsch Reverend Horton Heat has a thicker neck profile, but a more vintage, classic rock sound. Aside from that, the Santana follows the SE protocol with non-locking but adequate tuners, a Korean version of the PRS vibrato (with steel top plate and block) and very sharp construction, with nice little touches such as conductive paint in the control cavity and a foil-shielded backplate. PRS uses premium materials and design choices to make this guitar sound and feel like a professional instrument. You will receive a verification email shortly. BA1 1UA. Playability is incredibly important to nailing those melodies, chords, and solos. This guitar delivers, giving you that classic velvety tone that you hear in Santana’s music both new and old. Maybe you love the tone, but want a thinner neck. The scale length is a nice addition. This is done largely for looks, since it’s a replica of what Carlo Santana played, but also adds some playability and a little bit of comfort. Thank you for signing up to Musicradar. Please refresh the page and try again. While it’s not the original design that Sanatana used back in the 80s, the SE Santana takes all of his preferences and streamlines it into an affordable package. The pickups are quoted on PRS's website as being 'Santana humbuckers'. Like any guitar made for signature soloists like Santana or Eddie Van Halen, the PRS SE Santana shines when you’re playing up front. The Santana recipe, you see, predates PRS: the original guitars Smith made for Santana basically used the outline of the double-cut Gibson Les Paul Junior/Special, but added a carved maple cap and vibrato. The overall, quality of this guitar will amaze you. Crunchy amp tones produce taut classic rock riffage and heavier gains easily edge us into more modern metal. He would stand behind concert venues and convince headlining acts to play his instruments. It has a shimmering high end with a balanced low end, perfect for playing either backup or lead guitar. But it's that smooth-nosed yet clear neck pickup that really impresses, along with a quick attack to the note and easy sustainful musical feedback. It was Santana's use of Paul Reed Smith's hand-made guitars in the early eighties that gave the fledgling guitar maker real credibility, although it wasn't until 1995 - 10 years into the life of Smith's company - that those original guitars were replicated for a wider market. A light slinky action (it would benefit from 0.010s and not the supplied 0.009s, especially with the shorter scale length) makes for effortless playability. We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices. The neck features old-school bird inlays. Whether you want the tone of “Smooth” or “Oye Como Va,” this guitar will let you get a buttery, crunchy tone. PRS SE Santana & SE Custom 22 in use Reaching for Carlos’s baby first, it immediately feels light and well-balanced. "These are new pickups that Paul spec'd specifically for Carlos and the 24.5-inch scale length," explains PRS's Doug Shive. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? The PRS SE Santana is another axe that’s made in Korea, Korea has been known to create great guitars and they are well built. At this point PRS and Santana are almost synonymous. We think so. If you want something nicer, spring for the S2 Studio. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. You can get away with adding some heavy distortion to this guitar, but you really don’t want to use this guitar for death metal. Of course, a tremolo bar should come with solid tuners to ensure that your guitar stays in tune when you’re really hitting that whammy bar. Or if you want to play classic rock with lots of open fifth chords in the lower frets, this guitar makes it easier on you. So this, the third SE Santana non-limited model, is not only informed by some of PRS's past history but is perhaps the closest PRS has thus far dared go to in replicating its USA formula at a lower price-point. In fact, Santana is such an iconic and influential PRS player that his … These pickups are made in their Korean factory, but still hold a great tone. I got a great deal on a barely used PRS Santana SE a couple of months ago, and I love it. Build. Beyond the USA-made models, it was Santana's name that was used to launch the SE (Student Edition) Korean-made PRS line in 2001. The PRS SE Santana has a superb tone that fits into any rock, blues, or jazz player’s collection. The neck is the largest neck profile from any of the major guitar brands. So what differentiates this from, for example, the 25th Anniversary SE Custom 24? They both use Alnico II magnets and both have covers. Neck pickup. The Santana's voice is different from the Custom right from This guitar has a resilient, punchy clean sound that makes it perfect for nearly any style of music. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, This guitar comes with 2 Santana “S” pickups, one treble and one bass, in the classic bridge/neck configuration. The bridge pickup (or treble, in PRS speak) exhibits a rock-ready punch contrasted by an altogether more vocal and hotter PAF-like neck (bass) pickup that'll certainly satisfy anyone chasing Santana's fluid, fat and clear tone. It goes one step farther than the fat necks of vintage guitar brands like Gretsch or Gibson to be both fat and broad.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'guitaraffinity_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',107,'0','0'])); While modern guitar makers like Ibanez and ESP focus on making thinner necks to make shredding easier, those necks aren’t as good for stylish, soulful playing. Today, they bring the ingenuity behind Santana’s guitar preferences to the mass market with the PRS SE Santana. It can make even simple chords difficult, but that’s not what this guitar is for. But if you love that part of the guitar and aren’t thrilled with the tone, you can find similar neck profiles. This weight and size further adds to the richness of the guitar’s bass range, but can also make it a little uncomfortable to wear for a long time.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'guitaraffinity_com-box-4','ezslot_1',106,'0','0'])); The body is heavily contoured, and has 2 shallow cutaways. The PRS SE Santana has a mahogany neck with an extra fat neck profile, characteristic of Santana’s own neck preferences.