I ordered this PRS SE Santana today - Was that a dumb GAS'r thing to do?

[Doctor Morbius]

Congrats on the new PRS SE!

[GAS Man]

Update:

 

Carlos has entered the building!

 

The live pics

 

[GAS Man]

Short review:

So far, it's all I hoped for.

It does indeed sound very good clean. The strings seem just a hair wispy on it, but they'll do for now. The guitar also does indeed sustain very well. So far I would say that this sig model is a bit above my other SEs tone-wise, at least for vibey cleans. And it is also very light (they do vary by weight per the SW site, but I'm into lighter guitars these days, so this one sounded good to me at 7 pounds) but it still picks up plenty of resonance to maintain a good amount of sustain.

The only down-side so far was the wife was supposed to be at work today, but she was here when it showed up.

Any case, this guitar does indeed deliver a lot of PRS bang for the buck.

Come on in, the water's fine

[craigny]

WOW very nice...congrats man!

[Rasta Robbie]

I tried one and loved it.

Very big bang for the buck..I predict your gonna love it.

[GAS Man]

I tried one and loved it. Very big bang for the buck..I predict your gonna love it.

 

Thanks, I think so too and agree. I have some nice guitars, but I love to leave out and grab my more mid-priced guitars so this one does seem like it will be able to cover most territories for me.

 

[tweak'd]

HNGD!

She is a sweet looking guitar. I've tried out a couple of these at local shops and really liked the guitar. Another excellent SE model for PRS.

Sorry to hear the wifey was home when it arrived. I noticed the pics were not taken on or against the couch...does that mean you already have it made up for bed tonight?

[cbh5150]

HNPRSSESD, GM! Looks killer, and was on my radar for awhile.

[Flatspotter]

Beautiful! HNGD!

[DaleH]

HNMGD that looks great...where is the wammy??

[orbm1]

OH MY!

 

 

LOVE IT!!!! If I wasn't thinking on getting a custom guitar built, I would buy one in a heart beat!

 

HNGD!

 

(@Y@)

[twisty571]

Dam that a sweet looking guitar,wow wonder if 1 of those would cure my gas for a Gibson DC?

[GAS Man]

HNGD! She is a sweet looking guitar. I've tried out a couple of these at local shops and really liked the guitar. Another excellent SE model for PRS. Sorry to hear the wifey was home when it arrived. I noticed the pics were not taken on or against the couch...does that mean you already have it made up for bed tonight?

 

 

He he, that made me

 

I just got done eating a fine dinner of hot dogs and sauerkraut, part of the consequences for being a guitar GAS'r, but no she won't make me sleep on the couch.

 

I first told her that Sweetwater was shipping me empty boxes so I can sell off some of mine.

 

that didn't work

 

I then told her it was just a guitar case

 

that didn't work

 

So then I pointed to it sitting next to her chair on the couch. (She had to leave after it arrived to go to an interview)

 

There's always so many guitars of different colors sitting around that they can slip in easily if she doesn't happen to see the box leaning up against the door through the entryway window.

 

But any case, after burping a couple times from a GAS'rs dinner, I went back to playing it a bit. It really has a neat tone. The HBs in it have a lot of single coil character to them.

 

Kudos to both PRS and Carlos for such a nicely wound set of pups. I'm more stoked about this guitar out of the box than I have been, well possibly since my last PRS arrived. That was a Mira Soapbar.

[GAS Man]

OH MY! LOVE IT!!!! If I wasn't thinking on getting a custom guitar built, I would buy one in a heart beat! HNGD! (@Y@)

 

Thanks. Seems like you and I have chased after a fair amount of the same gear lately and I can say this one doesn't disappoint. They are a bit pricey for MIK, but I worked a discount, I'm very pleased with the feel, look and tone, and heck, now MIK is the new MIJ! Good luck on the custom build. I've tried going higher end before to cure me of GAS'n, but I still get drawn in by everything in between as long as it offers something I don't have.

 

I'm also liking the neck.

 

I'm not as neck specific as most folks here, but this one felt a bit special right off the bat (neck).

 

It has a V feel to it, which I like for anchoring my thumb, but it doesn't feel too predominant either. I'll have to take a lot at their specs to see how they describe it.

[GAS Man]

Dam that a sweet looking guitar,wow wonder if 1 of those would cure my gas for a Gibson DC?

 

I think the Gibson would give you more of a darker growl and bite than this guy. This one is a bit sweeter and I think you'd find the Gibson to be a bit more raw and forceful.

 

I'm a big Gibson fan these days, but this one sounds a bit more versatile; and I'd say that whether you're referring to a Gibbie DC HB or P-90.

 

I'm hearing a bit more single coil vibe in this PRS's HBs than I usually do. Maybe kinda like something you might hear on a Gretsch.

 

I wonder if anyone else has one of these that could chime in on their impression of the tone of these guys. (?)

 

But that vid I posted above, does do a good job of showcasing the cleans that I am indeed hearing out of this guitar.

 

 

So far I've just played it through a Vox AD60VTX in the '65 Twin and then mostly now the Bassman modeling.

 

I'll get to cranking out some grind later, but that's not really my forte'. I like to listen for the cleans first, then I eventually default to my ditty bag of rude classic rock riffs when it's time for me to exorcise the p'n vinegar.

[tweak'd]

I "think" it's a wide fat

[GAS Man]

I "think" it's a wide fat

 

That would make sense. Cuz I feel the bulge in the middle, and then the width would taper that out.

 

 

I decided it was just a google away, And it was!

 

So here's what the PRS specs say:

 

SE Santana Model Specs Body

Top Wood Top Wood

[cerebrix]

thats a great top, but personally, id send back a 4 piece body.

[GAS Man]

thats a great top, but personally, id send back a 4 piece body.

 

 

Funny, that reminded me of this classic film line (I'm a bit of a film buff)

 

 

 

Frankly though, with the price point of this guitar, and the amount of cambering it uses, I wasn't really too concerned about the back. I do however get more bent out of shape about that on guitars that should be more solid slab guitars like Telecasters, SGs and LP Juniors.

 

I just took the one pic of its back, but it's actually fairly well matched grain to where at different angles the seam lines blend together. But I did look at the ends of the guitar just now with 225 readers to confirm that it does indeed to appear to be 4. But I'm going to go with ears on this one.

 

I already survived a worse trauma this summer back on a recent Gibson LP '60s Tribute with the same analysis, it also is just chambered enough to where the back still plays its role with no perceptible loss of vibe. And at least this PRS uses more evenly sized planks whereas the affordable Gibbies seem to often employ scraps.

 

I'm actually with you on the concern, but I was once talking to Randy Parsons (Jack White's Seattle Luthier) about this issue and he said, and I tend to concur, that it's more about the quality of the wood than the number of pieces.

 

At the time I was talking to him about my 83 "Custom Shop Gibson" LP which sports not on 4 on the back, but 4 on the front as well.

 

See - looks fairly good here

 

 

But in the wrong light -

 

Go figger

 

[twisty571]

Only exp. I have with a Gibson DC was that 65' MM routed with Dimarzios. Really liked the guitar,pawned to me by a "friend" stuck on pills. It was his dad's who just died so I gave it back to him. I really liked that old tatered moded MM & my SG standard but I see those DC's being sold at times with a sweet flame and I just wanna hit a BIN button:love:

 

Most likely an SG is next but if I could score a nice deal on 1 it might be next. If I wasn't buying my new roof this week I was going to buy another Gibby with tomarrows pay check. But it has to wait a week or 2 now since I told Dawn I would get it done now since I have enough saved to do it all at once. Damn me for doing my pay with my bank account up when she came to talk Glad I has a small house...

I got a nice amp and bike week/Ted Nugent all weekend to so I didn't do to bad:confused:

[GAS Man]

That's a cool looking guitar. I tend to like the thinner slab bodied guitars. They just tend to have more of the vibe that makes my ears perk up.

 

I bought this JJ Melody Maker a while back which is pretty similar looking 'cept just the one hum

 

[twisty571]

those are on my watch for list actually,but they seem to have jumped a little on the used side when you find 1. That is the color I wants to,very nice.

[GAS Man]

^ I got mine for $620 which was just a bit below the MAP at that time. There just wasn't much margin for the boys at SW to give up on them. Now the newer JJ MM model sells for $920 MAP which seems a bit out of line. But at least they both did/(do) come with a hardcase.

 

I'm even attracted by the new Melody Makers that are made out of maple

 

But I'm not going to bite on them unless I can get in on a close-out quite a bit below the current $539 MAP.

 

And actually, the Jonas Brothers MM would be a sweet guitar and it's reasonable priced (at least compared to the JJ model) but it's just got too much Jonas Brothers crapola on it. It would be nice if they made that configuration without the signature features.

 

[fretmonster]

So far I've just played it through a Vox AD60VTX in the '65 Twin and then mostly now the Bassman modeling. I'll get to cranking out some grind later, but that's not really my forte'. I like to listen for the cleans first, then I eventually default to my ditty bag of rude classic rock riffs when it's time for me to exorcise the p'n vinegar.

Wow, if it sounds half as good as the demo you got yourself a heck of a great guitar there Gas'r. Come to think of it, why would anyone buy the American version when that one can do the same thing at a fraction of a cost? Course now you gots to learn how to play Black Magic Woman.:poke: Big congrats.

[GAS Man]

Wow, if it sounds half as good as the demo you got yourself a heck of a great guitar there Gas'r. Come to think of it, why would anyone buy the American version when that one can do the same thing at a fraction of a cost? Course now you gots to learn how to play Black Magic Woman.:poke: Big congrats.

 

and I've got no 'scuses either, cuz somewhere around here, I know I have a Santana tabbed songbook kicking around.

 

And yes, it actually does sound like that video. I think that was the main draw for me, i.e. hearing some of these vids with those chimey cleans. I didn't get that from the other SEs I've bought, but having bought a Paul Allender batty SE before for my son for an X-mas present

 

 

I did know that their sig models do indeed differ on the pickups. With my other SEs I bought for myself, I like the looks and feel of them but I bought them with the idea of eventually modding their electronics. With this one, I'll definitely leave it stock so I'm actually a bit ahead with this purchase versus the SE '09 blow-outs I bought.

 

And yes, although I appreciate the best guitars as well, I've found that I tend to treat them like holy grails, rarely taking them out of their chalices to be heard. So if I had paid "private reserve" PRS prices for the real deal, it would be largely a waste on me.