A Powerful Competitor in the Intermediate Price Range
Written: Mar 24 '07 (Updated Sep 22 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fabulous value for the buck in tone and design
Cons: None. For the price, it's a great guitar.
The Bottom Line: The Santana SE delivers quality worthy of its name. It plays and sounds great and is a superb bargain for the very reasonable asking price.
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| buffoonery's Full Review: Paul Reed Smith Santana Se Electric Guitar |
One could argue that a guitar company could slap Carlos Santana's name on just about anything and it would sell like hotcakes, regardless of its inherent quality. Not so with the Santana models manufactured by Paul Reed Smith. The flagship of the line is rumored (I've never played one) to be an utterly superb rock and roll machine and at its enormous price it had better be.
On the other hand, the intermediate priced Santana SE ($500 at Musician's Friend) is an extraordinary value for the budget conscious guitarist or the working player who needs a knock around back up that still kicks a$$. This guitar is a terrific alternative to axes like the (excellent) Epiphone Les Paul or Mexican made Strats. In fact, it's kind of a cross between the two: get the fatter Les Paul sound with the feel of a Strat.
The Santana SE is a Korean-made guitar that features two chrome covered humbuckers designed by EMG and PRS but made in China. The light, Strat-like body is constructed from Indonesian mahogany with a flat top that is probably much cheaper to construct that the usual PRS carved tops. There is a one-piece wraparound bridge and the guitar is also available with a trem bar. The electronics include a three-way selector switch and one volume and one tone control.
Here's one complaint about the guitar: I would have preferred separate volume and tone controls for the two pick ups ala Les Paul to give additional versatility to the guitar's sound. More later.
The neck is a one piece quarter sawn mahagony with 22 fat frets and very cool looking angled trapezoid inlays. The headstock is angled back and, given its unusual somewhat angled in design, the strings are nearly straight to the tuners. The nut is graphite. It's equipped with .11's and comes with a gig bag.
This machine is no Korean POS. The set up and intonation were both excellent. No visible construction flaws to the naked eye. Nice action with a lightweight body that is ideal for performance--no Les Paul back aches here, my friend. Very fast up and down the neck. The cherry red is extremely attractive.
So how about the sound? For $500, you're getting your money's worth in a big way. You can get a wide range of tones that are ideal for all rock styles except heavy metal. The bridge pick up produces nice singing leads, good sustain, fine for both blues and rock. The neck pick up gives nice warm rhythm sound and you can coax some good lead tones out of it as well. Some guys report that, with some do it yourself pick ups like EMGs or the right Seymour Duncans, the guitar is great for metal heads, too. Played through either a Fender Twin or Mesa Stiletto Ace amp you get some sweet sounding wailing or some terrific chunk and all points in between.
It's tough to imagine a better bargain for $500. This is a great guitar for intermediate players who are stepping up from their beginning model. But experienced players who are looking for a versatile jamming or performance guitar will find a lot to admire here. The Korean production keeps the cost down but you get the benefits of American design and styling. The PRS Santana SE is a terrific guitar and not just for the price. It's well worth a trial run.
Schechter Diamond C+1
PRS Single Cut
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Recommended:
Yes
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