Santana - Europa tone

[The Pope]

I need it, I need everything about it. The way it screams, the harmonics, and sustain. The compression from that amp on that record is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard, and the touch sensitivity is disgusting.

What amp do I need to get this tone?

 

[Matt Gordon]

Yamaha SG175 and maybe an older Boogie. IMHO its not just one thing, but a lot of different things together, like cable (non-low cap), speakers well worn, tubes, playing position near the amp, etc. Gotta admit, that is one tone we've all chased at one time or another. God help you for this quest, it will cost you dearly in friends, family, money! j/k..

 

[RickC]

Well, Carlos used a Yamaha SG2000, probably upgraded with vintage PAFs, through a Mesa Booge MkI.

/rick

 

[1973Marshall]

Now did he ever use boosters with the Mark I's?

That OR it's the influence of HIGH OUTPUT pickups, because vintage style pups don't give the same creamy sustain through those amp if you ask me.

Mark I's are great amps. I actually feel Mark I's and Mark IIB's are much more punchy and brown in tone versus the Mark IIc+ or Mark IV.

 

[RickC]

Carlos used to talk about finding the places onstage where he could get feedback and sustain, so I think that tone is more than just the combination of guitar and amp (I don't believe he was using pedal). He's actually working the combination of the two on the edge of going out of control.

Somewhat of a lost art these days...

/rick

 

[Ted Witcher]

Yeah, I read that, too. During soundcheck he figures out where he needs to stand to get the feedback, puts tape on the stage to mark it. When he needs the sustain, he goes to his mark. You can actually see him do it in recent-vintage performance footage.

 

[stratton]

Well, Carlos used a Yamaha SG2000, probably upgraded with vintage PAFs, through a Mesa Booge MkI.

/rick

Yeah, I bought that rig way back when. He was way into the Mesas then. I still have the SG2000, but the Mk1 is long gone.

His is the epitome of American (as opposed to British) voiced fat lead tone. Practically any of the Mk series Mesas should get you close. Not sure about the Mk IV, though. Maybe too aggressive? Rectos won't do it, nor will a Marshall.

Other amps to consider would be Fuchs Overdrive or clones of the amp that rhymes with Rumble. On a budget? The Mesa Nomad (uggh) or the slightly better F series. A Les Paul has a shorter scale than the SG2000 and has a little more midrange, the PRS is another choice, but generally a dual humbucker vintage style solidbody will get you in the ballpark.

The other component is volume! Carlos CRANKED back in the day. I read an artice where he said he moved away from Mesa because he had to crank them to ge the response he wanted.

Short of volume, crank the preamp and stand close to enable controlled feedback.

 

[tybone]

I can get pretty damn close with an Opal, a pair of Tone Tubbies and a Les Paul.

 

[Alias Archtop]

i don't know how santana did it back in the day

but I can tell you that any clean tube amp with an EHX big muff will get europa sustain on a budget...just make good use of the volume knob on your guitar and work the sustain (not the fuzz) out of that pedal

 

[Rod]

I can get that tone to the tea with my Fuchs TDS, Celestion 65, and my Les Paul with WCR's and me...I've worked many years acheiving a fat sustainy sound just from my hands...play with great intent....on the Fuchs, run channel 3, with channel 2 gain up past 12 o'clock , and channel 3 gain up at 3 o'clock...sustains like crazy, but not muddy....great sounding at lower volumes...absolutely amazig sounding at higher volumes

 

[MikeyG]

Glaswerks...... fat and sweet....

 

[ss396]

start with a mesa mark amp, add a humbucking pickup that sounds good with the tone control turned down, tweak speakers and volume until you can get controlled feedback and go for it. the last steps of tweaking make it. there are surely other solutions to the problem as well.

 

[MikeyG]

Did he turn down his tone control in those days? His tone was always a bit brighter back then ... I never have to touch the tone controls, just use the neck pickup (most any neck bucker will get it, it's more the amp that's the factor, IMO).