Your thoughts on the current core PRS Santana?

[shallbe]

I have not played a core/US Prs Santana in many, many years, and no dealer in my area has one or will get one.

How does it feel scale-wise to a CU24? I have one of those and I am very comfortable gigging with it. Is it a lot more cramped due to it being 24.5" vs 25", both with 24 frets?

I am asking about the new guitars in particular, back to the Santana neck carve and looking more like a Sanatana II with the location of the controls.

Any experiences on feel and sound would be appreciated.

Also, what % discount should I expect off MAP price? First quote was 17% off.

 

[ProfRhino]

Maybe it's just me, but I would take a DGT or an SC58 over any Santana, any day.
In fact, that's what I did. Repeatedly.
This includes current Santana models.

Main turnoffs :
- neck (24 frets/245, possibly unique carve) feels kinda weird - I love the SC58 neck though, that's also a 245, but 22 frets
- PUs - too much optimized for Santana's fat single note melodies to be useful for rhythm work or lower gain
- how those two forgotten controls still keep slipping through QC escapes me ...

all that said, these things I dislike might be just the ticket for you, dunno.
Can't fault the guitar by any means, don't get me wrong, but it's the most specialized / controversial core model they have.
Definitely play one before pulling the trigger.
Re price, many used PRS are like new, so ...

ymmv, but you wanted opinions,
Rhino

 

[Whitecat]

The Knaggs Keya destroys it, IMO. 24 frets, 24.75" scale. Give it a look at least!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'm a 24-fret PRS dude and the Santana/West St./KL33 platform is my favorite of all PRS guitars. I love the scale length, love the neck profile, and am happy to see the controls have moved back to where they "belong".

You do gotta try one first though... They're not for everybody.

 

[CatStrangler]

The Knaggs Keya destroys it, IMO. 24 frets, 24.75" scale. Give it a look at least!

uh, doesn't come with Trem and FB radius is way small? Destroys it not I say, they are very different instruments

I'm a 24-fret PRS dude and the Santana/West St./KL33 platform is my favorite of all PRS guitars. I love the scale length, love the neck profile, and am happy to see the controls have moved back to where they "belong".

You do gotta try one first though... They're not for everybody.

Mostly What he said. They're for everybody who likes awesome.

Big frets, 11.5" FB radius and there is nothing "weird" about the neck carve, somewhere between an R9 and an R8 with a slightly narrower nut. I seem to be able to get big juicy single notes to sound good as well as chords, go figure, and mine also sounds beautiful clean.

 

[bettset]

but then, the santana does what i want. no neck issues. pickup response is the deal

 

[AaeCee]

They're for everybody who likes awesome.
Big frets, 11.5" FB radius and there is nothing "weird" about the neck carve, somewhere between an R9 and an R8 with a slightly narrower nut. I seem to be able to get big juicy single notes to sound good as well as chords, go figure, and mine also sounds beautiful clean.

All this and more. Mine is from the limited run of Santana Brazilians and I'm not exactly sure which pickups it came with, but it sounds truly incredible, and can go from sweet and articulate right up to full howitzer. Love the stout neck and I can get around on it swiftly (relative term for me though ), but as others said, a short 24.5" scale with 24 frets may feel cramped to some.

 

[CatStrangler]

uh, doesn't come with Trem and FB radius is way small? Destroys it not I say, they are very different instruments



Mostly What he said. They're for everybody who likes awesome.

Big frets, 11.5" FB radius and there is nothing "weird" about the neck carve, somewhere between an R9 and an R8 with a slightly narrower nut. I seem to be able to get big juicy single notes to sound good as well as chords, go figure, and mine also sounds beautiful clean.

All this and more. Mine is from the limited run of Santana Brazilians and I'm not exactly sure which pickups it came with, but it sounds truly incredible, and can go from sweet and articulate right up to full howitzer. Love the stout neck and I can get around on it swiftly (relative term for me though ), but as others said, a short 24.5" scale with 24 frets may feel cramped to some.

fixed it for ya and cramped-shramped, who plays past the 17th fret anyways?

 

[Whitecat]

uh, doesn't come with Trem and FB radius is way small? Destroys it not I say, they are very different instruments

No, no trem, if that's important, but the FB radius is 12" on the Keya. Not all that different, the neck carve is even "inspired by" a PRS carve.

"Destroys" is probably somewhat hyperbolic but I do immensely prefer it.

 

[shallbe]

Thanks for all the responses.

What is the typical percentage off MAP from the better dealers?

 

[CatStrangler]

No, no trem, if that's important, but the FB radius is 12" on the Keya. Not all that different, the neck carve is even "inspired by" a PRS carve.

"Destroys" is probably somewhat hyperbolic but I do immensely prefer it.

That's Fair, I thought all Joe's instruments had a 9" radius or so. All the ones I've tried do have those medium jumbos and these days I'm a total size queen with frets - need 6100s or equivalent
The trem certainly does something for me tonewise over most stoptails.


For the OP, if you grew up with Gibsons like me, the tone and feel are very familiar, and I like the features for the reasons I've stated.

With regards to discount off of MAP, my experience is that all the dealer I have bought from will work with you a bit on price and offer something similar in the end.

That being said, there are some killer deals on used Santana Is and IIs on ebay/reverb lately that I have been stalking (most of the IIs have really nice tops and brazilian fretboards)

 

[shallbe]

That's Fair, I thought all Joe's instruments had a 9" radius or so. All the ones I've tried do have those medium jumbos and these days I'm a total size queen with frets - need 6100s or equivalent
The trem certainly does something for me tonewise over most stoptails.


For the OP, if you grew up with Gibsons like me, the tone and feel are very familiar, and I like the features for the reasons I've stated.

With regards to discount off of MAP, my experience is that all the dealer I have bought from will work with you a bit on price and offer something similar in the end.

That being said, there are some killer deals on used Santana Is and IIs on ebay/reverb lately that I have been stalking (most of the IIs have really nice tops and brazilian fretboards)

I have been looking there as well. Nothing has grabbed me yet, most are still priced a little high, IMO.

 

[CatStrangler]

I have been looking there as well. Nothing has grabbed me yet, most are still priced a little high, IMO.

That I agree with, but I also haven't shot any offers either. I guess those that are accepting offers might be inclined to take 10-20% less and who knows maybe more?

The one at Brian's is a fairly nice example and definitely priced to sell.

 

[bob-i]

IMHO they're nice guitars, the neck is comfortable, I don't feel cramped at all because of the way the guitar hangs on the strap, they have a wide variety of tones using just basic controls, light and stable. But...they are way too much money for me. It's a slab of wood with strings, a nicely finished piece of wood, but used from $3K to $5K is just silly money. I make my $300 Epi sound just as crummy.

 

[shallbe]

I don't feel cramped on a CU24 at all. I was just wondering how the Santana felt in comparison. I have always like the look of that model, especially with the lighter colors to show the wood. I can't play one first, because there are none anywhere near me.

 

[CatStrangler]

I don't feel cramped on a CU24 at all. I was just wondering how the Santana felt in comparison. I have always like the look of that model, especially with the lighter colors to show the wood. I can't play one first, because there are none anywhere near me.

The shorter scale length is more noticeable on the upper frets, but because its a dc body style, it is still more comfortable (to me) than any singlecutaway type of guitar like a les paul which essentially has the same sale (24.625").

My personal feeling is that the shorter scale length (than the Cu24) gives a more open tone with more sustain and in my humble experience the santana is much less dead spot prone than the custom 24.

 

[ProfRhino]

in my humble experience the santana is much less dead spot prone than the custom 24.

interesting.
dead spots on the Cu24 ?
The only PRS I frequently found them on were early Miras, 24 frets too.
My only 24 fret guitar is a 1997 CE24, which is clean.
ymmv,
Rhino

 

[Hari Seldon]

I like mine (2011) very much. I'm a strat guy, but the Santana is very comfortable for me when standing. Sitting it's a mess, but that's a gibson heritage.
I put a humbucker sized P90 at the neck which gives the guitar a lot more life compared to the muddy original pu.

 

[CatStrangler]

interesting.
dead spots on the Cu24 ?
The only PRS I frequently found them on were early Miras, 24 frets too.
My only 24 fret guitar is a 1997 CE24, which is clean.
ymmv,
Rhino

I have owned several 24's over the years that had a bad dead spot somewhere between the 11th to 15th fret on the G-string, maybe bad luck for me. Your CE has a maple neck in contrast to the mahogany neck on customs, the actual guitar under discussion here. And the the original Miras also have the small neck heel that I believe exacerbates the dead spot phenomenon in custom 24s. As far as I can tell, the vast majority of Miras (with the exception of the 25th anniversary, others?) have had 25" scales. If your experiences differ, cool.

 

[ProfRhino]

I have owned several 24's over the years that had a bad dead spot somewhere between the 11th to 15th fret on the G-string, maybe bad luck for me. Your CE has a maple neck in contrast to the mahogany neck on customs, the actual guitar under discussion here. And the the original Miras also have the small neck heel that I believe exacerbates the dead spot phenomenon in custom 24s. If your experiences differ, cool.

yup, no disagreement at all.
exact same symptom on those Miras.
I was just surprised, this topic gets rarely discussed and I'd like to learn more about what causes this, which (PRS) models might be affected and which are clean.
Maybe we should start a seperate thread for that,
Rhino