View other reviews for this product:
heads on fire « Decent budget axe. »
Published on 11/02/11 at 11:30This review is for the very first series of Santana SE guitars, the ones that didn't even have PRS branded on them yet.
Made in Korea
Mahogany body - flat, not arched like a USA PRS
Mahogany set in neck
22 nickel frets
Diagonal line inlays
2 PRS SE Humbucker pickups
PRS SE Stoptail bridge, one piece
Volume, Tone, 2 way switch
UTILIZATION
The guitar is certainly easy to play, but it's not a shred beast. The neck feels like it is more suited for bluesy riffing and soulful solos. I guess that's fitting with the Santana name! The inlays are a nice touch - they are definitely unique. One thing I'm not a fan of is the bridge - it seems to intonate fine with 9s or 10s, but any hybrid sets, or using 8s or 11s tends to make the intonation suffer. There are no individual saddle adjustments, so the bridge only has a treble and bass side set screw to adjust the intonation. The metal used in the bridge also seems to be a cheaper pot metal, not cast, so it is the weak point of the guitar in my opinion. Another annoyance is the blocky neck heel - no hindrance, but it just doesn't feel like it belongs to a guitar with a PRS name.
SOUNDS
The guitar sounds surprisingly good for the price. The treble humbucker (PRS doesn't use the terms "bridge" or "neck" pickup) has a lot of definition, even on heavy gain settings and complex chords, and the neck pickup does the "violin tone" very well. Thick, ample warmth, and singing sustain are the name of the game here. One way I'd recommend to enhance the overall sound would be to get a PRS USA stoptail, like from the McCarty series, and put it on here instead of the supplied stock bridge. Another modification I'd recommend would be to change the pots, switch, and cap to something higher quality, like RS Guitarworks.
OVERALL OPINION
This review looks like a winning Vegas slot machine - straight 7s across the board. It's better than average, and is certainly no slouch for the price. The guitar is a good candidate for projects - buy it and then mod a few parts, and then you'll have a surefire budget winner on your hands.
Made in Korea
Mahogany body - flat, not arched like a USA PRS
Mahogany set in neck
22 nickel frets
Diagonal line inlays
2 PRS SE Humbucker pickups
PRS SE Stoptail bridge, one piece
Volume, Tone, 2 way switch
UTILIZATION
The guitar is certainly easy to play, but it's not a shred beast. The neck feels like it is more suited for bluesy riffing and soulful solos. I guess that's fitting with the Santana name! The inlays are a nice touch - they are definitely unique. One thing I'm not a fan of is the bridge - it seems to intonate fine with 9s or 10s, but any hybrid sets, or using 8s or 11s tends to make the intonation suffer. There are no individual saddle adjustments, so the bridge only has a treble and bass side set screw to adjust the intonation. The metal used in the bridge also seems to be a cheaper pot metal, not cast, so it is the weak point of the guitar in my opinion. Another annoyance is the blocky neck heel - no hindrance, but it just doesn't feel like it belongs to a guitar with a PRS name.
SOUNDS
The guitar sounds surprisingly good for the price. The treble humbucker (PRS doesn't use the terms "bridge" or "neck" pickup) has a lot of definition, even on heavy gain settings and complex chords, and the neck pickup does the "violin tone" very well. Thick, ample warmth, and singing sustain are the name of the game here. One way I'd recommend to enhance the overall sound would be to get a PRS USA stoptail, like from the McCarty series, and put it on here instead of the supplied stock bridge. Another modification I'd recommend would be to change the pots, switch, and cap to something higher quality, like RS Guitarworks.
OVERALL OPINION
This review looks like a winning Vegas slot machine - straight 7s across the board. It's better than average, and is certainly no slouch for the price. The guitar is a good candidate for projects - buy it and then mod a few parts, and then you'll have a surefire budget winner on your hands.