A Tribute to Pre-factory PRS Santana Guitars
The PRS Santana Retro pays homage to the early "pre-factory" solidbody electric guitars that Paul Reed Smith built for legendary guitarist Carlos Santana in the early '80s. Celebrate history with the Santana Retro's deeper body carve, original-style heel, and original headstock shape and nut placement. Experience thick resonance with power and overtones, by virtue of this guitar's stunning maple 10-Top and mahogany tonewoods. A duo of humbuckers deliver sweetened vintage tone with loads of detail, incredible warmth, and endless sustain. The Santana is one of the most revered models in the Paul Reed Smith line. Pick up the PRS Santana Retro solidbody electric guitar and discover why.
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Mahogany topped with exquisite maple 10-Top
PRS began by choosing the tried-and-true combination of high-quality mahogany topped with stunning figured maple. This combination gives this PRS Santana Retro a rich, yet balanced sound. The mahogany back delivers the natural tonal warmth and focused midrange that guitarists clamor for and the brighter tone of the maple 10-Top adds clarity and sustain with a strong fundamental. Together these tonewoods give you an incredibly balanced sound. Never one to sit pat, PRS has retooled their finish process. Taking its cues from the Private Stock finish that entails high-gloss nitro over a cellulose CAB basecoat, this method gives the guitar a finish that's thin, durable, and clear. The result is an instrument that feels like a vintage guitar in your hands, with an incredible amount of resonance.
Dual humbuckers deliver amazing detail, warmth, and sustain
The PRS Santana Retro is loaded with a great-sounding set of humbuckers. In the bridge is a 58/15 pickup which produces sweetened vintage tone with every note you play. In fact, PRS built the 58/15 with the same coil wire manufacturing machine that '50s-era guitar makers used to create some of the most iconic pickups in history. In the neck is a Santana pickup. This pickup was designed in collaboration with Carlos himself, and it exhibits the warm, singing sound that is his instantly identifiable trademark. When the guitarists here at Sweetwater played through this pickup, we were blown away by its detailed highs, warm bottom, and seemingly unending sustain. PRS retooled these pickups to bring the sweet harmonics and chunky warmth of this classic design to your Santana Retro 10-Top. Each set of pickups has been ear-tuned to perfection by Paul and his team, a process known as Tuned Capacitance and Inductance (TCI). The end result is a very musical pickup that’s true to its lineage, but updated for the modern player.
PRS Gen III tremolo provides a customizable feel and reliable intonation
The new Gen III tremolo functions the same as PRS's older, patented tremolo system, but with a few notable updates. Countersunk mounting holes create a perfectly aligned bridge, ensuring reliable intonation along the entire length of the neck, while larger mounting screws add mass for enhanced sustain. The bridge's sidewalls have been redesigned to prevent sideways movement of the saddles, greatly improving tuning stability. And compound-radius saddles improve vibrational transfer by optimizing the angle the string breaks across the saddle. An unthreaded tremolo arm employs a small set screw that allows for a customizable feel. And radiused grooves on the bridge plate match the radius of the height-adjustment screws, creating more contact and a better fit.
PRS Santana Retro Solidbody Electric Guitar Features:
- A tribute to the early "pre-factory" guitars that Paul Reed Smith built for Carlos Santana in the early '80s
- Duplicates the classic deeper body carve, original-style heel, and original headstock shape and nut placement
- Stunning maple 10-Top and mahogany tonewoods exhibit thick resonance with power and overtones, finished with a nitro over a cellulose CAB basecoat
- TCI-tuned 58/15 treble pickup produces sweetened vintage tone with every note you play
- TCI-tuned Santana bass pickup emits very detailed highs, a fat and warm bottom, and seemingly unending sustain
- Comfortable Santana Pre-Factory neck is a joy to play
- PRS Gen III tremolo provides a customizable feel and reliable intonation
- Eye-catching hybrid hardware
