PRS SE Santana

117
december 2016 Guitarist
review PRS SE SANTANA, SE CUSTOM 24 AND SE TREMONTI
4. Tuners on all the
SEs are good units,
although the majority
of the USA Core models
use open-backed
locking types
5. The volume and tone
controls here have
wider spacing along
with a three-way
lever pickup selector.
However, unlike the
other guitars, we get
some partial coil-split
sounds via the pull/
push switch on the
tone control here
6. Again, we have a pickup
upgrade: this year’s
SE Custom 24 uses
Korean-made replicas
of the open-coil 85/15s
used on the USA Core
Custom 24
with vibrato isn’t an everyday piece and
while, for some, it’s like putting jam on
your porridge instead of salt, it’s a crackin’
combination that adds subtle shimmer to
the pushy pickup mixes, especially with
delays and reverbs to the fore, or can be
used for more gymnastic techniques. Unlike
the other two, we also have a back route,
so the vibrato upbend range is increased
with just a shade under a full tone upbend
on the top E and pretty much down to
slack, certainly on the lower strings. The
upbend on the Custom is closer to a semi-
tone on the top E and around a tone on
the G, whereas the Tremonti can take that
string up nearly a major 3rd. We have to say,
though, with minimal string stretching, this
is a very in-tune system.
Verdict
As ever, the SE models give the player
some of the PRS experience in the general
feel and look of the instruments, a hugely
careful build and sounds that go a long
way to emulating those loftily priced Core
models. Yes, they feel more generic, but we
can’t remember playing a bad one over the
past 15 or so years. The new SE Custom is
case in point: it’s a lot of guitar for the player
who needs a wide palette of sounds. Also,
the Korean versions of the 85/15 pickups
nail a more classic humbucking sound
compared with the older, mid-focused PRS
sounds. Bundle in that superb vibrato, the
lively resonance and easy playability, and it
has to be money well spent.
The Santana certainly has its own vibe,
and for fruitier, gained sounds it has a
strong voice, although coil-splits would be
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GIT414.rev_prs.indd 117 27/10/2016 17:42