I'm not a guitar player and I couldn't afford a Holiday Inn last night so I'm asking Guitar players here ...

How do I get that Santana type tone? - I'm not even close to that planet as far as a player goes so I'm really just wondering what I need in the chain to get a close approximation or starting point


thanks......

Do you have a guitar and an amp?? what do you have. to get the tone, youll need his gear and his fingers. You might be able to get close without his fingers..
Cj

Is it true that the early tone was a hot rodded Fender Princeton?

I usually get a Santana inspired tone with a Boss CS-1, a Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a Fender Deluxe Reverb on the Reverb channel. I think some of his early tone was single coil but of course the newer tone seems more often to be humbucker. Try either/both.

Have fun!

best,
mike

This is some stuff i found by googleing

Play the strings that Carlos plays! Developed in collaboration with Carlos' guitar technician René Martinez and designed for maximum feel, balance and endurance, the Santana Big Cores are renowned for their extraordinary sustain, warmth and richness. Created in celebration of the music of Carlos Santana, this signature string set delivers an exceptional tone that's full, round and vibrant. The wound strings are structured with a bigger core and pure nickel wrap of the highest quality — the plain strings are also slightly bigger, to best retain size and durability. Santana Big Cores are alive with the spirit of Santana. For electric guitars. Extra Light Gauging — 9.5, 11.5, 16, 25, 33, 43




Santana Guitar Models from Paul Reed Smith Guitars

Just as Carlos Santana is one of the world's top practitioners of the art of the guitar, the models that bear his name are some of the absolute finest made anywhere. The exquisitely crafted, hand-finished guitars from Paul Reed Smith Guitars (PRS) have made their instruments an industry benchmark for excellence. Models currently available include the special order Santana II, the more readily available Santana III and the entry level student edition Santana SE. Available at prsguitars.com.

I think he used to use PRS guitars and Mesa Boogie amps.
Roll a lot of the high end off and use the front pickup...grimace and play a fast flurry at the end of your solo. Rinse, repeat.

I can get pretty close with a PRS custom 24, Tube Screamer, a bit of delay through a blackface Bassman/Marshal 4x12 cab. Of course gear isn't all of it: it's the hands and soul of the man. He's been playing like that for what, 40 years?

Good luck trying to cop that tone.

DaveT

Wasn't he an SG man before PRS persuaded him to try one of his guitars, he's been using Boogie amps for quite a few years.

here's some examples of the single coils that made the tone back when the tone was being made into a tone :-)











best regards,
mike

Yes, he played SGs through Boogie's back in the Black Magic Woman days. He's been using PRS guitars for some time. When he played here a few years ago he used Dumble amps. Had two of them wired to a bunch of effects. Killer tone and chops to die for. The guy is a Living National Treasure IMHO.

DaveT

ORIGINAL: alree

Wasn't he an SG man before PRS persuaded him to try one of his guitars, he's been using Boogie amps for quite a few years.

Carlos is my hero, because I when I was five my father bought his first record player. And the first record he bought was Abraxas by Santana. And as a little kid the sound of this music made a deep impression on me.


Years ago I read an interview with carlos's guitar roadie. Carlos orders 10 amps, tries them all, and picks the ones with the best sound, and sends 8 back.

He also marks spots on the stage floor during the soundcheck, so he knows where to stand for the best sustain, I heard.

I saw him once live at North Sea Jazz. He was constantly busy with tone and volume knob on his guitar, adjusting almost after every note he played.

Carols says: "I'm very demanding about my sound. My tone is my voice."

I never tried the tube sreamer, but I expect something like that is going to work, because you need a compressed sort of overdrive that gives you the typical overtones and sustain.


It's not all about gear though, it's also the way you play guitar. Rhythm, frases, dynamics. Play like the guitar like a cuban trumpet player.