Diggin' my new SE...

IRG

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Joined
Dec 30, 2012
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Location
Upstate NY
Got it Wednesday, a new SE Santana Singlecut Trem. I considered a lot of options, but in the end singlecut style with trem and these TCI pickups won out. Got it from SW, a demo/blem guitar, although I could hardly find the blem in the finish, you might not notice it either. Saved $85. They also put on new SE locking tuners, that I got for $47, seemed worth it.

Here's what I like so far:

Love the Egyptian Gold finish - much nicer in person than pics, and even though it is all gold, it really looks high end. Would have loved a natural finish on the back sides with binding like my CE24, but this for the price, is really nice.

This guitar is beefier than I thought it might be. It's thick, 2" Les Paul Standard thick (as opposed to a Les Paul Studio thick). All mahogany, which is just fine with me, my other two have mahogany/maple combo.

The TCI pickups - yes, they are as good as advertised. I would have loved the split coil option, but I'm actually not missing it much. The neck tone is still clear, never muddy and is warm and rich. The bridge is biting and cutting, but not nasally at all. ANd the middle position might be my favorite, just very, very balanced overall, especially on cleans.

Sound good with gain too, whether I'm using some simple overdrive from my Timmy or D&M Drive, or heavier tones with my Thorpy Muffroom or the chugs with my Revv G3. The tones are just balanced, and usable in all 3 positions.

Hardware overall is above average for an SE, especially the tuners now that I have them installed (for me) was worth a little added $, the switch is fine, the bridge is good, no need right now to upgrade any of it. The nut is not bad, a little pinch on the G string, but a quick flick of the tremolo arm usually puts it right back in tune.

Overall, the fit and finish make me feel like I bought another S2 instead of an SE. All three of my PRSi now have a nice, cohesive look and feel to them. Very happy with this purchase! Some pics...

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Bangin’!

Man... I don’t know how much longer I can hold out buying one of these to see for myself.

How’s the neck profile? I realize they’re supposed to be W/F but, are the shoulders more similar to your CE or S2?

I really like the neck, it feels fuller like my S2 Pattern Regular. The CE definitely has a bit less heft to it, as it should I suppose. I'm actually preferring the fuller feel now of the wide/fat or Pattern Regular than thinner varieties. Dave's Guitar has 3 of these for sale right now. Really good prices too.
 
Bangin’!

Man... I don’t know how much longer I can hold out buying one of these to see for myself.

How’s the neck profile? I realize they’re supposed to be W/F but, are the shoulders more similar to your CE or S2?

I should say, I really need to play all three back to back to give a good reference. Since I got the Santana on Wednesday, I haven't played the other two! They'll get some extra love this weekend for sure. Now the Tele....
 
I really like the neck, it feels fuller like my S2 Pattern Regular. The CE definitely has a bit less heft to it, as it should I suppose. I'm actually preferring the fuller feel now of the wide/fat or Pattern Regular than thinner varieties. Dave's Guitar has 3 of these for sale right now. Really good prices too.

Yeah.... those Dave’s deals are what are killing me.

And I just sold a guitar... and my parts drawer magically filled back up. :rolleyes:
 
Yeah.... those Dave’s deals are what are killing me.

And I just sold a guitar... and my parts drawer magically filled back up. :rolleyes:

I hear ya. While waiting for my Santana to arrive, I got gas for yet another guitar, thinking maybe I'll sell my Tele. But now that the Santana is hear, I think the gas is gone. The PRSi that I have now just fit me really well, love the necks on them. My Tele has a Road Worn neck that I used to love, but with a vintage radius and frets, I don't know if I still like it or not. We'll see. No rush to do anything. The Vela is still something I'm thinking about at some point.
 
One thing I didn't mention earlier. The volume/tone controls are lower on this guitar than my S2 CU24 or the CE24. The volume sits below the trem, which is a little different, a bit longer reach. But it's also almost impossible to accidentally turn down, so that part is a plus.

I think I prefer the single vol/tone controls over having a pair like I was used to on my Gibson LP/SG/335. Just simpler and actually makes more sense for my style of playing. And while maybe lower end parts, the tone control and volume work very well.
 
One thing I didn't mention earlier. The volume/tone controls are lower on this guitar than my S2 CU24 or the CE24. The volume sits below the trem, which is a little different, a bit longer reach. But it's also almost impossible to accidentally turn down, so that part is a plus.

I think I prefer the single vol/tone controls over having a pair like I was used to on my Gibson LP/SG/335. Just simpler and actually makes more sense for my style of playing. And while maybe lower end parts, the tone control and volume work very well.

And it has a fat @ss neck

;)
 
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