Finally Found a Victim

[CantankerousCarl]

So walked into my local GC today cuz I was bored.

I discovered a 2013 SE Santana in EC- condition hanging there. It had apparently been traded/brought in as an older model SE Santana. I walked out of the store with her for WELL under 300 bucks!!!

She will be getting something from my pickup collection very shortly...maybe 59/09s as I kinda want to put the 85/15s in my red 1992 CE24. Anyway, proof she's not a Teisco:

Along with the pups, I will throw on some Grover 406Cs, a new USA nut, maybe a MannMade 2000NOS trem (budget permitting), core pots/wiring/switch, lampshades, and get her rockin with .10s.

This will be the best "beater" I have owned.

 

[CoreyT]

Nice score, and cool mods you have planned.
Looking forward to new pics.

 

[andy474x]

That's what a Santana should look like!

 

[g.wizz]

Wow, now that is a killer score

 

[László]

Very sweet looker!

 

[Alan Manning]

Nice find. Killer price!!

 

[toothace]

Great score with that one...and just what's wrong with a Teisco??

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Thanks guys...my re-forray into PRSville was with this exact model, late 2011 I believe when they first introduced this version. I got more in store credit trading that one in than I paid for this one! This one has a nicer top than my original one, and some really nice grain on the fretboard. Other than some pick scratching and a few very minor ding-ettes on the headstock, she's super clean. Neck is perfect.

I forgot how comfy these SE Santanas are. Under 7 pounds, shorter scale, nice wide-fatty in the palm. Feels great. They also had a used CU22 Semi (one of the newer ones) for almost twice the price. Not sure what kind of life she had in her short time here on earth so far, but the fret edges were really rough-very un-PRS-like. They had a new one of the same model, frets were fine on that one. But I played both of them, and although I like a bright guitar, I couldn't turn this one down. I also confirmed that the wide-thin profile on the new CU22 SH feel Ibby wizard-thin to these fingers.

The stock pups aren't half bad, I do like the neck one best. But new ones are going in. I am leaning toward the 59/09s, mostly because I feel kinda weird about putting in pickups that cost twice as much as the guitar itself (85/15s or 58/15s). I also have a set of Dragon 1s, but I want to put those in an all-hog guitar.

Any thoughts? How dy'all think the 59/09s would do in her?

 

[bodia]

Awesome! I love good finds like this! I bought the best strat I ever had (next to the Clapton) for $199 about 4 years ago. '89 MIJ. Dropped in a set of Fralin's and some vintage electronics. That b!tch is sweet as sweet now. Of course, it doesn't get much love these days.

At any rate, pimp that hottie!

 

[Furtive]

Killer deal, Carl - ya dun gud! I love the look of the newer SE Santanas. Finishes are awesome.

 

[greiswig]

Torn between happy for you and jealous of you. Great score!

 

[The Fight]

Hey Carl you have a awesome pickup collection. I too will be getting the long awaited 59/09 pickups this week. I'm very excited about this and though ive never played them I can only imagine how my guitar will benefit from this. It's pretty cool what your doing with this guitar, very top notch up grades.

Also to point out that I like the Dragon 1 idea, as I've been on a crusade in search for a set to up grade my ce24.

 

[Jvstrat]

Man what a steal!

 

[G-Man]

GC didn't even get a kiss goodnight on that one! That is a very nice guitar with a great top.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

She's a done'a:

2013 Santana SE
59/09 pickups (ca. 2011)
Chrome-plated nickel covers (Phila. Luthiers)
PRS USA volume pot
PRS USA push-pull tone pot
PRS USA toggle switch
Amber lampshade knobs
MannMade 2000NOS tremolo bridge
PRS USA strap buttons
PRS USA nut
Grover 406C mini rotomatic locking tuners
Super-duper dragon-thingy truss rod cover (which came on a used guitar at some point)
D'Addario NYXL .10-.46

My tech did the pickup swap / wiring, but I did the rest myself. It was my first nut job other than some very slight sloppiness with the CRAGL I did OK. PRS pre-cut nuts ROCK, so easy.

I did this in (albeit quick) stages. I first changed the nut and bridge, keeping the strings that were on there. BIG CHANGE no surprise. At least 1-2 seconds more sustain, and I heard harmonics and things that were not present before. I could have stopped there and had a superb-sounding axe. Glad I didn't.

The 59/09s work really well in this guitar. I wanted to cover them both for aesthetic and tonal reasons. The splits sound awesome on this, and having 6 sounds instead of 3 is, like, twice as good. Having the feel and response of the USA pots is also a substantial improvement.

I think the truss rod cover, in all it's glory, really does the trick Anyway, she's core-like, and I am very pleased with how she turned out.

 

[The Fight]

She's a done'a:

2013 Santana SE
59/09 pickups (ca. 2011)
Chrome-plated nickel covers (Phila. Luthiers)
PRS USA volume pot
PRS USA push-pull tone pot
PRS USA toggle switch
Amber lampshade knobs
MannMade 2000NOS tremolo bridge
PRS USA strap buttons
PRS USA nut
Grover 406C mini rotomatic locking tuners
Super-duper dragon-thingy truss rod cover (which came on a used guitar at some point)
D'Addario NYXL .10-.46

My tech did the pickup swap / wiring, but I did the rest myself. It was my first nut job other than some very slight sloppiness with the CRAGL I did OK. PRS pre-cut nuts ROCK, so easy.

I did this in (albeit quick) stages. I first changed the nut and bridge, keeping the strings that were on there. BIG CHANGE no surprise. At least 1-2 seconds more sustain, and I heard harmonics and things that were not present before. I could have stopped there and had a superb-sounding axe. Glad I didn't.

The 59/09s work really well in this guitar. I wanted to cover them both for aesthetic and tonal reasons. The splits sound awesome on this, and having 6 sounds instead of 3 is, like, twice as good. Having the feel and response of the USA pots is also a substantial improvement.

I think the truss rod cover, in all it's glory, really does the trick Anyway, she's core-like, and I am very pleased with how she turned out.

Very nice! Your a mad man Carl!

 

[bodia]

Yea baby! OWNER!

 

[vchizzle]

Nice!

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Thanks guys. This was a fun project. I was noodling around with her with one of my good jamming buddies last night, and a little more by myself this afternoon. I am extremely pleased with how she turned out. She feels and sounds very "core" to me now.

Because I got a really good deal on the guitar (and many of the components) I am into this for a little less than one would pay for a used S2. And I definitely prefer the sound of this axe with the 59/09s (with added splits) to the S2 Customs and S2 Standards I've demo'd.

That being said, if you're not inclined to tinker, and you're looking for something a little bit more "off the shelf" then a used S2 would be a great alternative to tarting up an SE to this degree. Of course, if you upgrade the pickups and trem you are looking at more scratch.