First post: Doubts about PS Santana Bahama Mama

[naciketas]

Hello everybody on this valuable forum from Firenze, happy to share the passion for music and instruments with all of you.

I'm looking for a PS Santana and before placing a custom order which will postpone this project maybe for some years, I need your advice about a used one that I've seen online here in Italy, which could fit and shorten the waiting time.

This one is a Bahama Mama, gorgeous guitar for sure, "but" it has the sandwich body maple-obeche-maple.

Nothing against it in principle (really love the quilted back), but this is my only bullet and obviously I just can't miss the target, so my doubt is about this arrangements of woods, but only from a tone perspective:

maybe it would be better to have the classic arrangement one piece body and a maple cap because all this gorgeousness makes it a guitar more for the eyes than for the ears?
What's your experience?

I know that I should test it with my fingers and ears, but it's far from where I live so an advice would help before getting on the car and cross the country to verify.

Thanks

 

[Dancing Frog]

It will probably have more top end than a stock Santana with less harmonic bloom, because of the maple back. But, being a Private Stock, it will most probably ring like nothing you've ever seen, because the highest quality tone woods are used in the program. You're unlikely to find a dead one of those.

 

[shinksma]

I looked up the guitar in question - wowzers! That is a beautiful guitar! I suspect the wood combo will indeed make it sound different from a "stock" mahogany body + maple cap, but as Dancing Frog said, it will sound stellar for sure.

 

[naciketas]

Thank you guys,
Dancing Frog that is my "fear": less harmonic bloom as if the back maple cap were a sort of cork, I know that I can sound silly.
It would be nice if someone who has tried both configuration could give his opinions, anyway shinksma I'm getting ready for the pilgrimage!

 

[ViperDoc]

You should play it. Only way to find out. Enjoy the drive!

 

[Tag]

Hello everybody on this valuable forum from Firenze, happy to share the passion for music and instruments with all of you.

I'm looking for a PS Santana and before placing a custom order which will postpone this project maybe for some years, I need your advice about a used one that I've seen online here in Italy, which could fit and shorten the waiting time.

This one is a Bahama Mama, gorgeous guitar for sure, "but" it has the sandwich body maple-obeche-maple.

Nothing against it in principle (really love the quilted back), but this is my only bullet and obviously I just can't miss the target, so my doubt is about this arrangements of woods, but only from a tone perspective:

maybe it would be better to have the classic arrangement one piece body and a maple cap because all this gorgeousness makes it a guitar more for the eyes than for the ears?
What's your experience?

I know that I should test it with my fingers and ears, but it's far from where I live so an advice would help before getting on the car and cross the country to verify.

Thanks

Anyway you can try it first? That much Maple gives most guitars a brighter and harder feel. I also prefer Mahogany to Obeche, but others dont.

 

[veinbuster]

I remember that run of Obeche sandwiches Brent did a few years ago. I played a couple of them and they were great guitars. It was long enough ago that I can't really pin down any differences to a typical mahogany maple body, but at the time I didn't note it being particularly bright or lacking harmonic richness in held notes.

I do own an Obeche backed guitar and am very happy with it. I don't own an Obeche sandwich, but when my wife is ready to do her build, that's what it will be.

 

[Egads]

I do own an Obeche backed guitar and am very happy with it. I don't own an Obeche sandwich, but when my wife is ready to do her build, that's what it will be.

Is that a joke about a woman making a sandwich?:vroam:

 

[vchizzle]

Let us know what you find if you go play it! If it's within a drive, it's worth your time! Hopefully you can go in open minded and just hear and feel whether it does something for you.

 

[vchizzle]

I looked up the guitar in question - wowzers! That is a beautiful guitar! I suspect the wood combo will indeed make it sound different from a "stock" mahogany body + maple cap, but as Dancing Frog said, it will sound stellar for sure.

OHHHHHHHH! I hope naciketas likes it and buys it. What a quilt!