How would a Custom 24 compare to a Santana ?

HNSFury

HNSFury

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Oct 14, 2013
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Given the scale length in a Santana, how does it compare to the Custom 24 tonewise? The placement of the pickups also seems different on both guitars.

Cheers
 
I have both. A CU24 AP with an ebony board and a regular neck from 2008, and a 2003 Santana II with a Brazilian board.

Ergonomically, the Santana has a fatter neck carve and a thicker body. It just feels more substantial as a guitar. The CU24 feels smaller and is lighter by comparison---at least mine is. The 24 frets on the Santana do not feel cramped or hard to play in the higher registers compared to the CU24 AP.

My two sound pretty different, especially in the bridge and middle positions. My guitars have stock pickups (Santana pickups and the HFS/VB combo). The Santana II has the treble pickup right against the bridge, and even though that is a hot pickup, the location gives it a great chimey and clear sound with the tone up. Consequently, the middle position is wonderful for funky stuff----I mean REALLY great. The bridge pickup on the CU24 AP is farther from the bridge, and has less treble and more mids--not a bad thing, but different. Both neck pickups sound clear and sweet, with the Santana having an almost beefed up single coil tone when wide open.

I recommend a really hard fretboard wood on both guitars if you want great clarity and a little more immediacy to the notes. I play both of these with a band through a roaring Matchless head, and I would not change a thing about either guitar.
 
shallbe said:
I have both. A CU24 AP with an ebony board and a regular neck from 2008, and a 2003 Santana II with a Brazilian board.

Ergonomically, the Santana has a fatter neck carve and a thicker body. It just feels more substantial as a guitar. The CU24 feels smaller and is lighter by comparison---at least mine is. The 24 frets on the Santana do not feel cramped or hard to play in the higher registers compared to the CU24 AP.

My two sound pretty different, especially in the bridge and middle positions. My guitars have stock pickups (Santana pickups and the HFS/VB combo). The Santana II has the treble pickup right against the bridge, and even though that is a hot pickup, the location gives it a great chimey and clear sound with the tone up. Consequently, the middle position is wonderful for funky stuff----I mean REALLY great. The bridge pickup on the CU24 AP is farther from the bridge, and has less treble and more mids--not a bad thing, but different. Both neck pickups sound clear and sweet, with the Santana having an almost beefed up single coil tone when wide open.

I recommend a really hard fretboard wood on both guitars if you want great clarity and a little more immediacy to the notes. I play both of these with a band through a roaring Matchless head, and I would not change a thing about either guitar.
Click to expand...


As an owner of both models also, this is a great response. Spot on!
 
I’d have to plug in to say anything more meaningful than shallbe.
I can say I play my Santana far more than the CU22. The two are pretty close build wise with the following differences:
- Santana top is sapelle rather than maple
- Santana has 59/09 rather than 57/08
I’ll try to play than both tomorrow afternoon and see if I have anything to add.
 
shallbe said:
I have both. A CU24 AP with an ebony board and a regular neck from 2008, and a 2003 Santana II with a Brazilian board.

Ergonomically, the Santana has a fatter neck carve and a thicker body. It just feels more substantial as a guitar. .
Click to expand...
Would you consider the Santana heavy? I'm having trouble finding the weight of a Santana. (Admittedly, I haven't looked very hard) As one who has always, I'm talking decades, been a Santana fan and as a relatively new convert to PRS guitars it is only natural that I lust after a Santana. But due to back issues I need something light.

I looked at and played a lot of PRS guitars when I bought my first, the Paul's in my avatar. One of its primary selling features was how light it is. My next was my HB I that is light as a feather. I think the next PRS may be a Santana. But a lot will depend on the weight.
 
Former Santana ( and KL-33 ) owner come to think of it also a former CU24 owner ( Hmmm )

Santana to me feels more compact ( like most 24.5" scale guitars ) the CU24 feels more stretched out.
Santana is simpler 2- Humbuckers 3 position switch but if you use the vol and tone knobs lots of cool tones.
CU24 - one of the most versatile 2- humbucker guitars on the planet.
Reason I don't have either right now is I'm more at home on a 22 fret guitar, and I had to sell something to get my Special Semi Hollow
 
matonanjin said:
Would you consider the Santana heavy? I'm having trouble finding the weight of a Santana. (Admittedly, I haven't looked very hard) As one who has always, I'm talking decades, been a Santana fan and as a relatively new convert to PRS guitars it is only natural that I lust after a Santana. But due to back issues I need something light.

I looked at and played a lot of PRS guitars when I bought my first, the Paul's in my avatar. One of its primary selling features was how light it is. My next was my HB I that is light as a feather. I think the next PRS may be a Santana. But a lot will depend on the weight.
Click to expand...

There are 4 Santanas at Wilcutt right now. They go from 7 lb 7 oz to 8 lb 5 oz. I'd say that's about right based on the ones that I have. Lots of variation possible though. You mention that your Paul's is light while mine goes 8 lbs 15 oz.
 
bodia, you are always willing to respond, answer and help out on here and I appreciate.it. In case I haven't told you before.

I would be shocked if my Paul's weighs that much. At the store where I was shopping the guy handed me a lot of different PRS guitars and one of the things that stuck me was the fact it was one of the lightest. I have no idea what different other models I tried. I'm just going to need to take it to a package store and get it weighed. And, of course, find a store with some Santana's!!!
 
matonanjin said:
Would you consider the Santana heavy? I'm having trouble finding the weight of a Santana. (Admittedly, I haven't looked very hard) As one who has always, I'm talking decades, been a Santana fan and as a relatively new convert to PRS guitars it is only natural that I lust after a Santana. But due to back issues I need something light.

I looked at and played a lot of PRS guitars when I bought my first, the Paul's in my avatar. One of its primary selling features was how light it is. My next was my HB I that is light as a feather. I think the next PRS may be a Santana. But a lot will depend on the weight.
Click to expand...

I do not consider my Santana heavy---it is probably 8 to 8.5 lbs max. However, I doubt my CU24 AP weighs ANY more than 7 lbs---it is very light. I have a 6.5 lb Asher and the CU24 is just a bit heavier. My Santana II is not neck heavy, and I actually find the Santana less cramped than my CU24, because it is a bigger guitar on my body and the pickups are farther apart. There is something very ergonomic about the Santana design for me---it just hangs very naturally and feels so good.

I've never paid much attention to weight as long as the guitar is balanced, not neck heavy, and I have the appropriate strap. Every good guitar deserves its own strap!
 
Ok. I played both through all three channels of my Mesa Mark V. Neck, neck+bridge, and bridge positions through each channel. My pickups are quite different than shallbe, and I think that is the main reason that while I saw noticeable differences, the differences were subtle. I set controls on both guitars to the same spot: 8 volume, 7 tone.

Here is what I noticed.
Acoustically, the Santana was a bit louder and sounded crisper to me.
The Santana was a lot heavier (I switched between each combination of amp channel and pickup switching). Balance of both is good and both are comfortable to play.
While the difference in upper fret spacing is tiny, the top 3 frets on the CU24 were easier for my fingertips to navigate.
The nature of the tone difference is hard to describe. The Santana was earthier and more blues oriented to my ear, and a bit more articulate. The CU24 was a bit brighter, most noticeable with the bridge pickup in play. The CU24 seemed a bit more responsive to texture changes - changing picking location and attack angle.
I am inclined to say the Santana would be favoured by someone biased to Les Pauls and the CU24 by someone with a Strat background.

While I’m here, photos.
CK_151BabyDragonDetail.JPG

CK_142KillerQuiltBodyAAA.JPG


veinbuster said:
I’d have to plug in to say anything more meaningful than shallbe.
I can say I play my Santana far more than the CU22. The two are pretty close build wise with the following differences:
- Santana top is sapelle rather than maple
- Santana has 59/09 rather than 57/08
I’ll try to play than both tomorrow afternoon and see if I have anything to add.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you all for your replies. Great comments. I would have suspected that the Santana would have had more lower mids than the CU24 though.



shallbe said:
Both neck pickups sound clear and sweet, with the Santana having an almost beefed up single coil tone when wide open.
Click to expand...

That should be quite pleasing.

Rider1260 said:
I'm more at home on a 22 fret guitar, and I had to sell something to get my Special Semi Hollow
Click to expand...

I read you! .... I'm used to 22 fretters as well, but how does the CU24 compare to a hollowbodyII?

I'm unsure whether to keep the CU 24 or to go for a Hollowbody. If a core Hollowbody 594 pops up, that would be the answer, or maybe a 335.
Cheers
H
 
veinbuster said:
Ok. I played both through all three channels of my Mesa Mark V. Neck, neck+bridge, and bridge positions through each channel. My pickups are quite different than shallbe, and I think that is the main reason that while I saw noticeable differences, the differences were subtle. I set controls on both guitars to the same spot: 8 volume, 7 tone.

Here is what I noticed.
Acoustically, the Santana was a bit louder and sounded crisper to me.
The Santana was a lot heavier (I switched between each combination of amp channel and pickup switching). Balance of both is good and both are comfortable to play.
While the difference in upper fret spacing is tiny, the top 3 frets on the CU24 were easier for my fingertips to navigate.
The nature of the tone difference is hard to describe. The Santana was earthier and more blues oriented to my ear, and a bit more articulate. The CU24 was a bit brighter, most noticeable with the bridge pickup in play. The CU24 seemed a bit more responsive to texture changes - changing picking location and attack angle.
I am inclined to say the Santana would be favoured by someone biased to Les Pauls and the CU24 by someone with a Strat background.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Great response.
 
Boy you folks pick funny guitars to compare :)

HBII is HOLLOW so it is way different from a CU22/24 also very different from a 335 ( IMHO ) mine is acoustically very loud and being hollow has a different snap to the notes
That said it plays like a thicker CU22 and is really light weight, Like a Santana it has a simple control layout but by using the vol and tone many sounds are on tap !
For me the HBII a nice all around humbucker guitar it can Jazz , Rock , Blues equally well and if you tired its so easy to play because of the light weight.

The CU24 is the PRS Flagship it can easily be the only guitar you would ever need with the different models there is something for everyone !!!



I read you! .... I'm used to 22 fretters as well, but how does the CU24 compare to a hollowbodyII?

I'm unsure whether to keep the CU 24 or to go for a Hollowbody. If a core Hollowbody 594 pops up, that would be the answer, or maybe a 335.
Cheers
H[/QUOTE]


Pictures always make a post better

My HBII

IMG_3157 by

My 2 - Former CU24s ( I still know where they live :) )

[url=https://flic.kr/p/YurFrU]IMG_3094 by


[url=https://flic.kr/p/21CsLBs]IMG_1710 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152274366@N08/[/url][/url]
 
matonanjin said:
bodia, you are always willing to respond, answer and help out on here and I appreciate.it. In case I haven't told you before.

I would be shocked if my Paul's weighs that much. At the store where I was shopping the guy handed me a lot of different PRS guitars and one of the things that stuck me was the fact it was one of the lightest. I have no idea what different other models I tried. I'm just going to need to take it to a package store and get it weighed. And, of course, find a store with some Santana's!!!
Click to expand...

If you can't find a store with one to try, shout the next time you're in Chicago.
 
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