Andrew Paul
The cat's meow
I’ve had my Santana retro a month now. First brand new guitar I’ve had in a while, a 2019. I love this finish, love the neck profile, and love the sound. But sometimes I compare guitars to the way people treat their Harley Davison’s, adding Chrome detailed appointments, or leather saddlebags, etc. to personalize them. Yes sound and playability is the most important but it’s also nice to change a few appointments to make the guitar look even better, make it “yours”.
The 58/15 pickup at the bridge sounded great, so did the Santana neck pickup but I kind of like my own sound also. A while back in one of my custom 24s I put a pair of Lindy Fralin High output humbuckers. These are not metal pickups, they are higher volume (output) modern PAF’s in my opinion they breakup early and clean up nice with volume knob. I’m older now and not gigging with electrics, I play home more with lower volumes that’s why I like these high output pickups I can dial my volume in on 5 or 6 still get a nice dirty creamy sound and leave room to turn it up for sustaining single notes when needed. Thigreat with overdrive and high gain. With these pickups notes are clear and can really sustain into harmonic overtones, if that makes sense to you all. Give them a try.
I bought the Fralin pickups in black, with this finish the Solana smoke burst I didn’t care for the cream rings and shiny pickup covers. So I also change the pickup rings to black. I think it looks great. Also changed the truss rod cover, Put a rosewood hummingbird with flower inlay one on. My non-10 top private stock LOL. Anyway here are some before and after photos. Enjoy
Before
Now!
The 58/15 pickup at the bridge sounded great, so did the Santana neck pickup but I kind of like my own sound also. A while back in one of my custom 24s I put a pair of Lindy Fralin High output humbuckers. These are not metal pickups, they are higher volume (output) modern PAF’s in my opinion they breakup early and clean up nice with volume knob. I’m older now and not gigging with electrics, I play home more with lower volumes that’s why I like these high output pickups I can dial my volume in on 5 or 6 still get a nice dirty creamy sound and leave room to turn it up for sustaining single notes when needed. Thigreat with overdrive and high gain. With these pickups notes are clear and can really sustain into harmonic overtones, if that makes sense to you all. Give them a try.
I bought the Fralin pickups in black, with this finish the Solana smoke burst I didn’t care for the cream rings and shiny pickup covers. So I also change the pickup rings to black. I think it looks great. Also changed the truss rod cover, Put a rosewood hummingbird with flower inlay one on. My non-10 top private stock LOL. Anyway here are some before and after photos. Enjoy
Before
Now!
