New Project SE Guitar Day!

[dwrockdoctor]

I just scored a deal on this 2001 SE Santana 1st Gen. Traded in some little used dusty old multi-fx things at the local pawnbroker and paid $185 cash AUD and brought home this bad boy:

It is in pretty good nick, a few little dings here and there but nothing too bad besides a chunk out of the tip of the headstock on the back. Strung up and there is a nice acoustic resonance unplugged. Plugged in I was actually surprised by the pickups, nice and detailed with a vintage like output.

The bad side is there is the slightest twist in the neck, not that bad by any means and there are a few high spots in the frets that will need attention where the notes buzz and fret out pretty bad. The high e string frets out on bends in a few spots also.

Still undecided on what I'm going to do to this one, definitely thinking of stripping off the finish and adding either a strat like forearm contour or going further and chamfering the body like an S2 style. Not sure if I'd do an opaque finish or keep the grain visible, depends on how noticeable the joins are in the three piece body lurking underneath the translucent green. Maybe route out and add a middle single coil too. Possible funky scratchplate could be added too (maybe EG style or something, even towards an S2 studio thing).

I think there is a nice core guitar hiding under what is there already, nice acoustic tone and solid construction. The tuners are smooth and the trem seems like it functions very similar to the core model, just without all the extra brass (maybe upgrade at some point?). I quite like the pickups that are already in there. All up a solid modding platform!

Would love others opinions and ideas on where I could take this one.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

What ever you decide have fun!

Oh and we want updates please

 

[bodia]

Yeah, we want pics of this journey.

 

[Boogie]

Salvage projects rock! Dr. Franken deBlanc to the white courtesy phone...

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I’d Versace “Versus” that thing, the inlays are begging for it.

 

[dwrockdoctor]

I’d Versace “Versus” that thing, the inlays are begging for it.

Not gonna lie Sergio, I had to google Versace Versus to know what that was exactly, now it all makes sense! Hahahaha.

I will keep things updated. Currently have a pile of things on the guitar build/mod to do list so it might take some time. I'm going to tackle the high frets first so the instrument is in prime playing condition. Really enjoying plunking around on this thing the last few days, imminently playable.

Quick question for the modders, do you think a heatgun to remove the finish is a bad idea? I was only going to do the body this way and avoid glue lines such as the neck join and 3 piece body join lines. Heatgun wouldn't go near the neck at all. I've done a strat body this way before without incident. I loathe sanding! (I know, I know, probably the most important part of any serious guitar mod, I just find it so tedious).

 

[dwrockdoctor]

First update. Nothing too exciting, was able to level and crown the high spots on the frets that were causing buzz problems and also quickly fabricated a little pickguard out of scrap too, greatly inspired by the 2nd Gen SE Santana. Really stoked with what it adds visually:

I'm really starting to bond with this thing to the point that I could be super boring and leave it where it is already and maybe just upgrade a few things down the road a little, tuner upgrade, trem upgrade, that sorta thing. Pretty happy with it after only parting with less than $200 cash.

Never fear, I'm sure I'll get a bug up my butt soon and strip it back and do something drastic!

 

[AP515]

Nice platform for mods. I'd leave the color (I like green). I'd work on the neck and make sure it's straight and then I'd play with the pickups. I'd go P90 with some Mississippi queens. Locking tuners, maybe block the trem.

 

[toothace]

I'm sure I'll get a bug up my butt soon and strip it back and do something drastic!

Here's what I did with my early model SE Santana...should you need some clarification of "drastic"

 

[Shawn@PRS]

Here's what I did with my early model SE Santana...should you need some clarification of "drastic"

IIRC, didn't your daughter paint this for you? It's cool, I dig it!

 

[toothace]

IIRC, didn't your daughter paint this for you? It's cool, I dig it!

Yes she did! Thank you for remembering!!

 

[Guitpicky]

I’d use a heat gun over strippers or brute force sanding, just follow the heat gun cardinal rule and keep it moving.

Good luck... I’m curious to see where you go with it

 

[jxe]

sweet top!

Here's what I did with my early model SE Santana...should you need some clarification of "drastic"

 

[dwrockdoctor]

Nice, I really like the sentiment of your daughter painting this one. If i do anything finish wise I'll probably just scuff up the existing finish a touch and do something over the top. I'm quite liking it as it stands at the moment. I have a feeling the three pieces of the body will look obvious once the dark translucent finish comes off.

Currently patching up the missing tip on the back of the headstock with a little scrap of mahogany super glued on, sanded back then applied some dark green kids texta, then super glue to fill out any small inconsistencies, then a coat or two of tru-oil to bring it up to a bit of a shine. So far, so good. Not perfect but you wouldn't tell unless you were looking for it.

I wouldn't mind covering up the santana logo with a black faceplate with the original PRS signature logo, purely for my own aesthetic reasons, no way I'm ever fooling anyone that this is more than an SE.

Very impressed with this guitar either way for what I spent. I actually like the flatter top, plain hog SE's more than one's with the chamfers and flame tops, feels more in line at least IMO, of the original intent of the guitars, not trying to steal the thunder of the Core models and keeping to its own aesthetic in a kinda Gibson LP junior way. No diss on the newer SE lines at all, just my own preferences for a budget student edition guitar from PRS.

 

[dwrockdoctor]

Well it didn't take long to get a bug up my butt:

Next step is to strip it back and then see where to go from there. Either add bevels around the edge kinda like an S2 (maybe even scoop out the bevels a little like a Mira) or just add a strat like like forearm carve. Finish will depend on how obvious the wood joins are.

 

[dwrockdoctor]

Also, the guitar is a pretty light and resonant piece of wood with everything taken off, has a nice ring to the wood when I knock it up and down the length of the guitar. Was thinking that the acoustic tone should improve nicely once the thick poly has been stripped off and replaced with either a tru-oil or danish oil finish.

 

[toothace]

Well it didn't take long to get a bug up my butt:

Next step is to strip it back and then see where to go from there. Either add bevels around the edge kinda like an S2 (maybe even scoop out the bevels a little like a Mira) or just add a strat like like forearm carve. Finish will depend on how obvious the wood joins are.

 

[alantig]

Well it didn't take long to get a bug up my butt:

So apparently the bug bought you dinner...

 

[dwrockdoctor]

So apparently the bug bought you dinner...

Indeed it did my friend, touché!