NSD: 2009 PS SANTANA

Agreed, that would be ideal. I've got the football in PTC's court regarding this discussion. The Dragon II's don't really do it for me so far.
Yeah man, take some time in searching and exploring potential choices. That guitar deserves perfection and I'd bet that through your efforts the ideal set will eventually present themselves. All Zen-like and such ... ;)
 
Maybe you guys can chime in here.

Two things:

1) What's the doctrine on altering a PS from it's certificate spec? I'm fine with the idea myself, I don't think it would be necessarily sacrilegious. But once changed, it wouldn't align with the certificate.

2) This is officially designated as a PS Santana II from 2009. So if I'm after slightly higher output pickups, and gold 59/09 are not on the menu, I could go for Zebra Santanas or Zebra 59/09 and be inside the clubhouse, and perhaps closer to Santana spec? How do Santana and 59/09 differ with the BRZ neck in mind?

If it were me, I wouldn’t worry about necessarily replacing the pups with PRS or using PTC. However, I would definitely keep the originals in the case pocket.
Personally, I think it’s silly that PTC won’t put gold covered 59/09s in a PS with original gold covered pups.
 
Pretty sure Santana pups and DII’s share similar DNA so… maybe skip Santana’s.

Also, hotter than DII’s?!? Sh!t…whatcha gonna get, some EMG’s or Duncan Invaders?
The Dragon IIs have plenty of gain, they just sound thin and dark to me. I’m going to test them through a few more amps to be sure. The BRZ is definitely part of the recipe, so I’m not sure where to go from here. I was considering BKP VHIIs.
 
If it were me, I wouldn’t worry about necessarily replacing the pups with PRS or using PTC. However, I would definitely keep the originals in the case pocket.
Personally, I think it’s silly that PTC won’t put gold covered 59/09s in a PS with original gold covered pups.
Plus, I know I’m not the heaviest hitter on the forum, but this being my fifth PS, you’d think a gold cover could find its way into the workbench for a brother! I didn’t care for that response either, but I don’t wait around. Whatever.
 
My PS was ordered in 2018 with brushed nickel covered 59/09 with gold pole pieces. Would PTC do brushed nickel? Zebra or uncovered 59/09s wouldn’t be bad, but covered clearly works better with the aesthetic, especially wood pickup rings.

164-FE635-60-BD-41-FA-8134-C6-A0-BE6-EF3-C1.jpg
 
My PS was ordered in 2018 with brushed nickel covered 59/09 with gold pole pieces. Would PTC do brushed nickel? Zebra or uncovered 59/09s wouldn’t be bad, but covered clearly works better with the aesthetic, especially wood pickup rings.

164-FE635-60-BD-41-FA-8134-C6-A0-BE6-EF3-C1.jpg
I thought if I went the zebra route, I’d actually change the rings to flamed maple. It would match the neck and header binding and look badass in its own right.
 
My PS was ordered in 2018 with brushed nickel covered 59/09 with gold pole pieces. Would PTC do brushed nickel? Zebra or uncovered 59/09s wouldn’t be bad, but covered clearly works better with the aesthetic, especially wood pickup rings.

164-FE635-60-BD-41-FA-8134-C6-A0-BE6-EF3-C1.jpg
So far that’s a negative. Only covered neck 59/09. They did offer to do gold slugs and screws on an uncovered set. If it’s custom anyway, especially trying to align with the original spec, I don’t see why both pickups can’t be covered.
 
The only Santana-style I've ever played was a Golden Eagle, and it was divine. I've had a Santana goal since then in the back of my head, but I got heavily diverted by the 594 phenomenon over the last few years. What a bodacious platform. Anyway, as one does, I was innocently perusing Reverb porn when I saw a flash sale on an irresistible PS Santana. I waffled a bit because it varies quite a bit from the original recipe, but the BRZ neck and Dragon II pickups set the hook. I also returned a guitar I had recently posted due to just not bonding with it at all, I was surprised. So I "didn't really buy anything", right? :D

It's on the truck.

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Absolutely beautiful !!
 
Just got the "NO CAN DO" on any zebra pickups through the PTC. I thought the PTC could do anything? I'm less than impressed. What a let down.
 
Just got the "NO CAN DO" on any zebra pickups through the PTC. I thought the PTC could do anything? I'm less than impressed. What a let down.
They may have cut back on their offerings due to how backed up production is? Anyway, I dropped a set of \m/ pick ups in an AP Santana (ebony board, maple neck). Those were fun!
 
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