Santana MD - own or played or review? is it Multi-Dimensional?

[Ironwolf]

I've searched the forum, not much of a well described review available for the Santana multidimensional.
some discussion but not very deep. 10 years ago I thought it seemed like I was going to buy one just never got a chance,. I've certainly done the basic Google searches, the ultimate Santana site has some info still not very thorough.
what are the basic pros and cons.
I might be able to get a good deal on one. I have no problem with fat necks.

I can see that it relies on 2- 9 V batteries, so that's probably a performance issue as the voltage drops.
is the circuitry reliable when there is power?
I've watched the YouTube videos of Greg's guitar, it sounds pretty damn nice with that genre of jazz. as well as medium to heavy crunch. and it seems like a bright guitar I have a preference for slightly bright guitar.

so any owners of the Santana M.D. why have you put it in the closet why don't you play it more?
do you want to sell it?
Are the pickups and the tone not that pleasant, or hard to work with?

1. what are the actual pickups named. approximate resistance
2. which coils are active during the splitting process. what is the electronic wizardry.
3. some of the reviews mention an out of phase setting. is there a Peter Green out of phase setting? which I like.
4. are there directions for the electronics somewhere.
Cheers

 

[Herr Squid]

I'm fascinated to see whether you get any answers to this question.

I think you have found the the single scarcest production PRS guitar of the last 20 years. My completely unscientific methods would lead me to believe that PRS sold about 8 McCarty IIs and about 2 Santana MDs. The cries of "OMG it has teh batteriez!!!!" rattled around the web for a couple of weeks, and that, as they say, was that.

 

[Ironwolf]

I'm fascinated to see whether you get any answers to this question.

I think you have found the the single scarcest production PRS guitar of the last 20 years. My completely unscientific methods would lead me to believe that PRS sold about 8 McCarty IIs and about 2 Santana MDs. The cries of "OMG it has teh batteriez!!!!" rattled around the web for a couple of weeks, and that, as they say, was that.

On my searching deep Google, I found eight have traded hands in the last 24 months on reverb. so there's a few of them out there.
but they're very reasonably priced. so I was thinking this is an opportunity but if everybody hates it for some reason that I can't quite see I might pass.
It just seems like Paul and Carlos are near geniuses so if they release a product I have a certain implicit trust that it has some impeccable qualities and traits.
but there is zero for sale right now.

 

[shinksma]

When I was looking at Santanas (and eventually found one and snagged it) the MD model kept coming up as a possibility. The batteries threw me off, and I never did find one for enough of a steal that it was worth taking a chance on.

Like @Herr Squid , I doubt there is anything not awesome about the guitar, it is just a case of wondering "Do the single coil splitting features make it so different/better that I'm willing to deal with the hassle of batteries?"

 

[markie]

They didn't go over very well. Prolly the whole battery thing. I had one for a while. Never bonded with it in the same fashion I did with with S1's or 2's...

 

[Ironwolf]

They didn't go over very well. Prolly the whole battery thing. I had one for a while. Never bonded with it in the same fashion I did with with S1's or 2's...

Thanks, guys excellent, Seems to align with this review I found as I continued the deep dive, which probably seems spot on And explains the control functions much better, From Music radar. they mentioned this is the MVC used on the Carlos Santana model but with different pickups. 245 pickups. You need to get a really sweet deal otherwise it's not really worth chasing. finally found a worthy description of how it functions. It seems like it's basically a pedal, on the guitar knob. But theoretically the guitar maintains all of the Same Santana III characteristics, When the batteries are gone or the system is turned off. it's basically a Santana III, With an extra bell and whistle (bass roll-off) which you can leave off.??? So I guess if I would like the Santana III this is nearly identical. Does $2000 seem like a good deal.
Mastering commander
"Originally, Carlos Santana was looking for more tonal options from his guitar, more in the direction of Stevie Ray Vaughan," explains PRS's J Hayes. "So Paul came up with this active circuit that would give Carlos a '60s single-coil sound but without the hum issues that plague such instruments. The second version that is used in the McCarty II is based on the same concept."
Engaging the MVC does produce some noticeable background hiss. Turning it fully anti-clockwise produces that '60s single-coil sound and, as ever, with a little volume control reduction the sound is certainly accurate with reduced mids and a tighter low-end.

To our ears it's most useful with the mixed and neck positions - the former almost Tele-like in its hollowness, the latter with a little gain boost that sits nicely in Texas-y territory. Turn the MVC the other way and you're primarily hearing an enhanced low-end with slightly scooped mids (Smith believes the high-end to be "more Tele-like" but that's harder to perceive).

It certainly works for bigger 'metal' voices, but it's a little like moving from a small combo to a half-stack, or like a double-cut to a single-cut. To put it another way it's more than just metal and produces a really huge rhythm sound with even just '70s-era amp tones. In short, this is a vastly expanded McCarty.

With the quality of construction and finishing a byword at PRS - to be honest it's getting better - it's no surprise that this guitar is pro-spec'd and ready to go.

PRS's McCarty II does what it says on the tin. Aside from its solid passive performance - a real workhorse guitar for classic rock use - the new active circuit brings both a highly accurate single-coil tone (without the noticeable volume drop of the usual passive coil-splits) and a surprisingly useful 'metal' sound that can certainly be used for older rock rhythm styles too.

But as good as it is, we can't help thinking the MVC should be in a pedal, maybe with a gain boost, which could be mains-powered. That way we wouldn't have to shell out a considerable amount of cash for the guitar (as well as two nine-volt blocks every 40 hours). There are many players who simply wouldn't use active guitars but happily step nightly on active stomp boxes!

cheers

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Does $2000 seem like a good deal.

It’s a fairly decent deal. The MD is closer to a Santana II or Santana Signature than a III since there are some nicer appointments like the purfling. The lowest I’ve seen for a II/signature is around $2600, whereas the lowest I’ve seen the III sell for is in the mid to high teens.

If you don’t dig the MD circuit, it’d be a great platform for a sustainer or something goofy like a preamp or piezo or a hex/MIDI thing without feeling bad about digging a hole in the wood.

Edit: Or you could use the toggle to split coils and use the battery compartment to hide your weed in.

 

[Ironwolf]

It’s a fairly decent deal. The MD is closer to a Santana II or Santana Signature than a III since there are some nicer appointments like the purfling. The lowest I’ve seen for a II/signature is around $2600, whereas the lowest I’ve seen the III sell for is in the mid to high teens.

If you don’t dig the MD circuit, it’d be a great platform for a sustainer or something goofy like a preamp or piezo or a hex/MIDI thing without feeling bad about digging a hole in the wood.

I feel like I would actually really dig the MD circuit, I was very interested in 2008 when it came out, I was really surprised that it disappeared so quickly, and I never got a chance to try it.
every guitar I have has some sort of splitting and coil tapping Feature, it's just such an awesome Idea, to go from full power humbucker's to something more articulate, which I guess was Santana's idea As well, multiple dimensions.

I will meditate See if I have to "pull out" of the deal

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I feel like I would actually really dig the MD circuit, I was very interested in 2008 when it came out, I was really surprised that it disappeared so quickly, and I never got a chance to try it.
every guitar I have has some sort of splitting and coil tapping Feature, it's just such an awesome Idea, to go from full power humbucker's to something more articulate, which I guess was Santana's idea As well, multiple dimensions.

I will meditate See if I have to "pull out" of the deal

Right? The idea of a Santana that can do single coils is something I’m into.

 

[László]

A pro player like Carlos is going to experiment and use what works creatively; look at the preamp on that Mayer PS model as further proof that electronics can be pretty awesome, and appeal to those doing some big-time work.

I’d buy a guitar with active electronics, if it met needs and interests. You go around once; might be worth taking a chance on, if there’s a possibility that you’ll love it.

 

[Ovibos]

The MD model was for doctors, but not enough of them buy PRS.

Consequently, the JD model with LLB pickups was never released.

 

[Jimi D]

It’s a fairly decent deal. The MD is closer to a Santana II or Santana Signature than a III since there are some nicer appointments like the purfling. The lowest I’ve seen for a II/signature is around $2600, whereas the lowest I’ve seen the III sell for is in the mid to high teens.

If you don’t dig the MD circuit, it’d be a great platform for a sustainer or something goofy like a preamp or piezo or a hex/MIDI thing without feeling bad about digging a hole in the wood.

Edit: Or you could use the toggle to split coils and use the battery compartment to hide your weed in.

I'm Canadian... I don't have to hide my weed...

OT, that circuit sure is hungry if it's eating two 9 volts every 40 hours or so...

 

[P.Lo]

The MD model was for doctors, but not enough of them buy PRS.

Consequently, the JD model with LLB pickups was never released.

I'm not a Doctor........but I really want one of these bad!!!!!!

 

[Czar of Zonk]

I'm not a Doctor........but I really want one of these bad!!!!!!

I decided to join the PRS forum to post to this thread. Unfortunately, since this is my first post, I can't post a link. That said...

I have a guitar channel on youtube (Czar of Zonk) and I have a full year's worth of guitar performances featuring my Santana MD (just visit my channel and there is a playlist or a full-length compilation video). I take the guitar from MD-enabled clean tones and crunch tones through to full on humbucker metal tones.

This is an employee Santana MD, in whale blue (valentines day surprise - 10 year guitar). I wasn't keen on the whole battery thing at first, but alas, I did bond with the MD tones. That said, I can't really bond with the jumbo frets (they chew up my fingers).

In any case, if you really want to hear what the MD tones sound like, just visit my Czar Of Zonk channel on youtube and just go to the playlists section.

Cheers.

 

[Czar of Zonk]

I decided to join the PRS forum to post to this thread. Unfortunately, since this is my first post, I can't post a link. That said...

I have a guitar channel on youtube (Czar of Zonk) and I have a full year's worth of guitar performances featuring my Santana MD (just visit my channel and there is a playlist or a full-length compilation video). I take the guitar from MD-enabled clean tones and crunch tones through to full on humbucker metal tones.

This is an employee Santana MD, in whale blue (valentines day surprise - 10 year guitar). I wasn't keen on the whole battery thing at first, but alas, I did bond with the MD tones. That said, I can't really bond with the jumbo frets (they chew up my fingers).

In any case, if you really want to hear what the MD tones sound like, just visit my Czar Of Zonk channel on youtube and just go to the playlists section.

Cheers.

I got rechargeable 9-volt batteries.

Edit- while here... I have not experienced any hum when the MD/MVC is engaged. It's a mini-toggle, not any kind of dial (at least, not on the Santana).