Santana Supernatural

[Simon Says]

Was Carlos using a fixed wah on Supernatural? I always was a bit intrigued with the tone on this album but I never investigated it.

 

[Greywolf]

just a rolled off tone ... Carlos uses volume and tone as his effects devices .. keeps his Dumble, Boogie and PRS amps dimed

 

[Simon Says]

just a rolled off tone ... Carlos uses volume and tone as his effects devices .. keeps his Dumble, Boogie, and PRS amps dimed

Thanks for that. I'm thinking of getting a fixed wah widget, such as MXR Q-zone, as a work alike. I get it's not the same thing, but it may take me closer. I wouldn't mind having that tone as option

 

[Greywolf]

as an option the non spring wah's can be set for that tone ... just before it opens up ( worked with my mutron and buddha wah's)

 

[Rod/]

just a rolled off tone ... Carlos uses volume and tone as his effects devices .. keeps his Dumble, Boogie and PRS amps dimed

And he plays Really Loud! So there’s that

 

[Simon Says]

as an option the non spring wah's can be set for that tone ... just before it opens up ( worked with my mutron and buddha wah's)

I will explore a few options. I don't really have much space for a pedal unless I give up on the other one

 

[Simon Says]

And he plays Really Loud! So there’s that

No can do; my next-door neighbours have a newborn. And I like them a lot

 

[Prs Mods too]

I like them a lot

Well there's your problem!

 

[Lewguitar]

How to do it...

 

[GADonis]

I will explore a few options. I don't really have much space for a pedal unless I give up on the other one

If you pedal space is limited, why not try and find the spot you want with the tone knob on the guitar. Doesn't take up a pedal slot and you'll always have it with your guitar.

 

[Simon Says]

If you pedal space is limited, why not try and find the spot you want with the tone knob on the guitar. Doesn't take up a pedal slot, and you'll always have it with your guitar.

It's not like it's limited; I need to settle on pedal selection finally. I'm days from starting my pedalboard build, and I'm second-guessing my pedal choices. I think I will leave it as it is and replace it at some point with a polyphonic octaver I felling out of love with. Same brand, same footprint, and exact looper location, so it shouldn't be hard

 

[Draconomics]

I sorta cheat when I try to ape his Supernatural tone, I tend to do a fixed wah thing. I use a Morley Bad Horsie, and cock it around halfway. I dont use tone knobs much, except for more rounded, jazz tones., but generally they stay on 10. On some guitars I disable them.

 

[Simon Says]

I just got the Q-zone. It should be here later this week. In the worst-case scenario, I will be making some Money for Nothing and QOTSA stuff lol

 

[Alnus Rubra]

No can do; my next-door neighbours have a newborn. And I like them a lot

Such a good guy.

 

[Simon Says]

Such a good guy.

I will have to marry you if you won't stop complimenting me

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I will have to marry you if you won't stop complimenting me

Ain’t nothing wrong with a good bromance

 

[Simon Says]

I sorta cheat when I try to ape his Supernatural tone, I tend to do a fixed wah thing. I use a Morley Bad Horsie, and cock it around halfway. I dont use tone knobs much, except for more rounded, jazz tones., but generally they stay on 10. On some guitars, I disable them.

I don't believe it's just cranked amp and a tone knob only. If his King Snake had post-preamp EQ, maybe, but as far as I remember, it doesn't. Later boogies have some push-pull mid-shift options; maybe this is the secret? The only success with a tone knob I ever had it to mud my tone. Santana's **** cuts through!

I don't need to nail it to T. Coming close enough is good enough.

 

[Simon Says]

Ain’t nothing wrong with a good bromance

You know my number

 

[Draconomics]

I don't believe it's just cranked amp and a tone knob only. If his King Snake had post-preamp EQ, maybe, but as far as I remember, it doesn't. Later boogies have some push-pull mid-shift options; maybe this is the secret? The only success with a tone knob I ever had it to mud my tone. Santana's **** cuts through!

I don't need to nail it to T. Coming close enough is good enough.

So...here's what I remember about his setup. If memory serves, he stays on the neck pickup and the amp eq has boosted mids and treble, but he cuts the bass, dimes amp volume, and uses the guitar volume knob for drive. I've seen him maybe three times, and he was ALWAYS fiddling with that volume knob. I think he also uses the same Mesa Boogie King Snake that he's used since the 70's, but I don't think it has the push/pull mid boost thing. He also blends it with a Dumble...well, two of em I recall. I dont think he has much of a pedal chain either, just a wah and...I think a small delay, but that's it. Strings are 9.5 sets. I forget the make....EB maybe. All in all, his methods and setup are pretty old school and havent changed much. The rest is just the fingers.

His tone used to be alot more trebly back in the late 60's/early 70's, those were the SG P90 days, and LP's here and there. Caravnserai is where I think it began to round out more, but I still thought it was a bit more biting with the Yamaha SG2000 (a guitar that is criminally underrated). Once he went PRS, his tone got much more round, at least to me it did.