Santana tops - why not as nice as CU24s?

Guess I'll consider myself lucky. Here are mine (both current and those that have left).

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Guess I'll consider myself lucky. Here are mine (both current and those that have left).

BSwoXbQ.jpg

ecQw67i.jpg

tOeGQny.jpg

YkOT63S.jpg

SKlhoHG.jpg

azL3wqW.jpg

hOwjDSJ.jpg


The red one with black binding and the purple one are great. Never see Santanas for sale new or used with tops like that, but again, I see CU24s with that or more routinely.
 
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The one I bought recently. Got a decent price on it and jumped. Not a bad top, I've seen none as nice since. But:

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A CU 24 I picked up not that long ago. Haven't seen anything like that on a Santana, and that's NOT the best top I've seen on a new 24 in the last few months at all, but I don't buy "pattern thin".
 
That explains it!

What are those pickups/pickup rings in it?

The curly maple top red is a PS.
The violet blue burst looks like a Core; not sure what Bodia had in that one.
That is correct, the red one was a PS. The violet blue burst (actually sold to me as Violet Bruise Burst) came with a blue back. I sent it to the PTC and had them re-finish the back in white. I also had them install those pickups. I bought them from forum member helmi. The pickups are Narrowfields. He had the rings custom made. They are ebony.

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mZxWbOa.jpg

Lmp6xuu.jpg


The one I bought recently. Got a decent price on it and jumped. Not a bad top, I've seen none as nice since. But:

AINg5LH.jpg


A CU 24 I picked up not that long ago. Haven't seen anything like that on a Santana, and that's NOT the best top I've seen on a new 24 in the last few months at all, but I don't buy "pattern thin".

This is extremely subjective though.

Many will prefer the tight/even curls of that Santana.
I like the wider/crazier curls whenever possible; that does typically yield a less than ideal book matching once the top is carved and that CU24 is a prime example of that.

Subjective indeed. While both nice, I actually prefer the top on the Santana.
 
That is correct, the red one was a PS. The violet blue burst (actually sold to me as Violet Bruise Burst) came with a blue back. I sent it to the PTC and had them re-finish the back in white. I also had them install those pickups. I bought them from forum member helmi. The pickups are Narrowfields. He had the rings custom made. They are ebony.

DxBSwFS.jpg

9lH9DzK.jpg

How much was the refinish?

This is extremely subjective though.

Many will prefer the tight/even curls of that Santana.
I like the wider/crazier curls whenever possible; that does typically yield a less than ideal book matching once the top is carved and that CU24 is a prime example of that.

Neither has perfect bookmatching, not sure I've ever seen a guitar that does. Of the two, if you look close, the 24 is actually closer.

My Santana has a particularly nice top for that model; I haven't seen another for sale with one as nice. They aren't very common. I've seen lots of 24s for sale with even better tops than the one I posed.

Been GASing for a Santana myself, like this PS still available:
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I like the top...not sure I like pink.
 
How much was the refinish?



Neither has perfect bookmatching, not sure I've ever seen a guitar that does. Of the two, if you look close, the 24 is actually closer.

My Santana has a particularly nice top for that model; I haven't seen another for sale with one as nice. They aren't very common. I've seen lots of 24s for sale with even better tops than the one I posed.



I like the top...not sure I like pink.
It's been a long time. I think it was $600 because it was just the back.

And, you're looking at this whole top thing wrong. Put it in perspective. You see more "nice" tops on the Cu24 because they probably make 200 (or more) Cu24s for every one Santana they produce. That's like me telling someone I live in the Chicago area and them commenting on the excessive amount of violent crimes around here. Well, if you look at it per capita, Mobile, Alabama actually has the worst rating on violent crimes. Heck, Chicago comes in at 42. Worst rated states for violent crime? You guessed it; Alaska. The rest of the top 10 most violent crimes by state are New Mexico, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina and South Dakota. Illinois comes in at 19. The most recent numbers I could find are from 2020, and are based on number of "violent" crimes per 100,000 people. I you asked someone if Chicago or Mobile was more violent, I'm pretty sure everyone would pick Chicago. Numbers matter.
 
And, you're looking at this whole top thing wrong. Put it in perspective. You see more "nice" tops on the Cu24 because they probably make 200 (or more) Cu24s for every one Santana they produce.

I'm sure that has something to do with it.
 
Pleased to see some Santana PRSs again (and again).
This line-up is quite underrated. At least it seems so.
Wonderful design and instrument though.
 

Good. Lord. that. thing. :oops:

All these PS and customized Santana guitars flying around here, and I'm still drooling over this DC22. (Is it an original nitro finish with the satin back?) This one would kill over in the "show me your '59 burst" thread, too.
 
There was a Santana that came into my local shop. I saw it pop up on their web page. I decided to stop in and check it out. I was fully prepared to buy it when I walked in the door from the pictures I saw of it. I honestly didn't get anything from playing it that I don't get from my CU22. I expected a thicker neck and possibly a thicker body. The body was pretty much the same outside of the CU22 having a little longer top horn. The neck on my CU22 is pretty fat and was possibly even a little fatter than the Santana was. I walked out without it. It was disappointing because I really wanted it to have more of an impact on me.
 
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