Profile for the true Carlos Santana tone

  • For me, the most elusive tone has been Santana's (Supernatural era), probably because it is extremely amp dependant. I've seen many get a bit close, but in reality they are coming up with a variant of the woman tone that is more Clapton and less Carlos.


    I'm looking for something in the same ballpark as this (interestingly, he's not using a PRS):


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8H8e0T79Fc



    Are there any profiles out that are able to get you there?

  • A PRS isn't the key to his tone - he has it with Les Pauls, SGs, even Strats. And the amp really doesn't matter either - a random solid state amp at Woodstock, Fenders, Mesas, whatever.


    His physical approach to the instrument, the ever changing volume/tone settings on the guitar he uses, and his style of phrasing are where that sound come from.


    If you are getting Woman tone, try turning down the guitar and/or the gain of the Rig. And, his vibrato is different than Clapton's, and so is his touch. Not quite as bluesy - a bit more lyrical.


    You can do it with available profiles - use the closest one you have found so far, and coax those sounds out of your guitar :)

  • My brother wrote, recorded and toured with Carlos (flagrant name drop), but I think he was using a Two Rock during the Supernatural era. I always prefered his mid-late 70s sound though. Anyways, he's one of those guys that can nail his signature tone using any guitar/amp combo.

  • Santanas biggest influence (he said so in an interview) is Coltrane.Indeed his phrasing and the "squeezing" for the baritone of his mahogany guitars reminds me of an Jazz-Saxophone player.Specially the way he plays some melodic lines on the high strings only to end up with a fast and then suddenly stopping phrase on the deeper strings.


    No matter what Mesa or Dumble we might use..it is all in his fingers and soul..and a little bit in his mahogany guitars.

  • I've seen a documentation on the french and german TV channel Arte a documentation, that Santana uses 3 different amps in common. A Mesa, a Dumble and another white one. These amps were standing on the backside of the stage. On stage were standing the support partners, I think Mesa. ;)^^

  • Yeah, agree with the above, fat mahogany guitars like yamaha SG or PRS, fast vibrato, good phrasing !


    regarding profiles, I'd sure go boogie, mark I II IIC+ & mark III


    here is my take on Carlos 70's tone , my favorite era


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  • Hi Renaud,
    (hope I did get it right)


    thank you for this entertaining an Santana like piece of music. It seems to me that besides all that was said about "fingers", which I hold to be true, the organ and the doings of the percussions play a certain role in expierencing the tone of guitars: You only hear them together, the rhythm gets to you and the sound is a melting pot. In short: You came as close as one could get without beeing the man himself.


    Greetings
    Joachim