Hi Everyone,

Can anyone here advise what effects Santana uses for his guitar playing?

Is it the type of guitar or various pedles? Which enables him to get that tone

Thank you!

He sounded pretty much the same on an sg as he does on a PRS, but those are fairly similkar guitars (in that both are lighter double cutaway variations on a Les Paul). I have a suspicion that he often keeps a wah pedal in a fixed position to get that dark midrangy honk. EQ in one way or the oother is the key: there's lots of mid, very little high and a healthy portion of bottom. And tube overdrtive from an amplifier like a Mesa.

PBS said:

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hectim said:

Gotta co-sign on that hectim .Good call! Carlos was/is a great inspiration in my life. I think he's kinda worn out his "sound" last few years though.., same old Riffs and progressions.

The other guitarist in my old band was obsessed with the Santana tone - (which worked great against my SRV obsession).

No matter what pedals he bought and what amps he bought, he ALWAYS sounded the same, (Shinn, not Carlos) but I'm pretty sure there's humbucking and rolling off the trebles going on. And a lot of weed.

otan said:

Yeh,being an old hippy definately contributes to Carlos's Tone.Don't know whether he's still got this routine, but Carlos; in an interview in Guitar Player Mag. couple of years back said he has a shot of tequila before going on stage, and has a smoke 'bout 3 times a week.Seeing what he's achieved over his career, like not dying, and pushing the Jazz Rock scene in the 70's& 80's with Chick Corea, Stanley Clark, John Maglaughlin..,and Sheila E's Dad, Estravada , he's a living momument to our Time. We all know that he's influenced Prince's sound, but i think Carlos's days as a force to be reckoned with are over.Humbucker's, Natural feedback, Wah, and turning his treble tone back all contribute,as Otan has said, to The Santana Sound. Just wish he'd stop playing that " let's all take off into outer space ", trip he's been doing 4 ever. Where he strums from the bottom with this chord and get's to about the 20 th fret and try's to keep going with Harmonic's. 40 years of that is enough!

I saw him at an outdoor concert in Ausralia in the late 70's, and he blew the roof off the sky.