The Santana Retro looks back to the "Pre-Factory" guitars Paul Reed Smith built for Carlos Santana in the early 1980s, and PRS credits that long partnership with shaping the company. Several details from those early guitars return here: a deeper body carve, the original-style heel, and the original headstock shape and nut placement.
It's a 24-fret guitar on a 24.594" scale, so you get the full two octaves at the slightly lower string tension of PRS's shorter scale. The Santana Retro neck shape is 7/8" deep at the first fret, with PRS Jumbo fret wire on a rosewood board with birds. Santana pickups run through one volume, one tone and a 3-way toggle, and the bridge is the PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III with Phase III Locking tuners. The Eagle headstock logo and the Santana Om symbol on the truss rod cover finish it.
This is for the player who wants 24 frets and a vibrato alongside some of the earliest PRS design. The PRS McCarty 594 shares the 24.594" scale but goes with 22 frets, a two-piece bridge and two volumes with two tones. Our pick is Santana Yellow, the finish that carries his name.
The Top option is Standard figured maple or PRS's 10 Top, a higher grade of figure, which PRS lists with hybrid hardware.
SPECIFICATIONS
BODY
Country of Origin: USA
Body Construction: Solidbody
Top Wood: Maple
Back Wood: Mahogany
Top Carve: Violin
Finish Type: High-Gloss Nitro
NECK
Number of Frets: 24
Fret Wire: PRS Jumbo Fret Wire
Width of Fret Crown: .110"
Height of Fret Crown: .055"
Scale Length: 24.594”
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Neck Construction: One-Piece
Truss Rod: PRS Double-Acting
Neck Shape: Santana Retro
Neck Depth at the 1/2 Fret: 7/8"
Neck Depth at the 12 1/2 Fret: 31/32"
Neck Width at the Nut: 1 11/16"
Neck Width at the Body: 2 1/4"
Fretboard Wood: Rosewood
Fretboard Radius: 10"
Fretboard Inlay: Birds
Headstock Logo: Eagle
Neck/Body Assembly Type: Set
HARDWARE
Bridge: PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III
Tuners: PRS Phase III Locking
Hardware Type: Nickel
Nut: PRS
Truss Rod Cover: Santana Om Symbol
ELECTRONICS
Treble Pickup: Santana
Bass Pickup: Santana
Controls: Volume and Tone Control w/ 3-Way Toggle Pickup Switch
STRINGS
Strings: PRS Signature 10-46
Tuning: Standard (6 String): E, A, D, G, B, E
Options: 10 Top with Hybrid Hardware
CASE
Case: Hardshell Case



