Carlos Santana - Guitar Setup & Tunings
Quick Facts
- Primary Tuning
- Standard
- String Gauge
- .0095, .0115, .016, .025, .033, .043 (Custom 'Big Core' gauges)
- String Brand
- GHS Nickel Rockers (Big Core series)
- Genre
- Classic Rock
About Carlos Santana's Sound
Carlos Augusto Santana (born 1947) fused rock, Latin, blues, and jazz into a distinctive sound that has spanned six decades. His breakthrough at Woodstock 1969 with 'Soul Sacrifice' introduced his sustained, singing tone to millions. The Santana band's rhythmic complexity - combining timbales, congas, and Hammond organ with rock guitar - created an entirely new genre. After commercial decline in the late '70s and '80s, Santana's 1999 comeback album Supernatural won nine Grammy Awards and sold over 30 million copies. He's one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Tunings Used
E Standard - 8 songs
- Black Magic WomanTry this tuning →
- Oye Como VaTry this tuning →
- SmoothTry this tuning →
- EuropaTry this tuning →
- Samba Pa TiTry this tuning →
- Evil WaysTry this tuning →
- Maria MariaTry this tuning →
- Soul SacrificeTry this tuning →
String Setup
Primary Strings
GHS Nickel Rockers (Big Core series)
.0095, .0115, .016, .025, .033, .043 (Custom 'Big Core' gauges)
Why Carlos Santana uses these
Santana's signature 'Big Core' strings use an unusual gauge progression designed by his tech Rene Martinez. The thicker core wire produces more fundamental tone with less overtones, contributing to his smooth, violin-like sustain. His PRS guitars feature a shorter 24.5" scale length (compared to Fender's 25.5"), which combined with his string choice creates his characteristic easy playability and warm tone. Santana's Mesa Boogie amplifiers were essentially developed in collaboration with him - the company's first amps were built specifically for his needs.