truerecs
Explore truerecs
Log inFor artists
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Carlos Santana.Are you Carlos Santana? Claim this page
Carlos Santana, Photo: Joho345

Photo: Joho345 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Carlos Santana. Every item links to its public source.
32 items · Last checked

What guitar does Carlos Santana play?

Carlos Santana uses PRS guitars, chiefly his signature model Salmon and PRS singlecuts, and has said he recorded through Dumble Overdrive Reverb and Bludotone Universal Tone amps with a Cry Baby wah. Premier Guitar's rig rundown showed his snakeskin Mesa/Boogie, a Real McCoy wah and PRS 4x12 cabinets.

Shop the gear
AllTop 5GuitarsAmpsPedalsRecords that shaped me
Top 5

Where to start with Carlos Santana's gear.

01
02
03
04
05

What guitars Carlos Santana uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

Guitars

13 items

Amps

7 items

Pedals

8 items

Records that shaped me

4 items
Questions

About Carlos Santana's gear.

What guitar does Carlos Santana play?

He uses PRS guitars. He told Guitar World in 2025 that his signature PRS he calls Salmon is the easiest instrument for him to express himself on, and that he reaches for PRS singlecuts when he wants a rounder, more robust sound.

What amp does Carlos Santana use?

He has said he made Blessings and Miracles with a 100-watt Dumble Overdrive Reverb and a Bludotone 100-watt Universal Tone, his first album without Mesa/Boogie. Premier Guitar's 2014 rig rundown also showed his original snakeskin 100-watt Boogie.

What wah pedal does Carlos Santana use?

He has said he always goes back to his fingers, a Dunlop Cry Baby wah and the amplifier. In Premier Guitar's 2014 rig rundown his board had a Real McCoy Custom RMC4 wah made by Geoffrey Teese, after a Pete Cornish LD1 line driver.

What guitar did Carlos Santana use on Supernatural?

His PRS he calls Salmon, or Red Coral. He told Guitar World he used it for 99 percent of the album, and told Guitar Player he played most of the Supernatural songs on it.

Does Carlos Santana have a signature guitar?

Yes. PRS has made Santana signature models for decades, including the Santana II and the SE Santana Singlecut Trem, which is based on the gold leaf Private Stock Singlecut he plays on stage.

What Les Paul does Carlos Santana have?

A 1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom bought in 1970, which he called his main workhorse for at least seven albums, and a 1952/1953 Les Paul that once belonged to Mike Bloomfield, per Guitar Player.

CS
Carlos Santana
About this guide · Last checked

Carlos Santana is the Mexican-born guitarist who led Santana from Woodstock to Supernatural and beyond. This guide covers his PRS signature guitars, vintage Gibsons and Strats, his Dumble, Bludotone and Mesa/Boogie amps, the stage rig from Premier Guitar's rig rundown and records he has said shaped him.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Carlos Santana didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

Report an error or ask for removal. We fix or remove within 72 hours. You don't need to sign up.

Are you Carlos Santana?

Claim this page to make it yours: verify with your Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, keep what's right, drop what isn't, and add your own.

Claim this page
truerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Carlos Santana isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.