Click on "Show More" above to see all 24 pictures in this gallery

 

In 2005 I had the privilege of taking a full factory tour, guided by (now Director of Sales) Jim Cullen.  At the time Jim was the service manager.  I had been communicating with him for a couple years about several different vintage PRS guitars through e-mail and on the phone.  October of that year I had a business trip to D.C.  I reached out to Jim and asked him if I could stop by the plant.  He welcomed me over, met me in the lobby and took me on a full tour starting at the loading dock where the wood blanks are received and ending in the finish room where (among others) Al Dimeola’s next guitar was hanging on a rack, fully painted and waiting for assembly.  This was all perhaps 2-3 years before The “PRS Experience” took hold and personal tours became a thing of the past.  I was interested in the Santana Models (1 & 2) and we talked a little.  He told me only around 500 Santana 1’s were ever made.  I started shopping and six months later had my first Santana 1 (1996 Black Cherry - for sale on this site).  Over the following years, a few more 1’s & 2’s passed through.  I still have a Santana 2 as well.  It is featured on my site home page. 

 

I love these early Santana guitars.  That’s why I’ve kept them all these years.  She weighs in at exactly 8 pounds and all the Santana tone you’ll ever need is in there.  They have a really beefy neck, which seemed like a concession that I had to make at first, but once you’ve played it for a couple weeks, you don’t even notice.  Same with the dual mini’s.  Extremely simple to understand and operate.  I’ve gigged this guitar occasionally over the years.  It hangs, sounds and plays beautifully.  I’ve always had constant stream of guitars passing through.  I couldn’t possibly gig them all, but these Santana’s stuck.  Now it’s someone else’s turn to own this one of 25 Limited Edition Quilt top from the rare group of ~500 Santana 1’s that were ever made.

 

I’ve attached a photo of a certification letter that Mike Deely sent out with these Special Run Santana’s.  I bought this guitar locally and was not aware of an authenticity letter until I saw this one (photographed) on a Santana 1 e-Bay auction.  I saved the picture for reference.  The letter is not to me or for this particular guitar, but it is from the Limited Run that this guitar came from.

 

The physical condition of this guitar would be best described as excellent. I’ve rated it at 9.5 on a scale of 10 in consideration of one tiny ding in the top below the bridge as photographed.  Once you’ve seen where it is, go back and look at the pictures again.  It’s difficult to notice at all in the rest of the pictures posted, even when you know where it is.  There are a couple of small clear coat bumps around the back edge and some around the headstock including one of the tips (tip seen in the serial number photo).  The quilt top is exquisite.  The frets show absolutely no wear at all.  Comes with the original (leather-bound, gold combination locks, latches and hardware) Artist hardshell case, also in excellent condition. Inside the case is the truss wrench, the instructions of the locks and the original trem bar.

 

 

 A Word About Core PRS Guitars:

 

PRS has always made great guitars and they still do today.  From 1985 until 2002, all PRS guitars were core PRS guitars.  The 2001 Santana III was their first model created as a second-tier instrument.  Basically, a financial decision to explore the lower price point market with an eye on producing off-shore.  Their USA and off-shore guitars are essentially made by two different companies, creating two different families of instruments.  There are the cores in one family and everything else in the other (not to mention the Wood Library pieces or of course Private Stock, both in a league of their own).  In the Forums I see a lot of SE’s with problems right off the rack or that have been so modified by their owner, they could have just bought a core PRS to begin with. PRS still regards the new CE-24 as a core model, but they are less than one-half the guitar that core CE’s were from 1995 to 2016 and one-quarter the guitar that the pre-factory alder body CE-24’s are. Those second tier (S2) and third tier (SE) guitars lose whatever value they ever had rather quickly.  The new core guitars are fabulous instruments, but sticker north of five or six grand and will be worth far less in 4-5 years.  If you’re casually looking here out of curiosity, while thinking more seriously about buying your sixth SE in a different color, your third S2 or a new CE-24, give some thought and consideration to selling just some of what you’ve already got, to buy a Core PRS instead. Core PRS guitars hold their value.  The Santana III makes a fair second tier showing, While every Santana core (1 &2) that I’ve owned or played is multiple LEVELS ABOVE every Santana SE that I’ve ever encountered.  Just the opinion of a PRS fanatic that has bought, sold, owned and gigged over 300 PRS guitars across the last 25 years.

_____________________________________________________________________________

​

​​​Please be sure to take a moment and click here to look at my ABOUT page or access it from the top menu bar.  I encourage even the smallest of questions so always feel free to e-mail me any time.  Over 140 of my online feedback ratings are from PRS guitar sales.

 

This guitar is also listed on sites with a starting price of $350 more than I'm asking here on my site, just to put a dent in the seller fees they would charge me for a transaction there. 

 

Why pay more than you have to?  Check my feedback and buy it here.  It may be gone soon.  Send me an e-mail and we'll talk.  

 

If you've come to this page directly through an organic Google search, click this link to see a list of all the guitars I currently have for sale before leaving this page.

 

 

​$5,400.00 includes shipping anywhere in the lower 48.  

​

I recently heard someone a lot smarter than I am say: 

 

"Life is short..... Buy the guitar"

​​

 

​​

Paul Reed Smith 1997 Santana 1

       

​

** Vintage Yellow **

One Of Only 25 Quilt Top Santana 1 Guitars Ever Made

​

A Solid 9.5 out of 10 Cosmetic Rating​

Scroll Down for 24 Pictures​​​​