Blues1970Abraxas

Black Magic Woman Amp Settings

by Santana

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Original Recording Settings

Well-SourcedResearched tone data for "Black Magic Woman" by Santana

Original Gear

Guitar: Gibson SG Special (Abraxas-era)
Pickups: Stock Gibson P-90 pickups (SG Special) (neck)
Amplifier: Fender Twin Reverb (multiple Twins; modified; run loud)
Channel: Clean/bright Fender platform driven hard for sustain
Tuning: standard
Pickup Selector: neck
Strings: Unknown

Vintage Guitar’s Abraxas “Fretprints” notes the rig was minimal: SG and Fender Twin Reverbs, with Twins heavily tweaked and played loud.

Amp Settings

Gain

7.0

Bass

4.0

Mid

6.0

Treble

6.0

Volume

7.0

Source describes loud, tweaked Twin Reverbs but does not provide knob positions. Settings aim for loud clean-to-breakup Fender response with sustain when pushed.

Effects Chain

→

Fender Twin Reverb spring reverb (likely; inferred)

reverb

→

1.Fender Twin Reverb spring reverb (likely; inferred) — Spring reverb is consistent with a Twin platform; specific reverb level not documented in cited source.

Playing Technique

Singing single-note phrasing with strong left-hand vibrato; pick attack is firm but not harsh. Use neck pickup warmth and let notes sustain into controlled amp compression. Timing is relaxed—lean into the Latin-blues groove rather than strict metronomic phrasing.

Sources+