Yamaha Pacifica PAC112V

Overview

If you are looking for a HSS Strat style guitar and you are on a budget you have got to check out the Yamaha PAC112V. I normally play a Telecaster and lately I have been wanting a Stratocaster but didn’t really want to spend $1200 on an American Strat. When I saw this Yamaha in the music store I could not believe that it was only $249. It obviously does not look too flashy but the sound and playability of this guitar is really great.

The PAC112V has a lot of nice feature that make it even more attractive. HSS Alnico V pickups and a coil tap for the bridge humbucker make for a great configuration on this inexpensive guitar. I wanted a sonic blue guitar with this specific configuration and the Yamaha fits the bill. This is a lot of my own personal preference but I do think that this guitar is a good value if you like this particular tone.

Price   -   9/10

$249 – $299 Great price for the quality and features that you get.

Sound Quality   -   8.5/10

This is a pretty glassy and bright sounding guitar, perhaps too bright for some players. The HSS configuration, 5 way switch and the coil tap really work together to create a versatile guitar.

I was happy with how Strat-like this guitar sounded. The solid Alder body has a lot to do with that. If you are looking for a bright, single-coil sounding guitar with the added bonus of a humbucker in the bridge this is a nice, affordable option. If you don’t like bright guitars you probably won’t like the PAC112V.

Build Quality   -  8.5/10

I was very surprised with the quality of this guitar. I though that the frets would be a little rough on a guitar that only cost $299 but I was pleasantly surprised. The fret dressing and action were above average for a guitar that came off of an assembly line.

The tuners seem to be generic but the guitar stays in tune pretty well so no complaints.

The only thing that I did not like about this guitar, as far as the build is concerned, was the plastic jack plate. It would not have cost Yamaha much to make it a metal one. I know that it will crack sooner or later and I will have to go out and buy a metal one to replace it.

Features   -   9/10

• Alder body

• Maple neck

• Rosewood fretboard

• Bolt-on construction

• Vintage-style bridge

• Alnico V pickups HSS

• Push-pull coil tap for bridge humbucker

• One volume one tone

• 5 way pickup selector switch

• Chrome hardware

• 13-3/4” fretboard radius

• 25-1/2” scale

• 1-5/8” nut width

• Colors: Red, Silver, Sonic Blue, Natural, Violin Burst

Ease of Use   -   8/10

This guitar was set up pretty well right out of the box. Everything else was prettyeasy to use.

Pros

• Great price for what you get

• Classic strat sound

• Standard coil tap and HSS configuration

• Cool colors

• Great playability

Cons

• Sound can be a bit thin if you are not looking for a Strat style tone

Overall Rating   -   8.6/10

This guitar is a cross between a Strat and a shredder. The action is low and the HSS pickup configuration, paired with the push pull coil tap, makes the PAC112V great for many styles of music. I really like the slightly flatter 13-3/4” radius. It makes it a bit easier to play faster, more aggressive music while still retaining the “Strat” sound. 

If you are looking for a fast playing HSS style guitar and you have to stick to a budget I highly recommend the PAC112V. If you are looking for a thicker Les Paul or jazz tone you might want to skip this one.