Sick dude - just crazy sick! Perfect example of how it’s not the equipment but the work and soul and it’s obvious you’ve done/got both. Very motivating- thanks!
true. mike is a badass. but its really a better example of how the amp/amp model/speaker are FAR FAR FAR more important than the guitar. it took me 30 years of playing to figure that out. well, actually more like 27 years but still. very frustrating. play a $150 guitar through a great amp/speaker/cab and you can get a killer tone etc. play a great guitar through a shit amp/speaker and you get shit. try it for yourself. get an SX guitar from Rondo and play it through a great amp and then compare it to a great guitar through the same exact setting and what you will almost always find is that it sound a bit different but not worse! I have 7 guitars that cost $125 or less (in fairness three are Squier Area '51 guitars that I got used so they were a bit more expensive when first released and are AMAZING guitars). anyway, hands down its the amp and speaker, not the guitar (unless you have just god awful pickups etc). nowadays, the cheap awful guitars are a thing of the past (mostly). now you can get an amazing guitar for less than $300. take the Mitchell MD 300 - kind of guitar center's in house brand. Got mine for $269 on sale then they had a supah dupah sale and I got a partial refund to match down to $229. that guitar matches my 1988 studio model PRS for tuning stability and neck feel. comes with locking tuners and coil taps for pickups. has a fixed bridge so not a fair comparison totally but omg unreal deal. maybe the best bargain out of all my 14 guitars. I have owned about 20 amps over the years (almost all tube) and rack equipment etc 4x12 boogie cab - 2x12 marshall cab and 2x12 cab now made by I forgot who lol. anyway, the point is with machine manufacturing these days, its almost hard to screw up a guitar. it CAN be done though - I have an SX from rondo to prove it - bridge is slightly offset etc. but it still SOUNDS very good! just annoying to play somewhat because the low E slips off the neck too easily. but I've been so impressed with their quality overall. Just remember: if you have $1500 to spend, spend $300 on the guitar and the rest on a fuchs blackjack amp or save up and get a kemper or axe fx or maybe even a helix (gasp, yes, a line 6 product that doesnt seem to actually be god awful - a first!). rock on!
On the other hand an expensive (read high quality) guitar is much more comfortable to play than a cheap guitar. I also have cheap guitars, but I had to put a lot of effort and work to them to make them play and feel anywhere near as good as my high end guitars. The frets may be sharp and not leveled, the neck may feel a bit funky and general set up as well. These things are time consuming... That being said I have to say that cheap guitars may sound almost as good as the high end ones.
Fretboards are so consistent nowadays that unless frets are glued in wrong, off the rack guitars today are generally perfectly fine unless you want to go crazy low with the action. Also, re: sharp frets: even expensive guitars can experience neck shrinkage due to environmental differences between factory and point of sale that will result in fret ends sticking out, it's just a standard thing to be prepared to take care of when you buy a guitar at any price point. And every brick and mortar store I've ever bought from will take care of that for you when you buy the guitar (for no additional charge). To me, the only major "gotcha" that remains with today's cheap guitars is that you'll sometimes come across bodies that are excessively heavy (made from dense poplar, or whatever), but if you are buying in person, that's easy to test before you pull the trigger.
That's so true! I have a Pacífica 012, my first option was a bullet strat, but my teacher recommended a Pacifica, at first I thought It didn't sound great, until I got the chance to play my teacher's 2.5 k Fender Strat, sounded just as bad as the Pacifica in my hands.
These guitars do not get the respect they deserve. I have been trying to get a Pacifica 311 each for a couple of years now. It is a Strat style guitar with a humbucker in the bridge and a P90 in the neck. Comes with locking tuners and is very high-quality for $500 Canadian. They’re hard to find though and they do not hold their value at all because people think they are not good guitars, it’s too bad.
Yamaha also made absolute KILLER superstrats in the early 90s, designed by Rich Lasner (who had previously been a key figure in the design of Ibanez RG and JEM guitars.
Flash forward to 2017 if this is an older post-Got a 311 thru Sweetwater Music, it's a tone machine. Solid wood and a bit heavy, but thats part of the tone. I've also got a Pac 112J. changed the pups on that and if I lost my more expensive guitars, I would still hang with that one. Very comfortable to play.
@Todd Blinks I have a 311H. It's my second Pacifica and won't be my last. Perfectly compliments my 112V. The 311's G&B P90 PUP in particular has great tone and power for the $$$. Build quality of Pacificas is astounding compared with alternate brands anywhere near their pricepoint. Highly recommend the 311.
Just purchased the left hand model and love it! As we all know, the choice for lefties is limited but as soon as I saw it in store just love the satin finish and feel.
Yamaha Pacificas are not only great beginner guitars,they're also great modding platforms. I turned my old Pacifica,into a ''Frankenstein-Superstrat'',inspired by Andy Timmons Ibanez with a friend of mine,who is a guitar tech/instructor and does these projects all the time with his students. We stripped the guitar completely down,got a Warmoth neck(quartersawn maple,compound radius,ebony fretboard,ss-jumbo frets) and S.Duncan pickups(JB/Classic Stack Plus/Cool Rails),GOTOH/Wilkinson locking tuners and VS100 bridge,Grapthtech TUSQ nut.My buddy sculped the neck heel for better fret access and made the cutaway deeper,we refinished it in a metallic,light blue paintjob and also installed a mini-switch,in order to activate the outer coil of the JB in single coil mode.,in addition to the 5-way switch. I'll put that thing against any boutique Superstrat on the market,in terms of playability and tone.
@@DominickDecocko WRONGO!! Yamaha acoustics are some of the greatest luthier-crafted instruments globally. The LL-series ie LL6 or LL16 or some older model likes the LA-8 are insanely incredible for sound, resonance, and comfort. Japanese are masters of everything they do. So when a Japanese luthier crafts an acoustic, trust they take huge pride in it and it will better ANY American guitar.
@@Twitch_Moderator Woah, this isnt geography class dude, Japan may be good, bud don't compare a Martin or a Taylor vs. a little Yamaha, they're great, but not boutique quality
The faces you made remind me of the ones my grandma makes when she is filling her Depends undergarments. I love her so much. I love M Lee Firkins and the Pacifica, thanks Mike!
Wow, man, thanks for taking the time to make this video. After almost 20 years of putting my guitars down (you know, so I could break myself raising kids, establishing retirement investments, doing all the adult stuff), I'm just now getting back into playing... Watching your face while you jam out on the Pacifica was refreshing because when it comes down to it, just having a silly little guitar to jam on is all it takes to bring back that feeling of happiness that I used to have when I was goofing and creating back in the day. Tonight, I went to my local Guitar Center and bought a Fender Mustang GT100, brought it home and started playing again. An hour later, my fingertips are mostly raw hamburger, but I'm back! What you said about gear and such was perfect, and was exactly what I needed to hear. I still have a few of my old guitars left, but I sold my last strat a couple of years ago, and I'm going to dive back into the fat-strat arena and order a Pacifica, because you're spot-on about the gear. Since the Pacifica has the coil-tap feature on the bridge humbucker, there's really no reason for me to buy a strat copy, even if it's a Fen *cough cough* Squire. If nothing else, the headstock shape on the Pacifica is so much more elegant than most Squires. Why in the world did they go with that bulky-looking Play-Doh version of a strat headstock? It's just awful. At any rate, thanks again for the video, hitting the subscribe button right after I submit this. Keep up the amazing, man! Truly sick skills. :)
Haha, my Yamaha is still my number one. With mods and being worn in, it is a rock solid work horse. Old faithful has never failed me. Especially now when played through a BOSS Katana.
@@hdbidhdib9471 It was pre-slotted, but the first three strings were a little bit loose, so my luthier used crazy glue and bone dust to fill the slots (an awesome trick) In any case there is nothing wrong with the Yamaha nut. The change didn't cost me that much, but you can always go to Yamaha, they may have the perfect size for you. I recomend you the bone nut or one made of graphite, there are a lot of tutorials in UA-cam, so I know you can do it yourself. Tuning has never been better for me with the bone one.
I've got a 112 under my bed, I got it 5 years ago tried it for about 6 months, all fingers n thumbs..... gave up You're getting me thinking I should learn something on it again
Had something's similar. Bought an acoustic, than had it standing in the corner for months if not a year. When I had a spark of wanting to learn again I went to (private) guitar lessons. As an adult. That was over ten years ago, been playing ever since. I can wholeheartedly recommend doing so.
man play your guitar..there so many ways to play guitar...fingerstyle..chickenpick..flamingo....several blues variations...flatpickin..strumming..etc etc...
I love my 20+ year old Pacifica (tele shape, humbuckers) so much. So beaten up, I've had to fill the top cavity to stop it collapsing, but still full of love (It's the one in my profile pic)
Amazing. Few people get happy with their gear and complain something they have is cheap and not good enough. Whe people say my Ibanez is beat up and ugly, well, it was taken to bunch of gigs, spilled beer on it and got cigarette burns and bunch of stories I could share.
Yamaha guitars are really underrated ! I have an acoustic that I've had for about 40 years . Still plays and sounds better than my new Fender acoustic . Also have a Yamaha Stat copy that I love . Sounds amazing and stays in tune even when crushing the trem bar .
Don't know how underrated Yamaha acoustics are. Their FG800 is, I think, the best selling student guitar in the world and it gets really good reviews on the various guitar channels. But I know what you mean, it's the same with their bass guitars which don't get the same recognition as some other brands but are legendary instruments with informed bassists.
I first heard of the Yamaha Pacifica around 1990 when the band Firehouse put out their first album. Their guitarist, Bill Leverty, was credited with playing this guitar on the album. He got some amazing tone out of that ax.
Just discovered your videos Mike, top class, great player, and an engaging guy, speaking to the guitarist about the important issues. It's not about how much you spend on your gear, exactly, really enjoy watching you, you make the whole guitar playing fun, and that is so important, i'm a 50 odd year old bedroom guitar player, these vids are a god send, keep them up,
I had a 112 in the '90's and it was the best budget instrument at the time. Ultralightweight and very workable. I switched over to the 812 later on. After a decade's rest, i picked up the 112 again to take it to rehearsal. As much as i love it, i must say that it didn't hold up anymore. Budget instruments got way better now. But it is still the one i go for when doodling at home.
I wish I still had my Gibson Explorer from high school. Been playing since I was 13. Now I play as a hobby and play live few times a year and I’m all about getting all the gear I never could afford when I was younger.
Nice! I was playing a Pacifica 112v right now, cool guitar. My best advice for begginers and the people on a low budget...buy a comfortable guitar, that´s the most important thing, and the best amp you can afford...the amp always makes the difference. A high end guitar can sound like a crap trough a bad amp. That´s my point of view. Great work, Mike, I love your channel. Greetings from Spain.
Thank you so much for the inspiration! I player Acoustic guitar all my life and just ordered my first electricguitar! It will be a Pacifica 611 Root Beer color! So exited!!
Mike Bradley! Thanks so much for recommending the Pacifica 112j - I just got mine today (lefty natural) and I'm blown away by its sound - straight out of the box. The wood is gorgeous too (Alder) and it's also light weight. I'm so thankful for this! Amazing! Thanks again!
I have a '91 Pacifica 521 I bought new back in the day. It won out over every Fender I tried out at the time. Still sounds and plays quite well for a so called budget guitar
Ok, today I picked up a used PAC510V. Less than a year old, in genuine mint condition and a rather cool sonic blue. $300AU.. Got it home, set it up with preferred Elixir strings and with the twang of an e string it’s gone. My 14 year old daughter fell in love with the colour and has charmed it away from me. 🙃🇦🇺🎸
I bought a Pacifica 112 last week, just picked it up from the guitar tech an hour ago, changed the single coil pickups to Dimarzio Area pickups. Literally about to test it and stumbled on this video, how awesome! My friends who are pro players cannot believe the feel and playability of this guitar. It really is the best bang for bang in its class.
I have a 1999 Pacifica 112 just like it (but in black). Like yours it rarely gets played anymore. But there is no denying it’s a good guitar that far exceeds its price point.
I've told everyone I ever taught guitar to over the last 25 years that your equipment means NOTHING!! SO MANY elitist musicians think you need the Mesa Boogie head or a Marshall head, the matching quad 10" or 12" cab and a PRS or a Gibson to be a real guitarist. What a joke. A great guitarist can make a $250 guitar sound like a $3,000 guitar with skill and technique. And effects and equalizer s are what make your sound. Sure a good clean comes from good circuitry and vacuum tubes at times. But the elitist attitudes are toxic trash and mostly lies in the musician community. If the higher end gear makes you happy, then buy it. But don't break the bank trying to keep up to everyone else. It's about skill and fun, not money 😉
Agreed man.. tone of guitars can be compromised by amp settings, strings, and effect pedal. Talking of playbility, it's subjective.. some dudes that playin cheapo squier only for many years would be found some trouble when playin les paul guitar that has different neck profile
How about a lesson on that neat muted lick you play up and down the neck at around 0:30 ? You’ve done this a couple of times in videos and I love it. It’s pretty much your signature lick to my ears.
mike you remeber what my guitar teacher told me once: a good guitar player, is able to make a cheap guitar like an expensive one!! and a bad one makes an expensive guitar like a cheap one!! and you are a great guitar player!! especially when you play the beast!!! lol i am not being vias!!!
Eh up Mike you've just convinced me to buy my mates Yamaha Pacifica for £80 i'm an old fart learner at 61 and didn't want to spend a lot of money got a cheap little Blackstar amp and can't wait to get started, just subscribed to your channel, great video by the way and thanks for making my mind up for me, cheers Bob.
I have had that exact same guitar since 1999, had US strats, Randy Rhoads Jackson V, Les Pauls, Teles, ibenez and I always go back to this guitar for tone incredible versatility and fast neck. I will never rid of it.
Such a soulful guitar player, using skill, rhythm, passion and a bloody good amp to make that Pacifica sound Godly. Nobody would ever guess that sound came from a Pacifica if they listened to it on a record.
My old Yamaha 12 string is irreplaceable to me. I bought it for $45 in a pawn shop in Laramie Wyoming around 1985. I recently wanted an electric, so I bought a Pacifica. It's been a good practice guitar so far. Felt comfortable since day 1. Super affordable without being too cheap. Combined with a little Blackstar, and I pick it up most every day. Way to go Yamaha.
Hey. Just got mine back. Bought it in the late 90's. Lost it to the pawn gods about eight years ago. Times were tough. Anyway got it back today. So happy. Great guitar.
I've got a 112V Great guitar will never part with it, plays & sounds better than my MIM strat. Great video Mike, you make any guitar sound lovely. Regards to gear all us guitarist's suffer from GAS ;) (gear acquiring syndrome)
I have one just like the one in the video...great condition...guy at work GAVE it to me....sounds great..I'm still trying to find anything wrong with it...Its beautiful....
It's so refreshing to watch these videos full of performances, tutorials and ideas in a fun and unintimidating way by someone who knows his shit, instead of the usual 'ERMAGHERD 20 BILLION REASONS WHY FENDERS SUCK AND THIS IS THE BEST GUITAR VIDEO EVERRRRRR!' Knob heads. Keep it real man!
Today I got my 112V out it's case (after a long long time) to clean it up and sell it. Plugged in & it's either got a lot better or I'd forgotten. Played my only other 2 guitars, PRS custom & Epi with sey duncs & nah, they were not doing it for me: The Pacifica ripped and it's a keeper! Can't remember what I paid that long ago but it wasn't half what I paid for my others!
Thanks...I just bought a PAC 312, older, used and beat, for $180 US...still in transit. I am fascinated be these guitars...played several Yamaha acoustics over the last 40 years or so, and never played a bad one...my Les Paul and my other "good" guitars will stay home...going to play out with it...
I just got a DX012 Pacifica new to me for $150. Bought it at the Guitar Center and tuned it up and test drove it. Bought it then it went on hold for 24 days. When I picked it up it was still in tune. Very under rated and reasonably priced. I’ve added it to my Rev Star RS502 and two Yamaha acoustics. The electrics are hotter than the standard guitars so I found I have to back volume down just a smidge. Cheers 🎸
My pacifica 112 is still one of my favourite guitars to play, even alongside my MIJ Fenders, MIJ 70's Ibanez, and other little gems I have, the pacifica upgraded with wilkinson vintage pickups is still one of the best sounding and feeling of the lot. I've gigged it a bunch of times and people are always amazed by it's tone.
this is way i play guitar this dud has passion my first guitar was a fg 75 yamaha tyed others just got back into playing again and went back to yamaha got a 2000 sun burst fg 735 s red label just love it did not know much about the 112 but dam i like it going to get me one slash watch out your great man
I have (2) rare signature models from Japanese Band *Scandal* The Pacifica 112J was Haruna Ono's 1st guitar she played. I have this model and play it more frequently than the $$$ guitars. I love this for playability and tones I get + I don't worry about keeping it perfect. Great for young players and just to play around! Glad you got it back in shape! Sounds great in your hands 😀
"...that's why it's good to have a load of guitars, in it?" So true! The one you pick up is the one that moves your spirit at that moment. You are, however, SOOOOOOO right that you donn't need fantastic gear to improve playing and to have fun. Well said. Just play and play and play. Oh, and I've not seen any of your posts before: very impressed.
I reckon Yamaha would have sold a stack of these if people had seen one played as well as this back in the day! I had the exact same guitar in natural finish as my first guitar too.
I've got that guitar got it around the same time, just recently starting playing again after about 20 years and loving it more as an adult just a shame it's taken me this long
I love the sound of that pacifica. I received one for christmas last year and it's a 1998 i think and I like it even more than my new fender strat. Maybe my ears are going as a result of loud amps (to much fun).lol Thanks for the inspiration and the great playing as always .
Jimmy page always played his cheap sterling guitar at home more than the expensive 59 les paul.Queens lead guitarist made guitar from junk. David Gilmour said "that gear is not important,the fingers make the tone. I could plug in to whatever guitar,amp,pedal and make it sound like me"
Another great video Mike! As they say "tone is in the fingers!" Also... around 10:01 really reminded me of the end of Crossfire by SRV, but still unique... so kudos for sounding like SRV making it up as you go with a Pacifica! Totally awesome!
What matters most is skill, technique and practice not equipment. You take a wealthy guy in say London and give him the most expensive football, sports wear, football boots, fully equipped facilties etc. but he doesn't make the most if them or the poor young kid in Brazil that has nothing but a cheap old football and a ton of passion and persistence who's going to be the better player in the end? It also reminds me of the Bruce Lee quote about not fearing a man that has practiced ten thousand kicks but the man that has practiced one kick ten thousand times. Mastering a basic cheap instrument will get you further than farting around with an expensive one. If you've got the money though then go ahead and buy top quality because it will last you the rest of your life but if you don't then don't let that hold you back.
@unlockthepower.... true what you say, but how ironic that many if not all musicians that finally get better become professional musicians eventually spend so much money on their musical gear.... I know many of my professional musician/guitar player friends that have over 100 expensive guitars and musical gear (amps and pedals...etc) that they take on tour and non that cost less than $200 USD... How ironic....
Many people put down the Yamaha pacifica. The think they are low level cheap guitars. And that is because of their lack of knowledge. These guitars are great and affordable and have high end parts and better than many high end guitars. And when they are in the hands of a skillful player like you and Jack Thammarat (who endorces them), it is amazing the great music you can get from them. These guitars are very underrated and it is the players who are losing out.
Very cool. I play a lot of modded Pacificas at gigs and always get great tone with no problems. Extremely underrated guitar and a fantastic modding platform.
Just bought one from eBay £65 - amazing, needs new strings and a good clean and tweaking, but it's all about the playing and enjoyment just like you say - buy cheap, play more... Good Vid, great playing, good sound. Nice chat..
Resurrected my old (made in '05) pacifica the other day. It had had both the neck and middle pickups out of action for years, although the bridge still sounded amazing. Rewound the two pickups and set it up and plays like new! Definitely the last guitar that I'd sell if I ever had to thin out my collection.
First time viewer of any of your vids only watched because I still play my pacifica daily, 20 years after first getting it! Got other guitars now but still love it. VERY underestimated instruments imo. Oh and I mod and build guitars now too. Subbed
I've had a Pacifica for 10 years now. Awesome guitar great value for money mines needs some tlc prob needs pickups replaced and the bridge is sitting quite high
I had a 98 and never should have sold it... The cool part is about them is you have to beat on them a bit to get the tone out but it's a lot of fun :) The newer ones suck.. they have no soul like the old ones.
Your video tipped the scale for me! My 1995 Yamaha Pacifica is on its way and I can't wait! Now, do I need to get all those pedals to get such rich bluesy tone??
my first guitar was an erg121. didnt play that one since 2007... i started leveling the frts and crowning it, rolling the edges of the fretboard... i chiseled the edges of the body (to be more rounded, like a strat)... i am still putting it back together. but i think It'll turn to be my main axe. because i am so familiar with its 13.5 inch radius. No strat ever felt as nice.
The Yamaha Pacifica. The most underrated guitar ever.
i have one with some fender singles in the neck and middle, and a seymour duncan sh11 in the bridge. it's a beast
@12Gage didn't they come out in 1993?
Yamaha, probably the best value production guitars out there.
Seems like prices have crept upwards quite a bit. Still great guitars though.
But also some off the greatest sounding high end guitars too. Look up videos of people playing the LL16 or the LL6 A.R.E. Flippin INCREDIBLE sound.
Yamaha bass : billy shehaan, michael antony VH, many jazz top player
Yamaha have made incredible instruments for decades. I'm a big fan of Yamaha. Good job sir!
Sick dude - just crazy sick! Perfect example of how it’s not the equipment but the work and soul and it’s obvious you’ve done/got both. Very motivating- thanks!
true. mike is a badass. but its really a better example of how the amp/amp model/speaker are FAR FAR FAR more important than the guitar. it took me 30 years of playing to figure that out. well, actually more like 27 years but still. very frustrating. play a $150 guitar through a great amp/speaker/cab and you can get a killer tone etc. play a great guitar through a shit amp/speaker and you get shit. try it for yourself. get an SX guitar from Rondo and play it through a great amp and then compare it to a great guitar through the same exact setting and what you will almost always find is that it sound a bit different but not worse! I have 7 guitars that cost $125 or less (in fairness three are Squier Area '51 guitars that I got used so they were a bit more expensive when first released and are AMAZING guitars). anyway, hands down its the amp and speaker, not the guitar (unless you have just god awful pickups etc). nowadays, the cheap awful guitars are a thing of the past (mostly). now you can get an amazing guitar for less than $300. take the Mitchell MD 300 - kind of guitar center's in house brand. Got mine for $269 on sale then they had a supah dupah sale and I got a partial refund to match down to $229. that guitar matches my 1988 studio model PRS for tuning stability and neck feel. comes with locking tuners and coil taps for pickups. has a fixed bridge so not a fair comparison totally but omg unreal deal. maybe the best bargain out of all my 14 guitars. I have owned about 20 amps over the years (almost all tube) and rack equipment etc 4x12 boogie cab - 2x12 marshall cab and 2x12 cab now made by I forgot who lol. anyway, the point is with machine manufacturing these days, its almost hard to screw up a guitar. it CAN be done though - I have an SX from rondo to prove it - bridge is slightly offset etc. but it still SOUNDS very good! just annoying to play somewhat because the low E slips off the neck too easily. but I've been so impressed with their quality overall. Just remember: if you have $1500 to spend, spend $300 on the guitar and the rest on a fuchs blackjack amp or save up and get a kemper or axe fx or maybe even a helix (gasp, yes, a line 6 product that doesnt seem to actually be god awful - a first!). rock on!
On the other hand an expensive (read high quality) guitar is much more comfortable to play than a cheap guitar. I also have cheap guitars, but I had to put a lot of effort and work to them to make them play and feel anywhere near as good as my high end guitars. The frets may be sharp and not leveled, the neck may feel a bit funky and general set up as well. These things are time consuming... That being said I have to say that cheap guitars may sound almost as good as the high end ones.
Fretboards are so consistent nowadays that unless frets are glued in wrong, off the rack guitars today are generally perfectly fine unless you want to go crazy low with the action. Also, re: sharp frets: even expensive guitars can experience neck shrinkage due to environmental differences between factory and point of sale that will result in fret ends sticking out, it's just a standard thing to be prepared to take care of when you buy a guitar at any price point. And every brick and mortar store I've ever bought from will take care of that for you when you buy the guitar (for no additional charge).
To me, the only major "gotcha" that remains with today's cheap guitars is that you'll sometimes come across bodies that are excessively heavy (made from dense poplar, or whatever), but if you are buying in person, that's easy to test before you pull the trigger.
That's so true! I have a Pacífica 012, my first option was a bullet strat, but my teacher recommended a Pacifica, at first I thought It didn't sound great, until I got the chance to play my teacher's 2.5 k Fender Strat, sounded just as bad as the Pacifica in my hands.
umm... Fender is toooooooooo expensive.
These guitars do not get the respect they deserve. I have been trying to get a Pacifica 311 each for a couple of years now. It is a Strat style guitar with a humbucker in the bridge and a P90 in the neck. Comes with locking tuners and is very high-quality for $500 Canadian. They’re hard to find though and they do not hold their value at all because people think they are not good guitars, it’s too bad.
pacificas are brilliant,cheers from canada as well
Yamaha also made absolute KILLER superstrats in the early 90s, designed by Rich Lasner (who had previously been a key figure in the design of Ibanez RG and JEM guitars.
Flash forward to 2017 if this is an older post-Got a 311 thru Sweetwater Music, it's a tone machine. Solid wood and a bit heavy, but thats part of the tone. I've also got a Pac 112J. changed the pups on that and if I lost my more expensive guitars, I would still hang with that one. Very comfortable to play.
Look on reverb and get that puppy!
@Todd Blinks I have a 311H. It's my second Pacifica and won't be my last. Perfectly compliments my 112V. The 311's G&B P90 PUP in particular has great tone and power for the $$$. Build quality of Pacificas is astounding compared with alternate brands anywhere near their pricepoint. Highly recommend the 311.
So glad the guy at the music store talked me out of the Squier and into this exact guitar.
Me too!
Sounds like an honest guy.
In fact, 112, especially the v, is even better than the MIM fender imo. the value for money is just insane.
Just purchased the left hand model and love it! As we all know, the choice for lefties is limited but as soon as I saw it in store just love the satin finish and feel.
Yamaha Pacificas are not only great beginner guitars,they're also great modding platforms.
I turned my old Pacifica,into a ''Frankenstein-Superstrat'',inspired by Andy Timmons Ibanez with a friend of mine,who is a guitar tech/instructor and does these projects all the time with his students.
We stripped the guitar completely down,got a Warmoth neck(quartersawn maple,compound radius,ebony fretboard,ss-jumbo frets) and S.Duncan pickups(JB/Classic Stack Plus/Cool Rails),GOTOH/Wilkinson locking tuners and VS100 bridge,Grapthtech TUSQ nut.My buddy sculped the neck heel for better fret access and made the cutaway deeper,we refinished it in a metallic,light blue paintjob and also installed a mini-switch,in order to activate the outer coil of the JB in single coil mode.,in addition to the 5-way switch.
I'll put that thing against any boutique Superstrat on the market,in terms of playability and tone.
Yamaha guitars are always good. So underrated
Larry Taylor except acoustic guitars
@@DominickDecocko WRONGO!! Yamaha acoustics are some of the greatest luthier-crafted instruments globally. The LL-series ie LL6 or LL16 or some older model likes the LA-8 are insanely incredible for sound, resonance, and comfort. Japanese are masters of everything they do. So when a Japanese luthier crafts an acoustic, trust they take huge pride in it and it will better ANY American guitar.
@@Twitch_Moderator I believe Pacifica guitars are made in Indonesia. But it's well known that yamaha has exceptional quality control
@@Twitch_Moderator Woah, this isnt geography class dude, Japan may be good, bud don't compare a Martin or a Taylor vs. a little Yamaha, they're great, but not boutique quality
The faces you made remind me of the ones my grandma makes when she is filling her Depends undergarments. I love her so much. I love M Lee Firkins and the Pacifica, thanks Mike!
i dont understand why this guitar is always rated as a beginner guitar, i know guys that use these in the recording studios, for the
Wilfred Firley because fender/gibsons or whatever has name. Just names. Yamaha can do the job also.
michel lee frankin, firehouse guitarist, rick emmet, billy sheehan on bass.. other on jazz player i didn't know
A fender sound very good , and a yamaha sound very good
Because all beginners should buy this guitar.
@@sonidamara5018 Bill Leverty is the guitarist for Firehouse and he rocks
Wow, man, thanks for taking the time to make this video. After almost 20 years of putting my guitars down (you know, so I could break myself raising kids, establishing retirement investments, doing all the adult stuff), I'm just now getting back into playing...
Watching your face while you jam out on the Pacifica was refreshing because when it comes down to it, just having a silly little guitar to jam on is all it takes to bring back that feeling of happiness that I used to have when I was goofing and creating back in the day.
Tonight, I went to my local Guitar Center and bought a Fender Mustang GT100, brought it home and started playing again. An hour later, my fingertips are mostly raw hamburger, but I'm back!
What you said about gear and such was perfect, and was exactly what I needed to hear. I still have a few of my old guitars left, but I sold my last strat a couple of years ago, and I'm going to dive back into the fat-strat arena and order a Pacifica, because you're spot-on about the gear. Since the Pacifica has the coil-tap feature on the bridge humbucker, there's really no reason for me to buy a strat copy, even if it's a Fen *cough cough* Squire. If nothing else, the headstock shape on the Pacifica is so much more elegant than most Squires. Why in the world did they go with that bulky-looking Play-Doh version of a strat headstock? It's just awful.
At any rate, thanks again for the video, hitting the subscribe button right after I submit this. Keep up the amazing, man! Truly sick skills. :)
Haha, my Yamaha is still my number one. With mods and being worn in, it is a rock solid work horse. Old faithful has never failed me. Especially now when played through a BOSS Katana.
Benjamin Wong which mods has yours? Mine has a bone nut and a Dimarzio humbucker. I love it
@@hdbidhdib9471 It was pre-slotted, but the first three strings were a little bit loose, so my luthier used crazy glue and bone dust to fill the slots (an awesome trick) In any case there is nothing wrong with the Yamaha nut. The change didn't cost me that much, but you can always go to Yamaha, they may have the perfect size for you. I recomend you the bone nut or one made of graphite, there are a lot of tutorials in UA-cam, so I know you can do it yourself. Tuning has never been better for me with the bone one.
I've got a 112 under my bed, I got it 5 years ago tried it for about 6 months, all fingers n thumbs..... gave up
You're getting me thinking I should learn something on it again
Had something's similar. Bought an acoustic, than had it standing in the corner for months if not a year. When I had a spark of wanting to learn again I went to (private) guitar lessons. As an adult. That was over ten years ago, been playing ever since. I can wholeheartedly recommend doing so.
man play your guitar..there so many ways to play guitar...fingerstyle..chickenpick..flamingo....several blues variations...flatpickin..strumming..etc etc...
I just got a Yamaha Pacifica for Christmas! Absolutely obsessed with it.
Amazing to hear!
@@MikeBradleyofficial 😁😁 I named it Elektra
@@escaping_purgatorymines named cheems
I love my 20+ year old Pacifica (tele shape, humbuckers) so much. So beaten up, I've had to fill the top cavity to stop it collapsing, but still full of love (It's the one in my profile pic)
Chris Franklyn yep
it looks ugly as hell
It does! It's getting worse the more I mod it :)
Amazing. Few people get happy with their gear and complain something they have is cheap and not good enough. Whe people say my Ibanez is beat up and ugly, well, it was taken to bunch of gigs, spilled beer on it and got cigarette burns and bunch of stories I could share.
Yamaha guitars are really underrated ! I have an acoustic that I've had for about 40 years . Still plays and sounds better than my new Fender acoustic . Also have a Yamaha Stat copy that I love . Sounds amazing and stays in tune even when crushing the trem bar .
Don't know how underrated Yamaha acoustics are. Their FG800 is, I think, the best selling student guitar in the world and it gets really good reviews on the various guitar channels. But I know what you mean, it's the same with their bass guitars which don't get the same recognition as some other brands but are legendary instruments with informed bassists.
I first heard of the Yamaha Pacifica around 1990 when the band Firehouse put out their first album. Their guitarist, Bill Leverty, was credited with playing this guitar on the album. He got some amazing tone out of that ax.
Just discovered your videos Mike, top class, great player, and an engaging guy, speaking to the guitarist about the important issues. It's not about how much you spend on your gear, exactly, really enjoy watching you, you make the whole guitar playing fun, and that is so important, i'm a 50 odd year old bedroom guitar player, these vids are a god send, keep them up,
Thank you for the kind words Billy, truly means a lot.
I had a 112 in the '90's and it was the best budget instrument at the time. Ultralightweight and very workable. I switched over to the 812 later on. After a decade's rest, i picked up the 112 again to take it to rehearsal. As much as i love it, i must say that it didn't hold up anymore. Budget instruments got way better now. But it is still the one i go for when doodling at home.
That was the most badass opening ever, that was a lot of practice.
I like the sound of the Pacifica 112, it sounds like it could hold it's own against more expensive guitars.
I wish I still had my Gibson Explorer from high school. Been playing since I was 13. Now I play as a hobby and play live few times a year and I’m all about getting all the gear I never could afford when I was younger.
Nice! I was playing a Pacifica 112v right now, cool guitar. My best advice for begginers and the people on a low budget...buy a comfortable guitar, that´s the most important thing, and the best amp you can afford...the amp always makes the difference. A high end guitar can sound like a crap trough a bad amp. That´s my point of view.
Great work, Mike, I love your channel. Greetings from Spain.
I'm a beginner , please suggest me a good amp and other settings for this Yamaha Pacifica 112v
Marc Gallant thank u so much
Marc Gallant thanks
Or you can get a roland cube
Marc Gallant I'm planning for a bugera v5 infinium ,how about that?
7:55 sounds just brilliant and in a blind taste test sounds like a sweet strat,blows away 95% of the squier lineup
Thank you so much for the inspiration! I player Acoustic guitar all my life and just ordered my first electricguitar! It will be a Pacifica 611 Root Beer color! So exited!!
Mike Bradley! Thanks so much for recommending the Pacifica 112j - I just got mine today (lefty natural) and I'm blown away by its sound - straight out of the box. The wood is gorgeous too (Alder) and it's also light weight. I'm so thankful for this! Amazing! Thanks again!
How's the Yamaha Pacifica neck? Modern, thin?
I have a '91 Pacifica 521 I bought new back in the day. It won out over every Fender I tried out at the time. Still sounds and plays quite well for a so called budget guitar
Ok, today I picked up a used PAC510V. Less than a year old, in genuine mint condition and a rather cool sonic blue. $300AU.. Got it home, set it up with preferred Elixir strings and with the twang of an e string it’s gone. My 14 year old daughter fell in love with the colour and has charmed it away from me. 🙃🇦🇺🎸
I got this as my first guitar about 4 months ago it’s black and white and I’m a lefty, I love this guitar and glad it’s back
I bought a Pacifica 112 last week, just picked it up from the guitar tech an hour ago, changed the single coil pickups to Dimarzio Area pickups. Literally about to test it and stumbled on this video, how awesome!
My friends who are pro players cannot believe the feel and playability of this guitar. It really is the best bang for bang in its class.
It really is, i'm tempted to change the pups, but i'm very nostalgic over things like that haha.
Mike Bradley easy to be nostalgic when you can play like that, you make any guitar sound good :-)
I need all the extra help I can get! Haha
sounds super straty,i bought one for $40(canadian) but i ended up giving
it to a friend who was sick and didn't have a guitar,i loved it.great guitars
The Yamaha sounds great Mike!
its abour time mike!! you had been prmosing us to play that guitar for more than 2 YEARS!!! lol
I know I know, I may be late to the party, but I get there in the end! :) haha
I have a 1999 Pacifica 112 just like it (but in black). Like yours it rarely gets played anymore. But there is no denying it’s a good guitar that far exceeds its price point.
I've told everyone I ever taught guitar to over the last 25 years that your equipment means NOTHING!! SO MANY elitist musicians think you need the Mesa Boogie head or a Marshall head, the matching quad 10" or 12" cab and a PRS or a Gibson to be a real guitarist. What a joke.
A great guitarist can make a $250 guitar sound like a $3,000 guitar with skill and technique. And effects and equalizer s are what make your sound. Sure a good clean comes from good circuitry and vacuum tubes at times. But the elitist attitudes are toxic trash and mostly lies in the musician community. If the higher end gear makes you happy, then buy it. But don't break the bank trying to keep up to everyone else. It's about skill and fun, not money 😉
Agreed man.. tone of guitars can be compromised by amp settings, strings, and effect pedal. Talking of playbility, it's subjective.. some dudes that playin cheapo squier only for many years would be found some trouble when playin les paul guitar that has different neck profile
How about a lesson on that neat muted lick you play up and down the neck at around 0:30 ? You’ve done this a couple of times in videos and I love it. It’s pretty much your signature lick to my ears.
It sounds absolutely fantastic and I know they're great to play.
mike you remeber what my guitar teacher told me once: a good guitar player, is able to make a cheap guitar like an expensive one!! and a bad one makes an expensive guitar like a cheap one!! and you are a great guitar player!! especially when you play the beast!!! lol i am not being vias!!!
Eh up Mike you've just convinced me to buy my mates Yamaha Pacifica for £80 i'm an old fart learner at 61 and didn't want to spend a lot of money got a cheap little Blackstar amp and can't wait to get started, just subscribed to your channel, great video by the way and thanks for making my mind up for me, cheers Bob.
I have had that exact same guitar since 1999, had US strats, Randy Rhoads Jackson V, Les Pauls, Teles, ibenez and I always go back to this guitar for tone incredible versatility and fast neck. I will never rid of it.
Such a soulful guitar player, using skill, rhythm, passion and a bloody good amp to make that Pacifica sound Godly. Nobody would ever guess that sound came from a Pacifica if they listened to it on a record.
My old Yamaha 12 string is irreplaceable to me. I bought it for $45 in a pawn shop in Laramie Wyoming around 1985. I recently wanted an electric, so I bought a Pacifica. It's been a good practice guitar so far. Felt comfortable since day 1. Super affordable without being too cheap. Combined with a little Blackstar, and I pick it up most every day. Way to go Yamaha.
Hey. Just got mine back. Bought it in the late 90's. Lost it to the pawn gods about eight years ago. Times were tough. Anyway got it back today. So happy. Great guitar.
sounds so great ! getting mine tomorrow.. can't wait!
Great to hear!
Yes, Mike, Yes !!! I can listen to you play freestyle like that for hours.
I've got a 112V Great guitar will never part with it, plays & sounds better than my MIM strat. Great video Mike, you make any guitar sound lovely. Regards to gear all us guitarist's suffer from
GAS ;) (gear acquiring syndrome)
I have a 112V as well. I love it. My Telecaster Custom SHOULD be my go-to for varying tones, but the Pacifica is better.
I always thought of Pacifica tone as what you always wanted your strat to sound like. Still had that jangle, but a little tighter and more refined
Yes, it's annoying how they sound more strat than most strats.
The neck pup is SRV & Hendrix capable.
Even the bridge humbucker sounds amazing.
I still have mine since 2000. Great guitar and it’s held up pretty well. Mine is the blonde wood same as on the video.
I have one just like the one in the video...great condition...guy at work GAVE it to me....sounds great..I'm still trying to find anything wrong with it...Its beautiful....
It's so refreshing to watch these videos full of performances, tutorials and ideas in a fun and unintimidating way by someone who knows his shit, instead of the usual 'ERMAGHERD 20 BILLION REASONS WHY FENDERS SUCK AND THIS IS THE BEST GUITAR VIDEO EVERRRRRR!' Knob heads. Keep it real man!
Nice playing and very important message. Music first not money. If you can play you can make anything sound good.
Pacifica forever... got mine 112 in E flat... for when I feel like playinf Lenny..., cheers
Today I got my 112V out it's case (after a long long time) to clean it up and sell it. Plugged in & it's either got a lot better or I'd forgotten. Played my only other 2 guitars, PRS custom & Epi with sey duncs & nah, they were not doing it for me: The Pacifica ripped and it's a keeper! Can't remember what I paid that long ago but it wasn't half what I paid for my others!
My first guitar was Yamaha pacifica , great feel..i was 12 at the time
Thanks...I just bought a PAC 312, older, used and beat, for $180 US...still in transit. I am fascinated be these guitars...played several Yamaha acoustics over the last 40 years or so, and never played a bad one...my Les Paul and my other "good" guitars will stay home...going to play out with it...
I just got a DX012 Pacifica new to me for $150. Bought it at the Guitar Center and tuned it up and test drove it. Bought it then it went on hold for 24 days. When I picked it up it was still in tune. Very under rated and reasonably priced. I’ve added it to my Rev Star RS502 and two Yamaha acoustics. The electrics are hotter than the standard guitars so I found I have to back volume down just a smidge. Cheers 🎸
My pacifica 112 is still one of my favourite guitars to play, even alongside my MIJ Fenders, MIJ 70's Ibanez, and other little gems I have, the pacifica upgraded with wilkinson vintage pickups is still one of the best sounding and feeling of the lot. I've gigged it a bunch of times and people are always amazed by it's tone.
I always liked this guitar. I tried one out in the mid 90s and thought it was great. I really like the plain unfinished wood too.
I think the plain finish was to show off the wood as a finger up at the brands with plywood or worse bodies. :)
I agree.
some of the best playing ever!
Aww thanks a lot Rob!
this is way i play guitar this dud has passion my first guitar was a fg 75 yamaha tyed others just got back into playing again and went back to yamaha got a 2000 sun burst fg 735 s red label just love it did not know much about the 112 but dam i like it going to get me one slash watch out your great man
Ive been playing mine for over 20 years
Ah, man! I bought one back in the mid 90s, as well. It was cherry red or something. I loved it, but sold it about ten years ago. Regret it everyday.
I have (2) rare signature models from Japanese Band *Scandal* The Pacifica 112J was Haruna Ono's 1st guitar she played. I have this model and play it more frequently than the $$$ guitars. I love this for playability and tones I get + I don't worry about keeping it perfect. Great for young players and just to play around!
Glad you got it back in shape! Sounds great in your hands 😀
"...that's why it's good to have a load of guitars, in it?"
So true! The one you pick up is the one that moves your spirit at that moment. You are, however, SOOOOOOO right that you donn't need fantastic gear to improve playing and to have fun.
Well said. Just play and play and play.
Oh, and I've not seen any of your posts before: very impressed.
I have one..Sunburst Yamaha from 2001.. Great guitar.. Awesome sound!!
I reckon Yamaha would have sold a stack of these if people had seen one played as well as this back in the day! I had the exact same guitar in natural finish as my first guitar too.
I've got that guitar got it around the same time, just recently starting playing again after about 20 years and loving it more as an adult just a shame it's taken me this long
For anyone wondering, its a PAC- 112j
What's the difference between the yamaha pacificas with the curvy headstock font, and the regular blocky font?
@@plasticglueman9966 what
@@plasticglueman9966 oh.
Well just the country its sold in
Mine (Europe) has an angular font
American ones have cursive from what I can see
Ok thanks... I was just wondering why my friend had a pacifica with a different headstock than me
Just watched your gear doesnt matter video and decided to check your channel. Boom. Pacifica is back. subbed
Yay, cheers buddy
I love the sound of that pacifica. I received one for christmas last year and it's a 1998 i think and I like it even more than my new fender strat. Maybe my ears are going as a result of loud amps (to much fun).lol
Thanks for the inspiration and the great playing as always .
Jimmy page always played his cheap sterling guitar at home more than the expensive 59 les paul.Queens lead guitarist made guitar from junk.
David Gilmour said "that gear is not important,the fingers make the tone. I could plug in to whatever guitar,amp,pedal and make it sound like me"
How's the Pacifica neck profile? Modern, thin?
@@lucaboccia thinner than my fender and a little more flat
Another great video Mike! As they say "tone is in the fingers!" Also... around 10:01 really reminded me of the end of Crossfire by SRV, but still unique... so kudos for sounding like SRV making it up as you go with a Pacifica! Totally awesome!
Your style really makes me think of a kind of John Frusciante meets Stevie Ray Vaughan!
I'll take that, thanks! :)
Thanks Mike, I love my Pacifica 212.
What matters most is skill, technique and practice not equipment. You take a wealthy guy in say London and give him the most expensive football, sports wear, football boots, fully equipped facilties etc. but he doesn't make the most if them or the poor young kid in Brazil that has nothing but a cheap old football and a ton of passion and persistence who's going to be the better player in the end?
It also reminds me of the Bruce Lee quote about not fearing a man that has practiced ten thousand kicks but the man that has practiced one kick ten thousand times.
Mastering a basic cheap instrument will get you further than farting around with an expensive one. If you've got the money though then go ahead and buy top quality because it will last you the rest of your life but if you don't then don't let that hold you back.
Thanks for sharing that.i was thinking about buying 13000$ fender strat.,but now im thinking about buying a squier deluxe strat.
It's called passion mate. Love what you play full stop.
Top post. 👍
That's it, i am going to buy a football.
@unlockthepower.... true what you say, but how ironic that many if not all musicians that finally get better become professional musicians eventually spend so much money on their musical gear.... I know many of my professional musician/guitar player friends that have over 100 expensive guitars and musical gear (amps and pedals...etc) that they take on tour and non that cost less than $200 USD... How ironic....
I owned 2 of these in black and they play really good
Many people put down the Yamaha pacifica. The think they are low level cheap guitars. And that is because of their lack of knowledge. These guitars are great and affordable and have high end parts and better than many high end guitars. And when they are in the hands of a skillful player like you and Jack Thammarat (who endorces them), it is amazing the great music you can get from them. These guitars are very underrated and it is the players who are losing out.
How's the Yamaha Pacifica neck? Modern, thin?
Very cool. I play a lot of modded Pacificas at gigs and always get great tone with no problems. Extremely underrated guitar and a fantastic modding platform.
I have the 112j in Lake Placid Blue. The most gorgeous color in the world
Awesome playing again mike. The riffing was spiffing 👌👍
Still have mine after 20 years. Scratch plate and knobs are looking a little yellow these days but still plays great.
Wish I didn't break my original scratch plate :(
Just bought one from eBay £65 - amazing, needs new strings and a good clean and tweaking, but it's all about the playing and enjoyment just like you say - buy cheap, play more... Good Vid, great playing, good sound. Nice chat..
Resurrected my old (made in '05) pacifica the other day. It had had both the neck and middle pickups out of action for years, although the bridge still sounded amazing. Rewound the two pickups and set it up and plays like new! Definitely the last guitar that I'd sell if I ever had to thin out my collection.
First time viewer of any of your vids only watched because I still play my pacifica daily, 20 years after first getting it! Got other guitars now but still love it. VERY underestimated instruments imo. Oh and I mod and build guitars now too. Subbed
Cheers Jez, yes they are really great guitars, glad to have to back up and working again.
I've had a Pacifica for 10 years now. Awesome guitar great value for money mines needs some tlc prob needs pickups replaced and the bridge is sitting quite high
Damn! Your tone in the opening jam sounds killer!
Cheers Jared :)
I have this guitar, ToooooooP ...BEST guitar day by day
I just copped one of these off ebay for £62, gonna make a nice project guitar for my laboratory experiments!
So good man. Tuning in from Malaysia. Love your videos
I could listen to 4:47 all day duuuddeee
I had a 98 and never should have sold it... The cool part is about them is you have to beat on them a bit to get the tone out but it's a lot of fun :) The newer ones suck.. they have no soul like the old ones.
I got this exact guitar today so i can learn to play!
Amazing, enjoy!! :)
What is that guitar type 112j or 112v ?
@@thisisyuliip9142 112j
It sounds great and you play great
Your video tipped the scale for me! My 1995 Yamaha Pacifica is on its way and I can't wait! Now, do I need to get all those pedals to get such rich bluesy tone??
I really like that color of that Pacifica.
Whooooeeee!! You can rip on that thing! Nice!!
The Dude in Firehouse Use to Play Them ...
Hell Still Got Mine ...
my first guitar was an erg121. didnt play that one since 2007... i started leveling the frts and crowning it, rolling the edges of the fretboard... i chiseled the edges of the body (to be more rounded, like a strat)... i am still putting it back together. but i think It'll turn to be my main axe. because i am so familiar with its 13.5 inch radius. No strat ever felt as nice.
The noise issue can easliy be resolved with shielding paint. It will be just as silent as your Fender strat.
Thanks gr8 helpful in choosing my next guitar&love your blog.