Which one should you get? Ibanez AZES vs. YamahaPacifica 112VM
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- The Yamaha Pacifica has long been one of the best guitar for beginners and students and now Ibanez is moving in with their AZES line. This is good enough of a reason to compare the two.
#beginnerguitar #ibanezvsyamaha
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I'm 61 1/2 years old........My very first guitar, a Yamaha 112V, is coming on Monday! Excited to learn how to play guitar but expect many, many months/years of work, practice and finger pain as I learn to actually play.
11 months in and still playing and learning/ Practice a couple of hours each day. I still suck but getting better.
- I would not recommend a beginner get a maple fretboard.....I bought a Fender Tele with a maple fretboard. As a beginner you tend to look at the strings and fretboard as you play. Unfortunately, the there is not a lot of contrast between the strings color and the maple fretboard so sometimes it can be hard to see the strings when switching chords or picking. Much easier to see the strings when the fretboard is something like rosewood or another dark colored wood. Yamaha makes the 112V version (without the "M", which means maple) which is what I have and it's much easier to see the strings against the darker wood of the fretboard. I should add that I wear glasses (reading glasses) when I play so that may have something to do with visibility too.
@@dbreardon keep it up !! letsgooo !
Sweet! How‘s it going so far? You play every day?
@@dbreardon thanks for the tip! I was confused between the two, so I’m assuming the 112v has a rosewood fretboard?
@@starcloud599 yes.....the 112VM has the maple fretboard...thus the "M"....and a slight bit more expensive I think.
Thank you for sharing!
The Yamaha Pacifica 311 is still one of my best guitars. It's versatile and always fits perfectly in the mix.
Actually I'm looking at one (311) and I've only been playing for 55 years. For some reason they don't sell the one with vibrato in the USA - Dunno why not... Pete.
Being too german I just wanted to point out that the Ibanez has 25” scale while the Yamaha is full Stratocaster scale of 25,5”. Some people do think this affects sound and playability…. Anyway: Thank you EytschPi for your terrific work on this channel - I really like 👍 your reviews… I love the tremolo - it has to stay and blue is nicer obviously 😁
too German? ;-)
Some of us take things too close or precise, this is what I meant… 👍
But good point. When I played a Mustang in a shop it felt easier to play, but that was (also) caused by the shorter scale, 24". For kids and teens with their developing hands this may be more comfortable for playing, giving them more confidence too (unless of course they already have big hands).
@@fritsvanzanten3573 yes but the sound is bit darker on short scale guitars, less defined on the low strings especially … I think Ibanez made a good compromise in sound with this guitar
@@michaelkoenig6317 I thought you meant you were German too (König) ;-) Aber gründlich soll man immer sein, dass wäre nie 'zu Deutsch' ;-)
Pacifica all the way!
After finally buying an Ibanez AZES40 of my own, i have to agree about the tremelo tuning instability but i simply installed a GraphTech nut and string trees on it and it now stays in tune really well. So with that inexpensive and simple upgrade, this particular Ibanez is an amazing low price budget guitar that you can play pretty much any genre of music on. The single coils sound super nice on it but the humbucker should be a bit stronger. So for my next simple and fairly cheap upgrade, i’m gonna swap out the original humbucker and install a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge for a measly $99.00. Which will mean i will still only have a total of only $500.00 invested in this and still have an amazing metal machine and blues guitar that can do it all and still not empty my wallet.
Hi, quick question: could you tell me which Graphtech nut you purchase, with the right size? Thanks!
Everyone is missing the best thing in this video which is obviously the cat shirt.
Yes of course - the cat shirt. I love that AND the Pacifica..
😂😂😂😂😂😂
For about 10 bucks you can simply install a GraphTech nut and string trees on both of these guitars to solve the tremelo tuning instability problems. And because it’s such an inexpensive upgrade, there’s no excuse for any guitar company NOT to install them from the factory for any guitar they make that has a tremelo system. In fact, i would say this upgrade is much more important than installing locking tuners to provide the best tuning stability for any tremelo equipped guitar.
I like both! Yamaha for its body shape (small waist), and trebbly sound, the Ibanez for its body shape (small, light, ergonomic heel) , the shorter scale, the tonal options and the warmer sound.
Only thing: I'll move the volume knob out of the way of my strumming hand on both. (like I do on every other guitar with pots that close. The old hole gets a on/off button for neck always on, or a pup split or a kill switch)
Yamaha, all day every day, just sounded better to me.
This intro edit is killin me Henning! Awesome
Fantastic opening jam! My first guitar was a Yamaha 112.
I am an Ibanez fan all over, but in this case the Pacifica wins. It is a full grown guitar. The massive alder body really has a full, nice tone and they are very well manufactured.
I wouldn't even consider it a entry level guitar.
THANK YOU
@@alpineorchid6207 You're welcome!
Well it has AlNico pickups. The Ibanez has ceramics as does the squire affinity if that's what he's testing.
Ya 💯
They both sound wonderful when played by a maestro like you, sir. I prefer the Ibanez.
Nice guitar I started on a pac012. Imo the Ibanez seems to be the better guitar in this case, cleaner/smoother sound. Both are good beginner guitars. Thanks for the comparison Henning!
Hello, my experience is that every year more than 10 guitars pass through my hands, some I sell, others I keep... They are not high-end guitars, but rather mid-range (Fender Mexico or Epiphine Korea... ) and really, the Ibanez Azes is too comfortable to play... Maybe I'm missing alnico pickups, but its temples, despite being ceramic, are amazing and also quite defined for the price... However have had one
Yamaha Pacifica being honest, I still prefer the Ibanez AZ, which seriously sounds like a cannon and is very comfortable to play...
It’s amazing. I just bought it today and spent 6 hours with it 😂
Everybody always goes on about the Yamaha pickups being being too trebly, but that's by design; G&L pickups are designed the same way. For dirty tones that cut through a band mix, keep everything open, and for great clean tones turn the volume down two-thre notches and the tone by three to five notches
I like the sound of the single coils on the ibanez, but prefer everything else with the pacifica (looks, woods, metal knobs etc.)
Budget trems are not bad! It is all in how you set them up. Exactly the same mechanics in expensive trems just superior metal used.
Yes I never get this critique.
I’ve had plenty of sub $200 guitars with trems just fine
I find your view on ergonomics regarding the rounded edges interesting. For me it's the other way round. All strat-style guitars I've tried just seem to slip away from my leg if I dont use a strap. My Pacifica just sticks to me. Love it.
Yup - have an Ibenez that is slippery as hell on my leg, but just got a 112 and it's way more stable, much easier to play without a strap. I love it!
I have a Harley Benton TE-20 in candy apple red. That one sounds good and holds in tune really well. I've seen others commenting on that. Doesn't have a stick either. So definetly a great beginner guitar imo, even though it doesn't have a humbucker.
This is the comparison video I most connect with. My first of your videos thankyou. BTW, I'm getting the one on sale! My two most motivating factors are the scale length, as someone pointed out and the ergonomics. I've found the guitarist really makes a difference, you think you're choosing a guitar but you aren't necessarily. i just looked at my yamaha in the cart and im pretty happy.
I’ve always been a fan of Ibanez but their quality seems to disappear quickly in their lower price point guitars where the Yamaha’s are consistent in quality from their cheapest to their most expensive in terms of what you get for the money compared to most other brands in the same price points and same categories.
I have bought the Ibanez ...and tested the Yamaha (that I thought I would prefer and chose as I already have Yamahas that I am quite happy with ...). That Ibanez for the price is a killer , soundwise in my pov it is far better than the Yamaha (warmer) , qualitywise it is almost perfect, it is light, the mics are damn good for the price (I was really expecting weak mics ….), The neck is fantastic, the body cut ideal ... And this switch is a must have if you don't want to set your pedals or plugins for hours as it offers 9 distinctive kind of sounds. I would definitely not call it a "beginner guitar" and I have a Strat custom shop and an LG USA legacy for comparison ... The only thing I have changed are the mechanics for Harley Benton's locking tuners and I will probably change the tremolo as it is loose as mentioned in the video but that is not urgent as I am not using it often ... But what a guitar for the price !!
I always have fret buzz issues with the Yamaha’s I’ve owned. Even the ones at a higher price point I guess it depends on what you mean by quality control. Yamaha isn't perfect either They will need a good setup to play optimally. I play my Pacifica 612 a lot, it's a great guitar but it wasn't flawless on arrival.
I think I'd go with the Ibanez AZES over the standard 112 Pacificas. I prefer the necks on the Ibanez a lot more than the Pacificas. I’d also rather go into “Dyna-MIX” voicings than into a split-coil which isn't that great. My personal opinion, but people could do much worse than either of these.
Not the Azes. Its a killer and ive tried 2 their pretty consistent. It plays feels like a 1k guitar.
Cool guitars both of them, I remember my first guitar in 1985 at $280 dollars, an Ibanez road star in fact was a total cheap piece of Shiite.
hi man, thanks for the comparison. plus, as some of the guys mentions here, great soloing at the beginning, interesting, unusual, just f cool
Great review as always! In this price range my go-to would be the Cort G260 though :)
The ES stands for essentials, not education series…. It’s Ibanez AZ Essentials 40. Also I have the Ibanez AZES40 which I bought today and it blows the Yamaha Pacifica 112vm out of the water. I sold that today. I’m not saying the Yamaha is bad, but it’s super heavy and clunky feeling and doesn’t play half as good or sound as good as the Ibanez AZES40.
Danke fürs Video! Ich habe schon die Ibanez gekauft (ich warte nur auf die Lieferung), aber ich glaube, ich werde es nicht bereuen. Die Flexibilität und das Aussehen der Ibanez haben mich überzeugt. Ich bin auch der Meinung, dass, da ich ein Anfängersohr habe, ist der Klangunterschied wahrscheinlich noch nicht so wichtig. Mal sehen 😅
@@GrandAdmiralGumo hast du dir nun die AZES31 geholt? Wie kommst du damit zurecht?
The Battle! 😱
Valeriaaaaaaaaaa
I wasn’t sure if I was making the right choice with the grey VM pacifica…then I saw this video…it looks awesome
The Ibanez was designed to be a 'Student Guitar'. For a student guitar, it is a great instrument for the money. Nothing wrong with a Pacifica. The Pacifica was not designed as a Student instrument.
What do you mean with"student guitar"? Smth like a guitar more for teenagers? Or for guitar beginners?
For me the Yamaha is better in every way!! 👍
Pacifica for sure!!! Tonewood is matter!!! It sounds richer than the AZES.
Back in the early 90s I used a Yamaha RGX, it was fantastic...but it only led me to Ibanez when I upgraded because a €1000 yamaha just seemed wrong(brilliant guitar but maybe the name just said "Student guitar) and I'm still playing Ibanez, it's a good move by Ibanez to get new players "brand loyal" from the start.
The GIO grx70qa made me a fan. This is next on my list. Then a prestige if I really like this one.
I have red metalic yamaha pacifica 112vm, because the yamaha is cheaper in my town. And also, i think yamaha sounds better. I like bright sounding guitar 😄
Hi HP 42, so do a few other tests with these entry-level axes and other cheaper ones like the HB, Squier or Donner Strat's etc. In my opinion, the Yamaha has a little more character and a clearer sound. Merry Christmas 🎄🎅
The superior neck joint on the Ibanez was decisive for me.
I PERSONALLY RECOMMEND THE STRANDBERG ENDURNECK
TO ANY STUDENT WHO CAN AFFORD IT...
THE NECK IS A DE FACTO TEACHING TOOL IN THAT IT NATURALLY
ENCOURAGES PROPER L-HAND POSITIONING...
AND THAT'S CRITICAL TO THE LEARNING PROCESS.
Honestly yamahas are unbeatable at that price point, but the Dynamix 9 switch of the AZES makes it a hell of an option
Ibanez for me. The bell like cleans totally nail vintage strat (and tele via the alter switch).
The overall handling >> Pacifica / the sound (straty) >> AZES. Personnaly i love my Pacifica 112V and i made it become a G&L Fallout like (pickups changed).
Out of the box set-up is important.
Imo the AZ wins hands down. Body shape is smoother and looks nicer imo, shorter scale length will help new players reach the frets, the endless pickup combinations will keep you achiving your tones for years and years, the pickups themselves also sound better, better tuners, much nicer pickguard, etc....
Thanks for the review. What would have interested me apart from the sound would be any differences in playability. Both the same? Ibanez shorter scale an so maybe better for beginners?
Talking about guitar students: How is Kiana? Can we expect a 2021 Christmas presents recommendation video?
Or any subject, like showing mrgugu collection 2022 ;-)
Personally, I like a Tele or epiphone LP Special. Something like that. You can get low end models of each for about $200. I would avoid a strat type with a trem to start out on. If a kid sticks with it and shows improvement and desire to play...then look for a mid priced guitar a year later. My first electric was used.
Any recommendations for a low end tele for a beginner?
Τhe Pacifica cuts through the mix a lot better, at least at YT sound quality. I must say it looks cooler than the Ibby too.
Yes, the Pacificas always sound a little on the thinner/grating side. Yamaha has kept that through the years. Not sure whether other pups would get rid of the issue (the limited editions e.g. 611VFMX were not like that). But very solid and great playable axes, for sure.
The new top of the line Pacifica uses Seymour Duncan pick ups they do not sound thin (Alnico 5 - I think, maybe 3). The weird thing is that I've tried many boutique pick ups, it's unusual to find any that are better that Seymour's (or Dimarzio). Pete.
funny because the yamaha in this video has alnico pickup vs the ibanez ceramic (i know it doesnt matter but the usual cork sniffing consensus is that ceramic = icepick when its the opposite here, I suspect its the pot tolerances tbh)
Im undecided Henning, but great video... Peace ✌
Hello Undecided Henning, I’m Andy 👋
Gracias por el video, me encanta la Yamaha ojala hubiera tenido una en los noventa cuando empecé saludos desde España ;)
is fretwork ok on Ibanez? Btw, your reviews are very useful!
Don’t make me choose, can’t I love them both?
Just get a Pia or Jem and figure out how to work a floater right away!!
I guess they know your vegan, I can’t get that close to a stag without it running away.
Hey, ich bin am überlegen mir eine leichte, gut spielbare, erschwingliche Zweitgitarre zuzulegen und bin auf die AZES-Modelle gestoßen. Ist die AZES40 ohne Tremolo-Nutzung stimmstabil genug (auch ohne locking tuners), oder sollte man dann lieber zur SSS Hard tail Variante AZES31 greifen? Die Single coils würden mich auch anmachen und meine lespaul hat genügend humbucker mit einer HHH Konfiguration. Würde mich über deine Einschätzung freuen :) Grüße aus der Nähe von Stuttgart!
In the States, The Ibanez is $10 cheaper, and honestly, that's about the only difference. They are virtually the same to me.
The ibanez is much more expensive here
Do you have an opinion on the fingerboard radius differences between these two? As I understand it the Ibanez is close to a Fender while the Yamaha is on the flatter side.
I have a question. On a lot of entry level guitars, I see them advertised as a good choice for a beginner shredder. To me, it sounds like that should be an easy guitar to play and learn on. The reason being advanced, technical playing requires a guitar that's easy to play. Am I right on that, or is there something I'm missing?
That's generally true. An entry-level guitar that is shred-friendly (ie technical, fast playing) should be one that is easy to play. This requires decent set up, low action, and features like medium or jumbo, and a relatively flat radius (10, 12 or greater). If you're fighting the guitar, like high action, going out of tune, choking out bends, bad frets, etc, that will frustrate your learning as a beginner. I know people will say, oh just get it set up, but not everyone is going to know how to set up, or that set up is actually a thing. A guitar - even an entry level one - should be decently set up out of the box such that you shouldn't need to do more work/spend more $ to make it playable.
Yes, the advanced player in the beginning player should play the same guitar which is one that has low frets without buzzing.
In fact, everyone should play that guitar.
The difference in guitars is pointless - You just need one that can play well with low action and keep in tune and be intonated.
Guitars do sound different because some have 24 frets and some of 22 and some have Al Nico single coils and others have humbuckers. So get the guitar that is the similar type to the musician that you want to play like. Most shredders use 24 fret high output humbuckers and I don't like those. I prefer the single coil 22 fret low power alnico pickups.
Hi Henning, why did you not consider the Pacifica 311H: humbucker (+P90), fixed bridge, locking tuners, Graphtech stuff, and 330€
Ibanez Azes40 all the way.
Have 2 different version of both guitars. The AZES’ absolute DESTROY any other guitar in this price range. Not even close. The AZES is by far and away the best $300 guitar ever made.
Always a great review! What is the song at the very end of the video with the animals?
I'd kill for the Yamaha body shape plus the Ibanez headstock. I feel like the Yamaha headstock is kinda lacking while I find the Ibanez body and that odd pickguard lacking.
Why not reshaping the Yamaha headstock like the Ibby one?
Two little cuts: off the bubble and a deepening. Solved!
Do both guitars stay in tune when using the tremolo?
The Yamaha pickups sound way better to me.
Pacifica might just have the best headstock font in the game
Every video I watched made the Ibanez cleans sound like a broomstick with cords on it.
Lol.
I have the same Pacifica 112 VM.
The grey one.
Really nice to play.
50 euros more and you have a Sire S3 with a bone nut, rolled board and incredible fret work.
@2:31 You know what would go well with that shirt ?? ........CAT SOCKS !!!!! I KNOW, RIGHT ?!!
man… if I only had some!
I really don't like that the pickguard of the Ibanez is white, but the backplate is black.
For the price, what is your choice: Ibanez GIO GRGR131EX-BKF or the Ibanez AZES line?
Can someone confirm that the ibanez trem cannot be floated as he says? I think this may be incorrect…
Why does single-coil seem so dominant in this context?
I really don't get why Yamaha is not just throwing locking tuners and the same graphtec stuff on the 112VM as they do for the 311h which is almost the same price anyway. Are the two single-coils so much more expensive than that one P90 of the 311h?
When I had a pacifica 20 years ago I could never get it to sound right…it’s only now I am older and trying to start again, that I realise that it never sounded right because I spent so much time in the tremelo and it was obviously always out of tune…
These two guitars are princes imo. The true king is the Sterling CT50 Cutlass.
thanks for the tip
this indecision is torture
I'm in Canada and the Yamaha and Ibanez are both 400 while the Sterling Cutlass is around 700
The Sterling is markedly more expensive, two to three times more expensive in Australia
I recommend hilcs guitar for anyone interested with s type guitar in Malaysia
What's this bro where can i find it
@@jordanjerrardjoy2308 you can order from brado guitar Malaysia
Honestly after watching it all I would really try and edge someone towards a Gretsch Streamliner lol. I picked up the p90 version for $240 with shipping a few days ago.
Pacifica 112 アルダー。 Ibanez AZES 40 ポプラ。
音はトーンでブライトから丸くできるが、逆はできない。
YAMAHAはインドネシアにある直営の自社工場。
Ibanezは直営の生産工場を持っていないので、全てOEM。
モデルや価格帯で、生産工場（OEM先）が違う。
質や安定性では個人的にはYAMAHA。
あとは好みの問題。
Which guitar should i take?
1. Ibanez grx40
2. Ibanez grg140
3. Yamaha pacifica 112VM
3
I have small hands, which would be more comfortable to play? I played the Pacifica and it was nice but haven't tested out the Ibanez, since the only way is to buy them online (in my country at least)
I think the AZES would be better for you
@@EytschPi42 Thanks! I'll go with the Ibanez then :) Great vid btw
I really don't like the head stock of pacifica. Maybe other people like it, but not to me.
I'd say the new HB TE 66 is the perfect beginner guitar. It's also half the price of the Ibanez.
now you've done it. im off to compare your HB and someone else cort. i'm never going to get to the deciding stage
¿alguien sabría decirme la diferencia entre ibanez azes40-prb y ibanez azes40? Porque en mi pais la primera (azes40-prb) cuesta menos.
I think the Ibz neck would be easier to play, shred?
kazağın linki ?
Beide Gitarren sind gut, die AZES aber mit leichten Modifikationen ein richtiges Brett, soundlich sehr vielfältig und alle Sounds brauchbar. Definitiv keine reine Anfängergitarre, das Teil kann viel mehr.
What Brand cover's most music ?
No beginner guitar should have non-humbucking/non waxed pickups IMO
I am an Ibanez addict. RGs are guitar of coice and I must say after 35 years of using Ibanez they have dropped the ball. The guitars coming out of Indonesia have been consistent garbage. % guitars I have bought since 2018 and every one had serious quality control issues. Paying a grand for a guitar you should be getting a solid instrument not the shit with a brand name on it like we have been getting.
I’d suggest to ignore budget Ibanezos unless there is nothing else, and you need a guitar today. Their cheap pickups are the worst on a market. They simply look like pickups, but in fact are boxes with coils.
I believe the Ibanez sounds a bit better my friend
How about PRS SE?
Not such as thing as a beginner's guitar.Its the person that's learning to play not the guitar,and they could by an expensive guitar to learn on as opposed to a cheap guitar.I have been playing for a least 40 years and I could easily gig with these guitars no problem.If you are determining the beginner's guitar on price then all of your Harley Benton guitars you have reviewed would be classed not my words as beginner guitars.
The Ibanez head stock shape and logo just looks shite. Such a shame, as otherwise the guitar is awesome. Gotta love the Pacifica, still got mine and recently modded the crap out of it.
Alder body all day long
how does AZES compares with Ibanez GRX40?
Kein Anfänger braucht mehr als 2 verschiedene Sounds..
Daher spielt die Anzahl für mich generell keine Rolle.
Verarbeitung, Hardware und Stimmstabilität...
Der Rest ist "on top" und Goodies...
Which has a more stable tremolo system?
equal
@@EytschPi42 thanks
Yet again I find myself watching this German Bratwurst.
Me too, and I think he is terrific!
Azes sounds more expensive
Yamaha wins