2024 Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus | The best value HSS workhorse guitar out there? Review & Demo
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- Опубликовано: 28 июн 2024
- This is the 2024 Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus - a new take on the brand’s iconic double cut Pacifica model in stunning Ash Pink!
Get the Yamaha Pacifica at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/584320?offid=...
At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/JznE9N
Pretty much every guitarist will have played a Yamaha Pacifica at some point. These unassuming and affordable double cutaway guitars - a top alternative to a Squier or Fender Stratocaster - have been around for decades.
Now here's the 2024 version! There’s a premium quality made in Japan Professional model, and this, the Standard Plus - which, at around $1,349/€1,250, is going to be a real competitor to the likes of the Fender Player Plus and American Performer series… or is it?
The Pacifica Standard Plus is a brilliant guitar on paper. You get an alder body and a maple neck with a rosewood (or maple) board rocking 22 medium stainless steel frets. The vibrato bridge and the locking tuners are by Gotoh, while the pickups - in a move that shocked the industry when this guitar was unveiled at NAMM 2024 - are designed in collaboration with Neve. Yes, the Neve you know from the world of recording studios and music production!
The Reflectone pickups, as they’re called, come in an HSS configuration, with a coil split on the bridge humbucker accessible via the push/pull tone pot.
All in all, then, the Pacifica Standard Plus looks to be an exciting proposition - just like the revamped 2022 Yamaha Revstar. But, how does it perform in reality? And can it genuinely compete with the massive competition from the likes of Fender, Ibanez, Schecter, and so on? Because pretty much everyone makes great HSS Strat-types for around this money.
In this video, we’re going to find out, as I put the Pacifica through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more.
Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:
00:00 Hello!
00:14 Introduction to the 2024 Yamaha Pacifica
01:24 Specs and info
05:48 Today’s rig and plan
Clean Sounds
06:29 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings
07:00 Grungey droning chords
07:18 Soul pop riff
07:31 Country ballad arpeggios
07:43 Country lead sound
07:50 Poppy barre chords
08:07 Ascending droning indie chords
08:20 Blues progression
08:31 Funky rhythms
08:44 Atmospheric indie arpeggios
09:02 Cowboy chords/tone control test
09:51Strummed folk pop chords
Light and Medium Overdrive Sounds
10:07 Garage rock riff
10:24 Choppy barre chords
10:41 Kings Of Leon inspired riff
10:56 Southern rock picked arpeggios
11:16 Poppy indie barre chords
11:22 Indie octave chords
11:48 Upbeat indie barre chords
12:11 Volume control roll off test
12:32 AC/DC inspired riff
12:47 Quacky rock riff
12:55 Driving rock riff
13:09 Airbourne inspired rock riff
13:21 Hendrix inspired riff
13:39 Groovy classic rock riff
Heavy Overdrive Sounds
13:57 Van Halen inspired riff
14:17 80s rock riff
14:37 Melodic hard rock lead
14:58 Classic hard rock riff
15:16 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff
15:34 Alternative rock riff
15:57 Pop punk riff
16:10 Pop punk melodic lead riff
16:26 Green Day inspired punk rock riff
16:39 Less Than Jake inspired punk riff
16:51 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
17:07 Pop metal riff (Drop D)
17:17 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)
17:41 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)
Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)
17:58 Metal chugging riff
18:15 Hardcore punk riffs
18:42 Heavy metal lead sound
18:57 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff
19:10 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff
19:52 My thoughts
20:38 First impressions and looks
21:08 Weight
21:43 Build quality and hardware + truss rod issue
23:07 Playability, neck and balance
24:13 Sounds and pickups discussion
27:48 What other similar guitars are out there?
30:05 My conclusions on the Pacifica and why you should buy it
Here’s the Yamaha website link with more info: usa.yamaha.com/products/music...
My setup was as follows: I ran the Pacifica into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed and my Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.
Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06m
Get all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0
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Backing music from the RUclips Audio Library: Duck In The Alley - TrackTribe.
#YamahaGuitar #YamahaPacifica #YamahaGuitars
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@YamahaGuitarsOfficial 
Видеоклипы
Timestamps team:
00:00 Hello!
00:14 Introduction to the 2024 Yamaha Pacifica
01:24 Specs and info
05:48 Today’s rig and plan
Clean Sounds
06:29 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings
07:00 Grungey droning chords
07:18 Soul pop riff
07:31 Country ballad arpeggios
07:43 Country lead sound
07:50 Poppy barre chords
08:07 Ascending droning indie chords
08:20 Blues progression
08:31 Funky rhythms
08:44 Atmospheric indie arpeggios
09:02 Cowboy chords/tone control test
09:51Strummed folk pop chords
Light and Medium Overdrive Sounds
10:07 Garage rock riff
10:24 Choppy barre chords
10:41 Kings Of Leon inspired riff
10:56 Southern rock picked arpeggios
11:16 Poppy indie barre chords
11:22 Indie octave chords
11:48 Upbeat indie barre chords
12:11 Volume control roll off test
12:32 AC/DC inspired riff
12:47 Quacky rock riff
12:55 Driving rock riff
13:09 Airbourne inspired rock riff
13:21 Hendrix inspired riff
13:39 Groovy classic rock riff
Heavy Overdrive Sounds
13:57 Van Halen inspired riff
14:17 80s rock riff
14:37 Melodic hard rock lead
14:58 Classic hard rock riff
15:16 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff
15:34 Alternative rock riff
15:57 Pop punk riff
16:10 Pop punk melodic lead riff
16:26 Green Day inspired punk rock riff
16:39 Less Than Jake inspired punk riff
16:51 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
17:07 Pop metal riff (Drop D)
17:17 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)
17:41 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)
Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)
17:58 Metal chugging riff
18:15 Hardcore punk riffs
18:42 Heavy metal lead sound
18:57 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff
19:10 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff
19:52 My thoughts
20:38 First impressions and looks
21:08 Weight
21:43 Build quality and hardware + truss rod issue
23:07 Playability, neck and balance
24:13 Sounds and pickups discussion
27:48 What other similar headless guitars are out there?
30:05 My conclusions on the Pacifica and why you should buy it
One thing you forget is where Yamaha Pacifica originally came from. It was born out of a collab between Yamaha LA and studio/session guitarists. I lusted for a Pacifica in the early 90s, but couldn't afford one. So, for me, Yamaha Pacifica is finally back at its roots, and I can't wait to get my hands on one! Pacificas has always been outstanding quality and craftmanship (as opposed to only affordable starter guitars)
I show my age here: 56 😄
Ha ha, thanks for telling the story! I actually read about this the other day (after the video was done!) and found it really interesting... makes sense, though. They are guitars that are built to play anything, just like a session pro would need. Hope you manage to get your hands on one of these soon! Being 56 just means you know more riffs (and stories like this!) than the rest of us ;) Keep on rocking!
whoever the first person put the truss rod adjustment there, can have my gratitude.
Yes! I can see myself only buying guitars with truss rods like this in future :)
I mod a Yamaha Guitars group and have seen a lot of reviews on this guitar and this is possibly the best vid I've seen. Well done!
Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it! I started getting back into Yamaha guitars when the new Revstars came out a couple of years ago (plenty of vids with those here too) and since then have been hooked. The Pacifica Standard Plus is its own guitar, but one of the best HSS models I've tried in recent times and I now love the Neve pickups too. Feel free to share this vid in that forum if you like (and do let me know which one it is either way as I might join up!) 👍
Regarding weights, it can come in at
Thanks for this info! I should check Sweetwater more often as I know they do give individual guitar weights on there in some cases and this is quite interesting to hear. Nowhere who sells in those numbers does that over here in Europe as far as I know (although dealers like Peach Guitars will do it), but they should! Cheers and rock on!
Thank you! One of the best demos of a guitar I’ve ever seen. You know how to organize the demo down to every possible setting and sound someone could want to hear. So comprehensive, thank you. You should get paid to demo guitar models!!
Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoyed the video and the structure... I try to answer all the questions anyone could ever have about a guitar, so I'm glad I hit the mark for you. And yes, I'd also love it if a few companies felt the same way ;) Cheers and rock on!
Love these new Pacificas. Great review - as usual - thorough, insightful and fair. You get some great tones from your H&K Black Spirit amp. I’d love to see a video where you go through your settings for the amp. I have one and it’s great but always good to see how others set it up.
Thanks a lot! The next thing for me will be to try the Pacifica Professional, to see how much more expensive it feels and plays. But I'm more than happy with the Standard Plus - it's a beast of a guitar! Hmm, and I really should do a video about the amp and the settings too. I'll add it to the list :) The Black Spirit is such an underrated amp all round! I suppose I could even connect an iPad and share my presets... now that's an idea!
I have to try a lot of guitars when I go to the Guitar Summit in Mannheim this year. The Pacifica is on my list, but in a different color.
Yes, you do! Make sure you do all three days at Summit then, because there will be a lot of playing to do ;) Normally I'd have gone for Sparkle Blue with the Pacifica, but hey, I wanted to change things up for once! There are some lovely colors there, and even some cool bursts on the Professional range.
Great review and demo! Got one of these (white, mint green pickguard) off how much I love my Revstar. Great value Pacificas exist in multiple price points, but if you want something pricier, this one is wonderful! Love the flat fast neck, pickups, ergonomics, versatility, and fit and finish. Truly a desert island guitar that can excel in so many styles of music. Thanks, Rich!
Thanks a lot Dude for making this awsome review❤
Thanks for watching, and glad you enjoyed it!
A brilliant and very good review as always ! - Before I buy any guitar, I always see your great reviews to
make sure it is really worth buying any instrument. Thank you so much.
By the way, I liked those reviews and demos on your Harley-Benton TE-62cc telecasters so much, I bought 2 !
Triple pitchfork = Yes please
Friday night is pitchfork night 😎 Let's do this!
@@RichWordsMusic 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽
I’d love to see a comparison video between this and a similar fender hss
That would be ideal, I agree. Unfortunately I don't have a Fender HSS at that price point in my collection. I have my SSS 90s Japanese Strat and a Fender Modern Player HSS, but you'd really want a Player Plus or something. Will see if I can source one before I have to give the Pacifica back!
@@RichWordsMusic great in depth review too. Must take ages to film and edit.
Nice looking and sounding guitar. To me it is actually a hark back to the original Pacificas as they did many years ago make stunning high end Pacificas and I think Yamaha missed having that option in their range.
Interesting... I actually never knew about the oldest Pacificas - guess I need to research the older high-end ones they did! Thanks for the info.
Oooh thats a beautiful color. I can feel the GAS creeping up on me
Yeah, it's lovely! If you're in the market for a Strat or something HSS, gotta try one of these. I'm massively impressed with it.
Hey, could you make a comparison to new Harley Benton ST Modern Plus, please?
I would love to do this, yes! I have asked HB to send me an ST-Plus, so hopefully it can happen soon.
The Neve pickups were I believe made specially for this guitar and no they've never made them before for anyone else is my understanding.
Yes, that's what I understand too... pretty cool story, and I hope more guitars get Neves in future! It's certainly a different sound than the one Strat purists will be used to, but a great one.
I’ve had this guitar a few months now. It plays and sounds great, but I still prefer my Fender Performer Stratocaster, which is similarly priced. The Pacifica has better specs, but the Performer sounds better imo.
Interesting... I do feel the Pacifica has a more modern and hi-fi sound than almost every Fender Strat I've played, so that could be it. The specs are great for the money, of course... I suspect some people will even buy the Yamaha and swap the pickups out for this reason.
@@RichWordsMusic I agree, it does sound very hi-fi. It excels at crisp cleans in position 2 and 4 imo, that’s the tones I use it for mostly. The humbucker is great also. However, I don’t like the neck pickup tones, it sounds thin compared to my 3 Fender Stratocasters. But the guitar is light, well balanced, with great specs. A good buy if you want a versatile workhorse imo. But if you want stratty tones, buy a Strat instead. I’ve yet to try a superstrat that sounds like a proper Strat to me. 🙂 But this is a good guitar for sure👍 I prefer the tones in this Pacifica over my Ibanez AZ Prestige 2204NW with Seymour Duncan Fortunas.
@@jhhagI would love to see a side by side by side sound demo of your Fender Performer Stratocaster, Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus, and Ibanez Prestige AZ2204. I’m saving up for a quality HSS and it’s definitely going to a matter of choosing one among those three. (Might consider up to Ultra on the Stratocaster and the Professional for the Pacifica).
@@ChidOki Good luck! Tastes in tone and specs vary of course. It's taken me decades to find out what works for me. Not Gibsons (I've had 335 and LP as main instruments), and not putting humbuckers in Strats. Basically I'm an older dude who've come to realize that I prefer Fenders. Strats, Teles, even a Jazzmaster. Not because of the specs, but because of the tones. But thats me, not you. I've also learned that it often takes time to really find out if a guitar is right for you. I've bought more than 10 guitars since I bought the Performer, but over time I always come back to it. Love the tones. But I've modded it and made it my own. I'd choose the Pacifica over the AZ. Better tones in the Pacifica imo. And I'd check out Chapman guitars, they have great specs for the money.
Help! You have payed it all. What would you recommend as a first guitar purchase: Yamaha RSE20, Sire S3, Ibanez AZES31, Yamaha Pacifica, and why? Help! :)
Ooh, good question! For me, and the kind of music I play, I would choose the Yamaha Revstar Element. Great price, amazing quality, sounds that I personally love. I'd get the blue one ;)
The Pacifica is also amazing, but obviously a much bigger investment, and the vibrato bridge could prove trickier for a beginner. The AZES31 is a wonderful guitar, and I wouldn't hesitate to get one of those either - it's only missing a humbucker!
I cannot comment on the Sire S3, as I haven't played one, but all the videos I have seen of it look great!
Overall, the best thing you can do is try a couple in person. If you 'connect' with one and it feels right when you pick it up, that's the one! If you're ordering online, consider the pickup type and music you would want to play - for heavier rock and metal, the AZES31 is possibly worst positioned (due to the lack off a bridge humbucker). For classic Hendrix-esque rock, though, the AZES31 is ideal.
Hope this helps as a starter, but let me know if you have more questions! I'm always happy to help when it comes to stuff like this :) Good luck on your guitar journey!
Thank you! Your answer has helped me to better understand the major difference between those guitars. I'm going with Yamaha, but the white one ;)
Best HSS value? Really good value for a pro-level guitar! I count out Fenders at this price point, as you don't get anything approaching a superstrat til the Ultra. The cleared-out Japanese Aerodynes were a close match. The Yamaha Pacifica 612s are a super value at $800 with Seymour Duncans. The Charvel San Dimas is great, and does Strat-y, not just hair metal, but you have to go fixed bridge or Floyd. Ibanez AZES is an absurd value and gig-able... but on the lower end of what most gigging / recording musicians would want. My experience, anyhow, hope it doesn't sound pushy!
Oh, and throw the Ibanez Q54 in the mix, if a modern-looking headless is on the table! Heard good things about Schecter's Nick Johnston's, but haven't played one myself.
I would like to buy a Yamaha once, never had one. But this version of the Pacifica: it doesn't look like a 1000 USD+ guitar, to be fair.
I know what you mean... to me, it looks like a Strat, and Strats never look expensive (to me at least!). I guess we all also know Pacificas as being traditionally a lot cheaper than the new ones, which might affect our judgement a bit. I have to say, though, on playing it, it feels every bit as good as the price. If you're struggling with the Pacifica, try one of the newest Revstars - they're awesome!
@@RichWordsMusic Yes, you're absolutely right. Is has to do with Brand Awareness, too, ofcourse. You would want to have a Kia or Hyundai or Skoda car 15, 20 years ago, but nowadays, they're good. I have a weak spot for Yamaha's, and was indeed looking into Revstars #keepupthegoodworkonyourchannel!
@@christian-van-e you seem to be too young to remember Yamaha Pacificas from the early 90s: top notch studio/session guitars. I couldn't afford one, and I am glad to see Yamaha return the Pacifica to its roots!
Airbourne inspired riff? Not too many people I talk to know them, especially since they’re more modern
Oh man, I absolutely LOVE Airbourne! Glad to know there's more fans out there. One of the best live bands I've seen too, and Runnin' Wild is one of my favorite alums. Helps that I grew up on AC/DC, I guess ;)
@@RichWordsMusic what’s odd is that I’ve never been an AC/DC fan buy Airbourne is phenomenal in my opinion! They took what AC/DC did and made their own thing out of it! I’m definitely more of a Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, and Saxon guy but I love Airbourne!🤘
👍🏻👍🏻
Cheers, my friend!
Do not like that "cut off" pickguard, looking cheap and somehow uninspired to me.
I guess some things have got to be different from Fender! I quite like it, but it's not something I notice too much.
derives from the Revstar pickguard. Shared design language