Yamaha Review: Pacifica 112

History: Hobbyist. Love blues guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Walter Trout. Also like rock guitarists like Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Purchase: Won it on ebay for $111.00 ($142 with shipping).

What I Like About This Yamaha Pacifica 112: The overall look and feel is excellent. (Mine is the natural color with the solid wood body and rosewood fingerboard). A solid alder body at this price point is unheard of. It sports the look and feel of a natural colored stratocaster at a fraction of the price.

What I Do NOT Like About The Yamaha Pacifica 112: One minor complaint- I don't like the appearance of the tuning machines. They look a little cheap. However, the guitar stays in tune no matter how hard I hit it, so they do their job. If I ever change them out, it will be for purely cosmetic reasons.

Yamaha Pacifica 112 Quality Rating: The construction is solid. The alder body is rock-hard and is tightly bolted to the neck. The pickups show no signs of coming loose. There are no dead frets. The neck is thin and smooth, so easy to play. The guitar is surprisingly loud when you play it unplugged. The pickups, while not incredible, are more than good enough to play AC/DC-like riffs and blues licks, and the clean sounds are excellent. The quality is remarkable for a $200 guitar.

Review Summary: I have long wanted a Fender Stratocaster with a natural wood body. In order to get one, I would have to pay at least $500 for a Mexican 70s reissue (that's the cheapest version that has the natural finish). Until I can buy one, this Pacifica provides me with the same vibe and look for less than $150! Even after I get my strat, I will hang on to this guitar as my knock-around instrument. In my opinion, it is just as good as any standard Mexican strat for about half the price. I love this guitar.

Rating of this Yamaha product: 4

This Yamaha Pacifica 112 Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: Marcos in La Habra (CA)

Review Date: 2007-05-04