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Yamaha Pacifica PAC012
The Yamaha Pacifica 012 is the cheapest Pacifica there is. It trades better materials for cheaper ones, while still ticking that Yamaha quality box. For those on a tight budget, this can still be considered a great guitar for the price.
Pros
- Incredibly versatile
- Cheapest Pacifica
- Yamaha's reputation
Cons
- Lower-end and hardware overall
- Slightly less quality materials
The Yamaha Pacifica 012 is the cheapest Pacifica model. In this article, we will explore the features and benefits of the Yamaha Pacifica 112V, as well as its drawbacks.
The 012 name explained
- 0: The first number shows the 'range', here the cheapest one.
- 1: The second number shows if there's a humbucker in the bridge, here one.
- 2: The last number shows the how many single coil pickups there are, here two.
Find the full Yamaha Pacifica naming scheme explained here.
Materials and build quality
While other guitars in the 100 Series and up come with an alder body, this 012 trades that for mahogany, which is heavier.
Besides that, it's virtually the same guitar as the PAC112J. It has the same lack of Alnico pickups but has all the versatility of those higher-priced models. The pickups include a bridge humbucker and two single-coil pickups. The humbucker has a 'coil splitter' which means you can turn it into another single coil pickup for even more tonale options, especially with the 5-way selector switch.
The cheapest Pacifica loses higher-quality materials, but keep the versatile options.
The hardware on the Yamaha Pacifica 012 is decent, higher series Pacifica's naturally offer a higher quality. The tremolo bridge might lose tune a little quicker than other, more high-end models. This is to be expected and shouldn't be a turn-off at this price point. The PAC012 is available in several finishes.
The weight is slightly heavier compared to others in the 100 Series because of the mahogany body. It does have some cutouts to make it more comfortable to play.
Conclusion
The Yamaha Pacifica 012 is still an excellent guitar for beginners looking for a versatile instrument that is suitable for a variety of playing styles. Due to it's price point, you are getting slightly less higher-quality hardware compared to other Yamaha series. This shouldn't be a turn off however, as it can still easily beat other brands at this price point.
This cheapest Pacifica trades some creature comforts like material quality and better pickups for a more affordable price point.
