Yamaha Pacifica PAC112VM vs Yamaha Pacifica PAC612VIIFM: Guitar Comparison and Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มิ.ย. 2021
- Howdy folks! In this video I discuss the specifications and differences between the entry-level but awesome Yamaha Pacifica PAC112VM and it's higher-spec big brother the Yamaha Pacifica PAC612VIIFM. I also demo both guitars so you can compare their sounds.
Here are some links to specific parts of the video:
00:45 - Discussion of specs
08:05 - Sound Comparison - Neck Pickup
09:38 - Sound Comparison - Neck and Middle Pickups
10:42 - Sound Comparison - Middle Pickups
11:30 - Sound Comparison - Middle and Bridge Pickups
12:09 - Sound Comparison - Bridge Humbucker (full and split)
13:34 - Final Thoughts
Links to Yamaha USA site for full specs and descriptions:
Pacifica 600 Series: usa.yamaha.com/products/music...
Pacifica 100 Series: usa.yamaha.com/products/music... - เพลง
This was a really good review. Thanks for doing it. 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Thanks so much!
Great review! And you have such a good vibe, it is like talking to a good friend. Thanks!
Thanks so much!
Really useful video.. well done and nicely paced! Thank you.
Thanks! I appreciate it!
good that you tell the different sound characters between the 2 types
Glad that came through!
Just Ordered the 112vm and the yamaha THR5, really excited for them to arrive.
That's great - enjoy! I have the original THR10 and I love that little guy.
@@themanncave2143 I was really looking for the thr10, but they are really hard to come by. 😅
Got the same! absolutely love both the amp and the pacifica. Not an underrated amp but definitely an underrated guitar
Just got a 612 myself. Cool vid! Liked & Subbed.
Thanks for the sub!
The higher end axe was nice from the get go. I'm not a Strat style fan but I would buy this guitar. I think it sounds great! Thanks for the video and demo.
Thanks man!
Great review. Thank you.
Thanks so much!
From Leo: I got an old 112 in a trade before they even had the "V" model. It had a great feeling neck and played great, so I put a set of Alnico 5 pickups in it. It is hard to admit how much I like the beginner guitar. I purchased a 112vm to give as a gift and like it the same. Great value for a good playing guitar. The 612 is beautiful.
Yes! I bought one for my nephew because it is awesome and affordable. Thanks for watching!
The 612 in HH w/satin neck would be a welcome addition. Also, wider, bigger frets would be nice. The 112 feels like medium frets. Still, a great guitar, no doubt.
Yeah, it would be cool to see Yamaha do a few more pickup configurations on the 600-series Pacificas. HH, SSS, HSH... why not!
Concerning those Grover tuners, hold the top portion with your fingers and slowly spin it clockwise until you hear a click. Then feed the string through like normal, and turn the tuning peg... Great guitar and review!
Yes, thanks for the clarification! In practice it kind if just clicks in on its own but you know it is locked in if you get that click.
Thank you for making this video. I just bought a 112 online for 80euro. I'll go and get it on Monday. I think it's the 112X. It's an older model, looks the same as your 112VM. Just black knobs, and the old Paciica font. I've done a lot of research before making the purchase. And now your video convinced me it should be good. I can set up guitars myself. And plan to change the pickups.
All my other guitars only have humbbuckers. And all but one have a fixed bridge. So I wanted something strat like. But not a crap clone. I think these look better than real strats. And are customizable as hell. Swimmingpool behind the pickguard what makes it possible to put in any pickups you want. And bridge/tremelo easily upgradable too. Greetings.
I love my little 112 and hope you enjoy yours!
Great guitar especially for 80
Love the aesthetic of the 112VFM. Back in 2017 when I bought my first Pacifica, a112V, that was the model I wanted, but there were none in country with the regional distro. Informed by Yamaha HQ AU upon enquiry VFM was Special Order only. OK next question. So if I place a special order, how long is the approximate wait until fulfillment? Yamaha AU HQ rep's answer paraphrased. How long is a piece of string. When they next do a production batch of that model -not a standard production run model in the 112V range, and dispatch one or more of that batch run to AU. Rolls eyes.
As I was just returning to guitar after a 40 year hiatus, and wanted a guitar sooner than some time indefinitely in the future, I ordered a standard Rosewood fretboard PAC112V in OVS, the preferred of the one of only two colours in stock with the regional distro at the time. Rolls eyes. In hindsight however, it has stood the test of time, as the OVS aesthetic now is my favourite of the entire PAC112V range. Also luck of the draw, I received a sterling body example, and the Rosewood Yamaha were using in production for that segment pricepoint back when mine was produced was higher grade than today in the same models IMPE. As was, time my LMS ordering from Yamaha HQ to my LMS receiving it was 10 days! The price of consumer integrity/loyalty. I'm wiser now. I still love the PAC112VFM aesthetic, but aesthetics aside, they're just a 112V with a satin maple fingerboard. Fingerboard feel is of course different, but is that reflected in any way tonally? Tastefully Elegant looking livery combo regardless. I have four Pacificas in my stable, one of which is the (2019) PAC612VIIFM in TLB.
I have a Yamaha Pacifica 112V for jamming at home and wondered about upgrading to a 612. This was the best comparison video I could find on TH-cam where you could hear the same tones on both guitars. Thank you very much. This was a very helpful video.
Thanks for the kind words! Happy hunting!
and what did you do? have you upgraded it?
@@unacuentadeyoutube13 I settled on upgrading the humbucker in my 112V to the seymour duncan version in the 612v. I think this has been a good improvement, but I have not bothered upgrading the single coils. To me they sound great. I added locking tuners and upgraded to the wilkinson bridge. This was a great experiment as I could hear the differences each component made. The bridge definitely added a lot more sustain too.
@@stevenpratt1078 glad to hear from you. But, didn't you spend the same money as if you had bought a 612 right off the bat?
@@unacuentadeyoutube13 I guess it depends where you start off. I already had a cheap 112V that was used and cost me half the price of new. So it was a cheap upgrade for me. The wilkinson bridge was very expensive for what it is though. If I had no guitar, buying the 612V makes perfect sense. I wanted to understand how each part affected the guitar. What I think is all subjective anyway. Something not mentioned here that really makes a difference though is going ahead and shielding your guitar cavity.
Thanks for this review. I have a 112 and was hoping to get a 612. However, after this review I've decided to stick with the 112. The 612 sounds a bit better but with some tweaking of my amp settings I can get the 112 to that level, or close. The 112 holds it's tuning well and the trem is ok. The 112 is also made of the similar materials to the 612 but I prefer the satin neck on the former. I also have a 311 and it's sooooo good.
The 112V is really pretty good - the benefits of the 612 are minor. The pickups are a bit higher end on the 612, but you know, the 112V pickups have their own character and some might even prefer them.
Man, I have both. mine is 612 and one of my student has 112 and i can tell you that there is a huge difference in the FEEL and in the TONE. keeping the feel aside for now as 612 is bound to have a much better feel (and this is subject to the sensitivity of a guitarist and his experience with different guitars.) but tone wise, 612 is not just little but by far widely different and top notch as compared to112. The artifacts, the note definitions, the pick dynamics and the balance across frequency range are stellar in 612 due to its Symour Duncan pickups while 112 is very thin and 2 dimensional. You need lot of EQ on 112 yet you cannot even be ballpark of 612. 612 is almost flawless.
And I am not saying it because i have got one, I am saying this cos i rejected 11 top notch guitars to finally choose this one.
All the 5 tones from 3 pickups a completely usable (unlike strat, where only 2 tones are usable and for the remaining 3 you need to heavily EQ it to make it sound good.
I was highly impressed by its sheer balance in each of the 5 tones across frequency band. And therefore i connect straight into my Helix and through my JBL studio monitors i get the sound i really look for straight ahead.
Only guitars i found (as per my taste and preferences) matching to the tone quality. usability, feel and versatility are MM Majesty, Ibanez AZ Prestige 2000 series, PRS custom series and they are exorbitantly priced.
Most excellent review! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
I brought a 112 vmx because I was thinking about what would be similar to my 1982 Ibanez blazer in 30 years. Reckon I was about right.
Nice review helpful
Thanks! Have a good one!
I got a Pac 012 and it looks and plays great. Made in Indonesia too which is insane for a $289 AUD guitar. Yamaha are the best bang for buck guitars out there. Squire bullets are the only basement level guitar that touches the Pac 012. If I actually stick to learning guitar and want something better I'll upgrade to the 612, it's as much guitar as a recreational player like me will ever need and at under $1,000 AUD nothing under $1,500 comes close. Great review.
P.S. the reason I know it plays great is because my daughters guitar teacher has played it at lessons and was impressed and it sounded awesome. Can't judge how it plays in my hands lol
Thanks! Enjoy the journey my friend!
The 311 is a good choice too. Yahama guitars are always a solid choice.
Great video by the way. Thank you!
Thanks for the nice words! Yes, the 311 is very cool. I just starting recording a video on the 311H, comparing it to a Reverend guitar. Keep an eye out!
i got the red 311 , sounds fantastic - that p90 , oh yea. Amazing guitar , not just for the price , just amazing
Thank you for the excellent review! Did you prefer the glossy finish on the back of the neck; did it feel 'sticky'?
I wish they would have made the higher-end Pac with a satiny neck. (But I suppose sandpaper could be my friend, lol!)
Thanks for the kind words! I know some people have strong feelings on gloss vs satin on the back of the neck, and while I slightly prefer satin, gloss finish has never felt "sticky" to me or impeded my movement on the fretboard, so it just isn't a factor to me.
Thanks for the comparison mate! Maybe you said it and i've missed it, just wanted to know - Are the necks the same? (the feel, the frets.. not the fretboard where obviously one is maple and the other is RW)
The two are pretty similar. The 112 has a satin finish on the back of the neck while the 612 has a gloss finish. The neck profiles seem pretty similar to me. Maybe the 612 is maybe a hair thinner, but I didn't measure them. The radius is the same. The frets themselves seem the same.
The fret for Pacifica 612 is medium size and seems like a way much better quality than the ordinary fret.
One thing that I am not clear is when do we need Pacifica 611 and when do we need Pacifica 612.
Cheers from Indonesia.
Hi Mustafa! 612 has strat pickups in neck and middle positions so it sounds “stratty” while the 611 has a p90 in the neck position which is kind of like an “angry strat” pickup. So maybe 611 is better suited for overdriven blues, 612 better for clean tones. Depends on what you like. Both a versatile and sound great I am sure!
Just ordered the 612 in teal green metallic. You get a lot for your money and lower priced than a Fender players series strat.
Congrats! Enjoy!
VG bench test A v. B thanks.
SD Coils and HB edges it with a fuller fill of sound . 👍🏻
Thanks for watching. Have a great weekend!
Listening to your review is a great way to spend fifteen minutes. While I liked both I found the 112vm to sound a little thin to me. If I had the cash I'd buy the 612.
Thanks! Can't go wrong either way, but yeah, you get some good specs for the money on the 612.
There’s definitely more output from the 612 but they both still beat Fender in each of their price points for what your getting.
The value proposition is where Yamaha shines. I have a few fenders, though, and I love them, even if they are not as good of a deal.
I don’t if you know this but your were playing doin time by sublime and that’s hella dope
Didn't know!
I've got an 012 and a 612. The 612 is much better. It's just a fantastic instrument However, I like the satin feel of the neck better on the 012. I put a graph tech nut, brass trem block and bridge, and a planet tone Aggressor in the 012, and holy God it absolutely rocks. I'm going to replace the pickup in the 612 now and see what that gets me because the 012 is now the guitar I actually reach for over the other 5 I have.
I understand. I ended up selling the 612 but kept the 112! It's a cool guitar.
Yamaha just released a new PAC 112 video, and I commented on wishing for an A/B with a 612. Then, I saw your video in my sidebar, wish granted! I'm going to add the link to this video to my comment. If you read this, and aren't cool with that, I'll delete the link.
That's fine - thanks for watching!
Yamaha always built a very good guitars, and value for money is unbeatable
I have 212 vqm I want to change the pickups , what pickup should I put there , :3 I like to play metal also prog djent , :3 confused .
I don't know - I don't play metal or prog much. I'd guess some high output or active pickups are good for those genres.
@@themanncave2143 ok thanks ☺
EMG 85
E l sonido en su mayor parte viene dado por el amplificador,mucho mas importante que la guitarra,dicho esto debo reconocer que esta pacifica sobre todo la 612 puede cumplir perfectamente su labor como instrumento profesional.
¡Esto es cierto! Con un buen amplificador puedes conseguir buenos sonidos de casi cualquier guitarra. Creo que ambas guitarras funcionarían para músicos profesionales, ¡pero siempre queremos lo mejor que podamos conseguir!
I actually prefer the sound of the 112 for the surf music.. at least the first iteration of it
The tone of the OEM pickups in the 112V is remarkable considering its price point. Quite bright, although the humbucker can certainly rock on dirt pedal or amp settings. I suspect they (including the humbucker) are a standard model from OEM G&B Korea who coincidentally manufacture all the YGD pickups fitted to the Revstars to spec. for Yamaha.
They seem pretty good to me.
is the VII have the semi updown tremolo?
I'm not sure what semi updown means, so I'm not sure. It seems like a pretty normal trem.
He prob means floating trem
I own a 612VII-FM, just like he is playing. The Wilkinson tremolo is only DOWN (lowers pitch), so it is not floating. Depending on how you have it adjusted it can give more than a semi-tone down.
Picked up a 611 Hardtail at a garage sale for $116. 😀
Dang!
Wow
is there a difference in neck shapes? thanks
Not that I can tell.
Confirming no, just finish. 6xx series is hard poly gloss. All below are poly satin.
Dear sir,
I am a hugh fan of your videos. I am going to buy a guitar and in a dilemma between two guitars. Fender Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster and Yamaha RGX121Z are those two guitars. I am a acoustic guitar player but no electric experience. Sir what would be a more suitable guitar for me from both above as entry to electric experience? First I was going to buy a Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster but leaning that telecaster doesn't have a whammy I gave up the idea! Your expertise advice is greatly appreciated!
Thank you
Howdy Vidusha! Thanks for the kind words! Both the Yamaha and the Fender are good quality guitars, so I wouldn't worry about either one being a bad deal - they are both great. If you can afford either one, go with the one that makes you happy or inspired to play! The Fender is about 2x the cost of the Yamaha, but you get a lot for the price (good pickups, nice neck, bone nut - nice guitar!). They are very different in terms of pickups, but I don't think the pickups matter as much has having an instrument that feels good in your hand and when you look at it, it makes you want to play it! One thing I will say for Fenders - if you ever want to sell it, Fenders are more in demand on the used guitar market (at least here in the U.S.). Also, if you ever need to get a replacement part (like a knob or whammy bar), you can easily find replacement parts for Fenders, but not so easily for Yamahas.
@@themanncave2143 Sir, thank you very mush for the reply. I was going to buy a Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster but learning that the telecaster doesn't have a tremolo arm(is it so) I am disappointed in that. If I am to buy a telecaster can/how to make effects of tremolo arm sir?
@@vidushafernando6778 If you want a tremolo on a telecaster, you can install a Bigsby style vibrato unit. It isn't quite the same as the trem on a Strat, but it is still pretty cool!
Have a 612 just like this one…..lot of guitar for the money!
Yes indeed! Enjoy!
Although their price points have increasing sharply over the past three years since COVID, all Yamaha model Pacificas regardless of segment are value for money. Prior to that they were ridiculously underpriced and phenomenal value for money.
To be honest i really like Yamaha as non-electric too
Yeah, I have 3 yamaha acoustic guitars. FG700S, A1CM, and A5R. All are super good guitars.
@@themanncave2143 is maple rougher to the touch than rosewood or is it the other way around? Because i prefer the smoother one out of the two
Thanks KC! Nice video, but you got to fix your audio man! Your mike seems to be far away from you. But overall great video upvoted!
Thanks - yeah, still figuring out the mic stuff!
Cant really make out too much difference in the sounds. Is it worth paying 300 $ extra ?
Yeah, I think the 612 is worth the extra $350 if you want those higher end features. But the 112 is good enough for a lot of people, especially beginners. Beginners are not going to notice the difference between a graphtec nut and a plastic nut, or the difference between the pickups, or the difference between the tremolos. I would play the 112V in any situation and be happy, even though it isn't a top shelf instrument.
HI Vikram,
I would suggest go play them yourself and you will know the difference.
Definitely
If you're just beginning to learn to play and the price difference is of budget significance to you, no. Spend the budget surplus on a better amp.
@@purplelusture A beginner won't actually notice anything different other than the aesthetics.
Like#305...Thanks for The Video !
Thank you 👍
They both sound tinny but sounds great played at the bridge pickup
Any time you have HSS, setup, you will have to compromise sound quality unless you get custom wiring. I don't know of any builders who do resistance switching circuits from the factory.
Agreed. I replaced the .09 gauge strings with .11 gauge on the 112VM I bought 6 months ago.. Sounds much better, particularly for surf rock tunes, which is where I am just now. Yamaha's legendary product quality meant that I had to file the nut slots for E & A strings so they were wide enough to properly seat those strings.
Wish they made one with the quality components, but without the fancy flamed maple top
I think I saw some non-flame-top models at Sweetwater.
MUCH better tone with the 612VII
Thanks for watching! I like them both and find the 612V a bit warmer.
For the price point those 112's are really nice little guitars and would not take much to upgrade
You can't go wrong with the 112V, and they are great upgrade platforms if you want to tinker.
@@themanncave2143 mind to share the link to those platforms ? ^^
upgrading 112s is one of my favorite things to do as a luthier. Refinish, refret, rewire and you have an absolutely killer guitar. At that point, you've spent about as much as a 612, but you have exactly the guitar you want instead of still having to customize an already pricey guitar.
@@veematoohow refretting a 112 affects the playbility? I like incredibly low actions, and as you may know, stock frets are usually not the best quality. The fretwork on my 112 is not so bad, but still I feel like it needs some adjustment. And what about rewiring? Have you experienced improvements in replacing electronics? I'm asking because I was planning to swap the stock pickups with a tonerider set I already had. Maybe I will shield it, because it is damn noisy, but keep the electronics, which if compared to other brands in that price range feels ok. What would you recommend to me as a luthier?
@@XPhantomLord usually, a level, crown, and polish is enough to get the fretboard where you want it unless you are picky about fret type or material. As far as electronics go, it's a lot of personal preference. Get the pups you want, have it shielded and put high quality pots in and you're good to go.
@The Mann Cave - I am sorry, but I donot agree with your analysis.
I have both. mine is 612 and one of my student has 112 and i can tell you that there is a huge difference in the FEEL and in the TONE. keeping the feel aside for now as 612 is bound to have a much better feel (and this is subject to the sensitivity of a guitarist and his experience with different guitars.) but tone wise, 612 is not just little but by far widely different and top notch as compared to112. The artifacts, the note definitions, the pick dynamics and the balance across frequency range are stellar in 612 due to its Symour Duncan pickups while 112 is very thin and 2 dimensional. You need lot of EQ on 112 yet you cannot even be in the ballpark of 612. 612 is almost flawless at this price.
And I am not saying it because i have got one, I am saying this cos i rejected 11 top notch guitars to finally choose this.
All the 5 tones from 3 pickups a completely usable (unlike strat, where only 2 tones are usable and for the remaining 3 you need to heavily EQ it to make it sound good.
I was highly impressed by its sheer balance in each of the 5 tones across frequency band. And therefore i connect straight into my Helix and through my JBL studio monitors i get the sound i really look for straight ahead.
Only guitars i found (as per my taste and preferences) matching to the tone quality. usability, feel and versatility are MM Majesty, Ibanez AZ Prestige 2000 series, PRS custom series and they are exorbitantly priced, though their clean tones are incredible despite being Humbuckers and OD/DS are what you would expect from such top line guitars - Just phenomenal and Same is what I get from my 612. Seymour Duncan TB-14 has some real seductive depth.
I'm glad you love your 612! It is a great guitar. I like my 112 as well - the pickups are surprisingly good.
I have both and can say that you are exaggerating IMO. Overall, no question the 612 IS the better guitar, but the 112 fits a useful niche and is respectable in terms of overall tone and feel. Blinded by custom fitout brand bling bias and a little owner pride favourite toy perhaps?
Sure the 612 IS loaded with custom shop features like its TUSQ string trees, TUSQ nut, Grover locking tuners & SD PUPs, but the 112 with its OEM fitout does OK, damned well for its price. The 612's SS (middle/neck) are rather nice, and although the high output of the TB-14 is superb, its scooped mids are noticeable. The tone of the G&Bs in the 112's SS singles is arguably thin, but the output and tone of the bridge is very respectable. Overall it still sounds very respectable through any decent amp. Where the 612 really shines IMV is its V50 vibrato bridge and trem arm. The 112's is pretty much a novelty. Personally I prefer the feel of the satin neck of the 311 and 112 series, although I don't 'hate' the 612's either. FWIW I have 612VII, 112V x 2 (x1 modded with aTB-4), and a 311H (modded with a TB-14) along with other guitars with both satin and gloss poly over painted necks. OMMV That's how I see it.
@@theblytonian3906 Not sure what I exaggerated, just gave my honest opinion. But I'm glad you really like your 612! Definitely the 612 is a better instrument, and I think I made that point. I pointed out was that the 612 is roughly equivalent to a $1000-$1500 guitar, like an american strat but better than a mexican strat. I pointed out the higher end features that the 612 has over the 112. I said that for recording the 612 is better. In a live mix, I doubt anyone but the most discerning would notice a difference in sound, and the feel of the guitars is not so much different that you think the 112 is garbage and the 612 is heaven. My ears may not be good enough to hear how the 612 sounds so VERY much greater than the 112, which is just a matter of opinion anyway. They both sound good to me, with the 612 being a little better to my ears, but not like light years better. That was kind of the point of the comparison, though, to record the two back to back on the same amp with the same settings, so you can judge for yourself!
@@themanncave2143 I was responding to the previous poster, not your comments within your vid.
Irritating idiosyncrasy of You Tube -but one of many, that it doesn't lead with the username of the OP in any *initial* reply indicating unmistakably who the reply was directed to. It will with subsequent replies to a reply, but not the originating post.I think the 112V is a gem. Sounds fine in the mix.The amp is more important
Yeah, makes sense now that you point it out. Happy New Year!
no se ingles quien gano xd
Todos ganan
Excepto los paises de 3er mundo, ahi todo cuesta una madre
Much more body on the 612.
Wish I had one of those new Pacificas to compare against these! I sold the 612 though....
The 612 also has a larger neck at 14.75 than the 112.
Hard sounds and no character, spend more dollars and find satisfaction without regret.
great tones and great characters. I love pacificas! )
I've heard more dollars, I've been at this for months. Straight overdriven trash. Pollutes my ears, the reason im here is the Pacificas the best clean sound besides a Godin..so here i am...searching for more dollars.
@Rick Jando haha...sounds more to me like you're the one lacking in character and problems with your hearing. Time you went for an audiogram methinks.
@@theblytonian3906 I don't know, you can check my channel - do my guitar tones sounds poor to you? I often prefer cheaper guitars in blind tests. E.g. almost always prefer Fender Player series over whatever expensive MIA ones. Good tone is something extremely subjective.
The 612 also has a larger neck at 14.75 than the 112.
All the Pacificas are 13.75.
@@themanncave2143 Whoops. I goofed there. Thanks for the correction.
No it doesn't. The necks differ only in satin poly clear vs high gloss hard poly coated finish. The nut width, string spacing, neck radius and neck profile along the entire neck are identical. I own and play both.