At the 2024 NAMM Yamaha launched 2 new ranges of Pacifica The Professional Made in Japan and the Standard Plus Made in Indonesia.
These are alongside the existing model ranges The 600, 300, 200 and 012/100 series.
The Professional has an RRP of £2408 but is typically selling for around £1870 the Standard plus doesn't give an
RRP but is typically selling around £1080.
The professional got some very good reviews on launch despite the high price tag some comment from guitar world
It was impossible to hear much acoustically from the guitar on the showfloor, but I was able to plug into a THR30II with
headphones to get a sense of how it actually sounds through an amp. And I was blown away.
The balance and clarity of the Professional’s Reflectone pickups is extraordinary – in fact, these pups are some of the cleanest
I've ever heard outside of fully active designs, even through what could be a sterile listening environment.
The resultant tone is uncanny, almost like a pre-produced guitar sound, even with distortion. I could feel the touch sensitivity,
that juicy jump in output when you dig in with the pick, but with no midrange scoops or tonal weak spots across the positions. It makes
you feel more creative, more confident in your tonal options.
Both have pickups that were developed with the team at Rupert Neve Designs. They are audio experts but these are the first pickups they have made.
Quote from Yamaha about the finishes
A variety of vibrant new finishes were developed jointly by teams in Hamamatsu and Los Angeles, inspired by Japanese city pop art and the
sun-soaked vibes of Southern California.
Comparison Specs
Model | Standard Plus | Professional |
Body | Alder Gloss PolyU finish | Alder Gloss PolyU Finish with IRA Technology |
Neck | Bolt on Maple Slim C Natural Smooth Satin PolyU finish | Bolt on Maple Slim C Natural Custom Tinted Satin PolyU finish |
Fretboard | Maple or Rosewood 350mm radius 22 medium Stainless Steel Frets Thin bar fret markers | Maple or Rosewood 254 to 356 compound radius 22 medium Stainless Steel Frets Thin bar fret markers |
Headstock | Normal Pacifica 2 roller string trees with Pacifica written in script the model and the tuning fork logo serial number and origin on back | Normal Pacifica 2 roller string trees with Pacifica written in script the model and the tuning fork logo serial number and origin on back |
Pickups | Reflectone by Rupert Neve 2 white covered single coils and 1 metal covered Humbucker | Reflectone by Rupert Neve 2 white covered single coils and 1 metal covered Humbucker |
Tuners | Gotoh Locking | Gotoh Locking |
Nut | Graph Tech Tusk 42mm | Graph Tech Tusq 42mm |
Controls | Master Volume with high-pass circuit, Master Tone(Push-Pull Coil Split) 5 way switch | Master Volume with high-pass circuit, Master Tone(Push-Pull Coil Split) 5 way switch |
Pickguard | 3 ply Parchment | Desert Burst / Shell White: 4 ply Tortoiseshell, Other Colors: 3 ply Parchment |
Bridge | Gotoh 510T FE-1 | Gotoh 510T FE-1 |
Colours Rosewood Board | Shell White, Black, Sparkle Bule or Ash Pink | Metallic Black, Sparkle Blue, Desert Burst, Shell White |
Colours Maple Board | Black, Sparkle Blue or Ash Pink | Metallic Black, Beach Blue Burst or Sparkle Blue |
Gig bag included | Hard case included |