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 |
January 2026
Yamaha has launched several new models for NAMM amongst them two Pacificas one in the Standard Plus and one in the Professional
series. Yamaha's blurb incorrectly states that these are both made in Japan but in fact the Standard is made in Indonesia.
They are respectively the PACS+11S and the PACP11S
Specs are quite similar for the two guitars but the professional has a few special features specs are
| Standard | Professional | |
| Body | 3 piece Alder Gloss PolyUrethane Finish | 2 piece Alder Gloss PolyUrethane Finish |
| Neck | Bolt on Rounded-C profile maple neck with satin finish | Bolt on Rounded-C profile maple neck with Custom-Tinted Satin finish |
| Fretboard | Maple or Rosewood 12” radius medium jumbo stainless-steel frets | Maple or Rosewood Compound radius (9.5”-12”) medium jumbo stainless-steel frets |
| Nut | 42mm Graph Tech TUSQ | 42mm Graph Tech TUSQ |
| Pickups | Reflectone EH7n Humbucker Reflectone HT7b Single Coil | Reflectone EH7n Humbucker Reflectone HT7b Single Coil |
| Controls | Master Volume (w/Hi-Pass Capacitor), Master Tone (Push-Pull Focus Switch for Single Coil*) 3 way switch | Master Volume (w/Hi-Pass Capacitor), Master Tone (Push-Pull Focus Switch for Single Coil*) 3 way switch |
| Bridge | Gotoh BC-TS1S (chrome) w/ compensated 3-brass saddle | Gotoh BC-TS1S (chrome) w/ compensated 3-brass saddle |
| Tuners | Gotoh Locking Tuners | Gotoh Locking Tuners |
| Pickguard | Parchment/ABS3ply | Shell White: Tortoiseshell/PVC 4ply Other colour: Parchment/ABS3ply |
| Features | Gig Bag | Hardshell case IRA Treatment |
| RRP | £992 | £2150 |
| Colours | Ash Pink, Desert Burst, Peppermint Green, Black or Shell White See below for which are available with which board | Maple or Rosewood see below for which options with which Metallic Black or Ash Pink Breeze Metallic Blue, Sunny Orange, or Shell White |
* AI overview of the focus switch
The Focus Switch on newer Yamaha Pacifica models (specifically the Pacifica Standard Plus and Professional series launched in 2026)
is a passive, push-pull circuit designed to alter the guitar's tone without needing a battery.
When activated, the Focus Switch performs the following functions:
Boosts Mids and Bass: It increases the mid-range and low-end frequencies, providing a fuller, warmer, or more aggressive sound.
Rolls Back Treble: It reduces high-frequency output, which helps to soften sharp or bright tones.
Emulates Overwound Pickups: Tonally, this modification makes the output sound similar to an overwound, higher-output pickup.
Versatile Tonal Shaping: It is ideal for thickening up lead tones, creating dark, jazz-friendly sounds, or pushing an amplifier
into overdrive.
On the Pacifica SC models, this switch is part of the master tone knob, allowing players to quickly shift between a modern,
clear voice and a more vintage, "focused" sound.
The colour options are those available for pre-order in the UK January 2026 possibly different colours are available elsewhere in the world
