Yamaha Pacifica USA 1, 2 and 2C

October 2024 Much of this page has been re-written thanks to information sent to me by Ashley Gray an ex Yamaha employee. Many thanks Ashley

Designed and Produced in the Yamaha Development Group these high quality guitars are put together in the USA. They were first launched at 1995 NAMM. The 1 is a Telecaster style body and the 2 is a Stratocaster type body. The 2 C is variations on the 1 and 2 via Yamaha's semi-custom system. They were produced until around 1998.

Some text from Ashley's email.
I own a Pacifica USA 1 in natural as shown in the brochure and once owned a USA 2 too. I used to work for Yamaha in the UK, each country subsidiary was obliged to buy any new product that Yamaha launched and try to sell them in their individual territory. These guitars originated from the artist custom shop in the US, they had some spare capacity and someone decided they could launch a semi-custom range of guitars. The initial ones went out with what you see in the catalogue with the option of ordering from a menu of options, however I don't think many were sold in the UK. Yamaha UK couldn't sell them as they were too expensive in a marketplace where Yamaha is known for student instruments and they were at the same price as a fender or Gibson. In 1995 they were around £1400 trade price as I recall. They eventually did a deal with some retailers where they were being retailed at £700 to clear the stock, so one or two must have gone into the wild that way. The remainder were sold to staff at knock down prices, and I think anyone who has one in the UK is likely to keep hold of it - like me! The USA 1 has vintage style pickups and 'strat-o-tele' switching setup (see diagram) the USA 2 had Dimarzio Hot Rails. I had a USA 2 too but it was a bit lifeless for my style of music and I preferred the USA 1 design so sold the USA 2 many years ago. I still have my USA 1 and play it as my main guitar. It always gets raised eyebrows when I get it out of the case, but once they know it's a Yamaha t hey have a puzzled look on their face and then lose interest because "it can't be as good as a fender can it"? So it just has to remain a secret to those in the know :-)Yamaha changed the whole distribution model about 6 ot 7 years ago so there isn't a Yamaha UK any more, it's all distributed from Germany I think.

The Pacifica USA






Pictures from an Ebay sale USA1

White or Black Pickup covers available
USA1 USA2 Custom Order Options
Body Body Telecaster Style Warmoth American Basswood* bound edges with a figured maple top Body Strat Style Warmoth American Basswood* bound edges with a figured maple top Alder for Basswood and Vice Versa
Neck Warmoth hard rock birds eye maple gloss finish unbound Warmoth hard rock birds eye maple gloss finish unbound None
Fretboard Rosewood 22 frets compound radius 250mm to 400mm 25.5" scale Rosewood 22 frets compound radius 250mm to 400mm 25.5" scale None
Headstock Plain with tuning fork logo pacifica yamaha on the front on the back is the model number and "Created entirely in the USA" Plain with tuning fork logo pacifica yamaha on the front on the back is the model number and "Created entirely in the USA" None
Tuners Sperzel Tremlock locking gold Sperzel Tremlock locking gold None
Neck Pickup Duncan Vintage Staggered Duncan Vintage Rails Vintage Staggered Alnico pro II, Vintage Rails, Hot Rails, Classic Stacks, 59 Neck or Vintage Custom
Middle Pickup Duncan Vintage Staggered Duncan Vintage Rails No Middle Pickup, Vintage Staggered Alnico pro II, Vintage Rails, Hot Rails or Classic Stacks
Bridge Pickup Duncan Custom Duncan JB Model Duncan Custom, Duncan JB Model, Custom Custom or Pearly Gates
Controls Gold standard Telecaster look 1 volume 1 tone which acts as coil split push push switch 5 way switch Gold 1 volume 1 tone which acts as coil split push push switch 5 way switch None
Nut 41mms 41mms None
Bridge Wilkinson VSV Vintage Wilkinson VS100 Floating Wilkinson Vintage or Floating Fulcrum
Pickguard Pickguard Pearloid White 8 screw Pickguard Pearloid White 8 screw None
Colours Natural, Trans Blue or Violin Sunburst Natural, Trans Blue or Violin Sunburst None

Trans blue USA2

Some more pictures of USA2


Update 29 August 2019
A member of the Yamaha Musicians forum MD2005 is an Ex Yamaha dealer and has what is probably a unique Pacifica with his permission I am posting the information he has put on the forum along with pictures of the guitar. He says
This is one of the rare USA-2 guitars I ordered from Yamaha when I was a dealer back in the 90s. It’s a June 95 from the California Custom Shop that’s now closed. It usually came with gold hardware and the Wilkinson VS100 trem and I hated both of those. So, I ordered mine with silver hardware and the Wilkinson VSVG trem, as well as a black humbucker. I always liked the black humbucker look that Yamaha used a lot back in the day. I was told this was one of the first 50 or so guitars made in this series. You can tell it’s an early run guitar by the pick guard screw on the left between the neck and middle pickup. There’s hardly any wood for that screw to catch and it never sat properly. Subsequently, later production runs delete this screw placement. I actually had to add a small block of wood inside the pickup hole so that screw was solidly in place. I had different pickups in it for 20 years but recently put it all back to stock. The bridge is brand new as the old one rusted out pretty bad. This is the only USA-2 in this exact configuration that I’ve ever seen or know about. I like to think of it as a Custom Custom

Here are his pictures
 

Ashley has also provided a wiring diagram click here
Wiring USA Pacificas

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