“Yamaha doesn’t flood the market with new guitars, but when they’re this good, you can see why”: Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus PACS+12M review

Yamaha’s long-running double-cut gets a high-end makeover, offering pro spec and radical new pickups – is this the new boutique S-style to beat?

Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus PACS+12M
(Image: © Future / Olly Curtis)

Guitar World Verdict

Yamaha doesn’t flood the market with new guitars, but when they’re this good, you can see why. A considered design with feel and sounds to match.

Pros

  • +

    A serious contender for studio or stage.

  • +

    Huge range of tones.

  • +

    Treble bleed circuit.

  • +

    Good weight and build.

  • +

    Quality hardware with locking tuners.

Cons

  • -

    A little pricey.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Unlike the majority of large-scale manufacturers, Yamaha doesn’t flood the market with new guitar models every five minutes. Last year’s Revstar Mk II models came some seven years after the original line was launched, and at the start of this year, the first new Pacifica guitars were announced over a decade after any previous introductions.

Now, the Pacifica dates back to 1990, designed by the small team at then-new Hollywood based R&D centre. It started life as a high-end ‘SuperStrat’ and achieved colossal sales in the start-up 112 format, introduced around three years later, and still being made today.

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