Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 3 stores. Prices updated .

Average Price: $237

Budget/Beginner

$400

$1001+

Price Tier

Budget

Standard

High-end

Price History

Based on price data from 1 merchant for "Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 6, 2026.

* Product prices and availability are updated by Equipboard every 24hrs and are subject to change. Equipboard may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. For more information, please refer to our affiliate disclosure.

Description

Step into the world of electric guitar with the Yamaha PAC112J, a standout choice for both budding musicians and seasoned players alike. Known for its versatile HSS pickup configuration, this guitar effortlessly balances crisp, clear tones with powerful, punchy sounds. Crafted with an alder body, the PAC112J delivers a rich resonance that suits a wide range of musical genres, from rock to blues to jazz.

The maple bolt-on neck and walnut fingerboard offer a smooth playing experience, ensuring your fingers glide effortlessly across all 22 frets. Whether you're strumming chords or shredding solos, the 648 mm scale length and 350 mm fretboard radius provide comfort and precision. Adding to its appeal, a vintage-style tremolo invites expressive techniques, while the chrome hardware accentuates its sleek design.

Control your sound with ease using the single volume and tone controls, and explore diverse sonic landscapes with the 5-way toggle switch. The Yamaha PAC112J is not just an instrument—it's a gateway to musical exploration.

Key Features:

  • Body: Alder
  • Bolt-on neck: Maple
  • Fingerboard: Walnut
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Scale: 648 mm
  • 22 Frets
  • Pickup: Yamaha HSS
  • 1 Volume and 1 tone control
  • 5-Way toggle switch
  • Vintage style tremolo
  • Chrome hardware

Product specs

Available since February 2023
Colour Black
Body Alder
Top None
Neck Maple
Fretboard Walnut
Frets 22
Scale 648 mm
Pickups HSS
Tremolo Vintage
incl. Bag No
incl. Case No

FAQs

What type of pickups does the Yamaha PAC112J have?

The Yamaha PAC112J features an HSS pickup configuration, which includes a humbucker in the bridge position and single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions, offering a versatile range of tones suitable for various music genres.

Is the Yamaha PAC112J suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Yamaha PAC112J is a great choice for beginners due to its excellent playability, comfortable neck profile, and versatile sound options, making it easy for new players to explore different musical styles.

What is the neck profile of the Yamaha PAC112J?

The Yamaha PAC112J has a comfortable and smooth maple neck, which is designed to provide easy playability and a great feel for both beginners and experienced players.

Does the Yamaha PAC112J come with a case or gig bag?

No, the Yamaha PAC112J does not include a case or gig bag, so you may want to purchase one separately to protect your instrument during transport.

What is the body material of the Yamaha PAC112J?

The Yamaha PAC112J features an alder body, which contributes to its balanced tone and resonance, providing a solid foundation for a wide range of musical styles.

Darrell Braun Guitar

Darrell Braun Guitar

What's The Best $200 Guitar? - Yamaha Pacifica vs Squier Affinity!

Video thumbnail for What's The Best $200 Guitar? - Yamaha Pacifica vs Squier Affinity! by Darrell Braun Guitar

What's The Best $200 Guitar? - Yamaha Pacifica vs Squier Affinity!

Darrell Braun Guitar

Darrell Braun Guitar

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112 - The Ultimate Beginners Guitar Demo by GUITARGUITAR

Yamaha Pacifica 112 - The Ultimate Beginners Guitar Demo

GUITARGUITAR

GUITARGUITAR

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112 Electric Guitar Review - The Best Budget Guitar? by intheblues

Yamaha Pacifica 112 Electric Guitar Review - The Best Budget Guitar?

intheblues

intheblues

Video thumbnail for The Mother of all beginner guitars: Pacifica 112 & 311 reviewed (Contest 3/6) by EytschPi42

The Mother of all beginner guitars: Pacifica 112 & 311 reviewed (Contest 3/6)

EytschPi42

EytschPi42

Video thumbnail for Yamaha PAC 012 VS  Yamaha PAC 112J - Guitar Battle #22 by Artyom Reborn

Yamaha PAC 012 VS Yamaha PAC 112J - Guitar Battle #22

Artyom Reborn

Artyom Reborn

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112J || Budget guitars that are actually decent? by John Nathan Cordy

Yamaha Pacifica 112J || Budget guitars that are actually decent?

John Nathan Cordy

John Nathan Cordy

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112J RM (Pacificas Are Supposedly Great) by Elmo Karjalainen

Yamaha Pacifica 112J RM (Pacificas Are Supposedly Great)

Elmo Karjalainen

Elmo Karjalainen

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112J, Yellow Natural Satin | Gear4music demo by Gear4music Guitars

Yamaha Pacifica 112J, Yellow Natural Satin | Gear4music demo

Gear4music Guitars

Gear4music Guitars

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112J YNS by Yeray Diaz Hurtado

Yamaha Pacifica 112J YNS

Yeray Diaz Hurtado

Yeray Diaz Hurtado

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112J demo by gringopig

Yamaha Pacifica 112J demo

gringopig

gringopig

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112J guitar by John McIver

Yamaha Pacifica 112J guitar

John McIver

John McIver

Video thumbnail for Yamaha PAC112J Electric Guitar Demostration By Sat Naung by Sat Naung

Yamaha PAC112J Electric Guitar Demostration By Sat Naung

Sat Naung

Sat Naung

Video thumbnail for Yamaha Pacifica 112J - Review and Demo by JeffreySchmidtMusic

Yamaha Pacifica 112J - Review and Demo

JeffreySchmidtMusic

JeffreySchmidtMusic

Reviews

PROS

  • Smooth playability right out of the box, no fret buzz

  • Versatile pickup configuration provides a wide range of tones

  • Lightweight and well-balanced, comfortable for extended playing

  • Holds tuning well, even with frequent use of the vibrato bar

  • Affordable price for the quality and sound it delivers

  • Ideal for beginners and intermediate players alike

  • Solid construction with a nice finish, feels like a quality instrument

  • Punchy clean sound that stands out in band settings

  • Great action and intonation setup upon purchase

CONS

  • Tone knob reportedly ineffective, no noticeable difference

  • Pickups can be noisy and weak under high gain

  • Fret sprout in low humidity environments may require attention

  • Limited pickup switching options compared to higher models

  • Some users report issues with durability over time

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J.

Setup and maintenance

  • Some users experience high action out of the box, which can be adjusted with online tutorials for a better playability.

    Source

Comparisons

  • Several prefer the Yamaha PAC112J over the Ibanez GRG250DX due to ease of tuning and quality concerns with Floyd Rose bridges for beginners.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • The PAC112J is seen as a good modding platform, with owners considering pickup upgrades for more personalized sound.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • The tremolo on the PAC112J is noted to be flush to the body, allowing only downward modulation unless modified.

    Source

User experience

  • One user reported issues with volume knobs being loose, although this was not a common problem across all reviews.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Yamaha Pacifica 112J Electric Guitar Review - The Blogging Musician

adamharkus.com

The Yamaha Pacifica 112J is a compelling alternative to the Fender Stratocaster, offering superior build quality and a solid alder body that challenges the plywood reputation of some Squiers. Its HSS configuration provides versatility, with a bridge humbucker that ventures into sonic territories a Stratocaster might not. However, it falls short in playability with a less comfortable neck and a problematic Gibson-style nut. While lacking the iconic visuals of a Strat, the Pacifica delivers consistent, smoother tones, though they may seem generic. Still, for its price, it's a well-crafted instrument, hard to fault as a budget option.

positive

Yamaha Pacifica (PAC112J) Review - HubPages

hubpages.com

The Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J shines as a standout entry-level guitar, offering exceptional quality for its price. Its Stratocaster-inspired design, coupled with a versatile combination of single coil and humbucker pickups, make it a great choice for beginners and gigging musicians alike. The guitar's durability and solid tone are commendable, although the humbucker may lack the heat for heavier genres. A minor downside is the uncomfortable saddle adjustment screws, but this is easily remedied. Overall, this guitar's build quality and performance justify its slightly higher cost compared to cheaper alternatives, making it a wise investment for those starting their musical journey.

positive
Add

4.0 out of 5

Based on 15 Reviews and 57 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
ramdan_random

The Goat

This is my first electric guitar ever. It's been a great journey and i think it's pretty good start. the neck feel and the fretboard personally suited me. i myself haven't really play a lot of like proper expensive guitar. but i actually can't really complain much with this guitar. i might do some upgrade with this guitar to make it better.

From Gear Setup
angelo_martinez

Really can't complain for the price...

Let me start by saying this is not going to compare to a Fender Strat. If you get one of these thinking that it will replace your Hendrix signature or your American Professional then you might need to give yourself a reality check. What you're getting here is a decent sound and a pretty solid feeling instrument for the price. It handles nicely without any sort of neck dive or off balancing issue. It has a good weight and feels like a solid piece of wood. It has a beautiful clean sound that is very punchy and cuts through well in a full band setting. You can get some really sparkly cleans using a combination of the neck and middle pickups or a pretty chunky sound great for chords with the bridge humbucker. The guitar kind of craps out when you put gain through it as the pickups are really weak, but what do you expect for a guitar in this price range? Just accept that this guitar does one thing really well and falls flat on other aspects and you'll be happy with your purchase.

rockergal9000

Good for a beginner and affordable price

It's a pretty decent guitar for a beginner and has a very affordable price. It's comfortable to hold and not too heavy and chunky. It has a nice clean sound but it can sometimes sound funny with distortion. Some downsides I have with this guitar is that if you're not careful you can get pretty major fret buzz and the tone knob is completely useless (it doesn't change the tone at all) as well as the noisy pickups. Other than that, it's a pretty alright guitar for a starter.

haru_kunn

yesss

my first ever guitar and i still love ittt i'd never settle for anything else yamaha is just goated

jeffreymmviii

Great sounding guitar

i won this guitar in a raffle and i never used it till 9 years had passed. im so grateful to start using it again, redo the strings and fix bridge as well as the internal wiring. i can finally get good at somethine

threecheersforbullets

Affordable, great sound

I'm broke, so I can't really get the super-expensive stuff that everyone else tends to get. That's why I love this guitar so much, it has a beautiful sound, and cost less than $300. I definitely recommend it for beginners, or people that can't afford anything more expensive, like me haha. You know what? I've changed my mind. I recommend this to anyone that wants a nice guitar without having to sell their organs on the black market for money, intermediate and advanced players included.

luis_franco_cueva

It is a good guitar, sound is very clean but can be aggravated by distortion.

It was worth buying this instrument. It is one of the best guitars I've played. Yamaha really has a very good performance in its instruments. I have tried their keyboards and are very good like their guitars.

charlieysasi

My first.

This guitar has amazing stuff going on, I just changed the strings, hooked up some effect pedals and got going! I played my first gigs with this one when I was younger. I now own two of them, I lend them to my guitar students when I teach them some electric guitar lessons, just so they can feel as great as I did when I first learned to play.

jhendrix

I have iy

Its good guitar but I don't like head part. Its different than fender guitars

clifford_bao_777

The head part is called the "Headstock".

jhendrix

@clifford_bao_777 thank you for information. My english is not good so I just said head.

max_powell

Great price for starters!

Bought this for around 270 (new) less than a year ago, and I am extremely happy with the tone and quality. I would, of course, get the strings you are accustomed to, and mess around with the intonation and action a bit, and then you'll be good to go.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Luis Alberto Spinetta uses Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J

Luis Alberto Spinetta

Singer, Guitarist

Spinetta y Los Socios Del Desierto

...
Verified via Google

In the 1990s, Luis Alberto Spinetta collaborated with Yamaha to promote the Pacifica 112 electric guitar, as evidenced by search results on Google.

See how Ernie Isley uses Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J

Ernie Isley

Guitarist

The Isley Brothers

...
Verified via YouTube

You can see here, Ernie Isley playing a black Yamaha Pacifica 112 or 212. There are times in early 90's he used a white one with black bridge humbucker

See how Haruna Ono uses Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J

Haruna Ono

Singer, Guitarist

SCANDAL

...
Verified via Imgur

Haruna used this when they first picked up instruments in 2006. A good choice for a beginner. She would play the Pacifica (with SCANDAL sticker!) when playing lives at Shiroten near Osaka Castle. You can find video of this online. Reportedly this guitar is now at their old dance school, Caless, in Osaka.

See how Matt Diamond uses Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J

Matt Diamond

Singer, Guitarist

Panucci's Pizza

...
Verified via Photo

Matt Diamond used a Yamaha PAC112J as his second guitar during the last tour with Panucci's Pizza. The guitar, featuring a distinctive checkerboard body, was played during performances of "Sports Shorts" and "I Killed an Arbor Day for You." This usage is captured in a user-uploaded photo.

See how Vincent Lee uses Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J

Vincent Lee

Guitarist, Keyboardist

...
Verified via YouTube

Around 1:23 by playing a small solo, and later on at around 1:50.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

NUX Mighty Lite BT
NUX Mighty Lite BT Mini Guitar Amplifiers
1
NUX MG-300
NUX MG-300 Multi Effects Pedals
1
Nux MG-30 multi effect
Nux MG-30 multi effect Multi Effects Pedals
1

Community setups

Show yours
ramdan_random

ramdan_random

Gear IQ 128

ramdan_random

ramdan_random

Gear IQ 128

ramdan_random

ramdan_random

Gear IQ 128

1 alternative for Yamaha Pacifica PAC112J, curated by the Equipboard community.

More Yamaha Solid Body Electric Guitars

Gear Guides