“Ignore the Pacifica Professional at your peril: this can be a world-class instrument”: the Yamaha Pacifica Skilled returns to the mannequin’s roots as the final word professional participant toolkit

The Yamaha Pacifica is among the legendary model’s hottest guitar traces, however it was initially conceived within the unique climes of the agency’s US customized store so as to meet the wants of LA’s demanding session gamers. 

The Pacifica Professional and Standard Plus as soon as once more weave collectively each of those threads in a brand new collaboration between the Yamaha Japan luthiers and the US customized store designers.

The outcome incorporates many years of suggestions from professional gamers right into a refined, cutting-edge design that options some real business firsts – not least, Rupert Neve Designs pickups. 

From the carved neck heel, to the bevelled physique and new slim-C neck – you may inform this can be a mannequin that has been developed from the bottom as much as meet the wants of precise guitarists, relatively than worth factors.

The physique design maintains its iconic double-cut define however has been sculpted into one of the crucial comfy taking part in experiences obtainable. In the meantime, it has been cleverly chambered beneath the hood utilizing 3D modelling methods.

“We had been capable of finding out one of the simplest ways to chamber out elements of the guitar for resonance functions,” Yamaha Guitar Advertising and marketing Supervisor Brandon Soriano advised GW, at this yr’s NAMM.

“So there’s some slits beneath the pickguard space on the highest of the guitar, and people are serving to scale back the stiffness in that space of the physique, however for those who flip it over and look contained in the management cavity, there’s really a wood bar working via the center of it that will increase stiffness.”

The result’s a contoured alder physique that provides the optimum mixture of resonance and weight. 

That is then paired with a supremely comfy slim-C maple neck (obtainable on each fashions with a selection of rosewood or maple ‘boards) and, within the case of Pacifica Skilled, a 10-14” compound-radius fingerboard – permitting just a little extra actual property for these bends on the high-end, however nonetheless providing you with a pleasant foundation for chord work again in direction of the headstock.

That is the form of spec checklist which you can really really feel – that makes a noticeable distinction in your palms and ears, as a participant. 

We skilled this after we acquired hands-on with a Skilled on the current NAMM present, however the tone from the Rupert Neve Designs Reflectone pickups actually sealed the deal for us.

Neve is a reputation that’s second to none relating to studio-grade audio however this collaboration with Yamaha represents its first foray into guitar pickup expertise – and the outcomes are fittingly hi-fi.

Certainly, our roving NAMM reporter – Editor-in-Chief, Michael Astley-Brown – reported as a lot from the present ground, lately. 

“The stability and readability of the Skilled’s Reflectone pickups are extraordinary,” he commented of the HSS setup. “In reality, these pups are a few of the cleanest I’ve ever heard outdoors of totally energetic designs.”

The {hardware} elsewhere can be suitably high-spec, with a Gotoh two-point tremolo, locking tuners and curler string timber making certain a silkily clean operation that may deal with all of the whammy theatrics you may throw at it – and nonetheless keep in tune.  

All of it seems the half, too – with the finishes mirroring the fashions’ distinctive mix of Japanese and Californian craftsmanship, impressed by each its sun-drenched SoCal locale and the colourful pop artwork of Japanese cities. 

In the meantime, the Japanese-made Pacifica Skilled incorporates a Yamaha medallion within the headstock and we love these sleek-looking fretboard inlays. 

When EiC Mike acquired his palms on one of many first builds at NAMM, he felt it ranked among the many greatest guitars he’d ever performed, commenting it reminded him of customized store builds from a few of the high names in US luthiery.

As he concluded then: “Ignore the Pacifica Professional at your peril: this can be a world-class instrument.”

To search out out extra in regards to the gorgeous new Pacifica Skilled and Customary Plus guitars, head to Yamaha.

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