My Yamaha 'Pacifica' 112.
Having mentioned the high quality/low cost instruments available nowadays, I thought I'd post this to illustrate my point. I bought it for teaching years ago to save wear and tear on my more valuable guitars, and is easily the best £130 I ever spent on a brand new guitar. I got it at a special 'trade' price as we had Yamaha sponsorship at the time, and bought it sight unseen, just asking the guy over the phone at the warehouse to feel the weight of the box and try and pick me a nice light one as there was slight variation.
When it arrived, all I did was stretch the strings in, clean the protective film of oil off 'em, and tune it, then it was out on a gig the very same night. What a cracking little guitar! Ok, the pick-ups are ceramic 'cheapies', but still more than serviceable with no microphonics, and the only mods I did where the string saver saddles and string tree on the headstock (better tone, tuning and no more broken strings....ever!) and minor set-up tweaks. I wore one neck out and just bolted on a new replacement (four screws and a string change!), which it still has.
This is the guitar that I always have to hand, and probably the one I use the most. Some 'posh' pick-ups would make it truly outstanding, but what it has work just fine through a good valve amp (either my old 1960 Vox AC10, or modern Laney LC30.) Pic two shows it 'in action', playing with the Judgemeadow Community College Orchestra for the Lord Mayor of Leicester and Keith Vaz MP (as he was then, sat right in front of me.....no pressure then!) Note chord....(but what is it?!) and restored Vox AC10, with original rip left in grille cloth, just for old times sake....
A cracking little guitar and a great workhorse - highly recommended!
Brian.
Having mentioned the high quality/low cost instruments available nowadays, I thought I'd post this to illustrate my point. I bought it for teaching years ago to save wear and tear on my more valuable guitars, and is easily the best £130 I ever spent on a brand new guitar. I got it at a special 'trade' price as we had Yamaha sponsorship at the time, and bought it sight unseen, just asking the guy over the phone at the warehouse to feel the weight of the box and try and pick me a nice light one as there was slight variation.
When it arrived, all I did was stretch the strings in, clean the protective film of oil off 'em, and tune it, then it was out on a gig the very same night. What a cracking little guitar! Ok, the pick-ups are ceramic 'cheapies', but still more than serviceable with no microphonics, and the only mods I did where the string saver saddles and string tree on the headstock (better tone, tuning and no more broken strings....ever!) and minor set-up tweaks. I wore one neck out and just bolted on a new replacement (four screws and a string change!), which it still has.
This is the guitar that I always have to hand, and probably the one I use the most. Some 'posh' pick-ups would make it truly outstanding, but what it has work just fine through a good valve amp (either my old 1960 Vox AC10, or modern Laney LC30.) Pic two shows it 'in action', playing with the Judgemeadow Community College Orchestra for the Lord Mayor of Leicester and Keith Vaz MP (as he was then, sat right in front of me.....no pressure then!) Note chord....(but what is it?!) and restored Vox AC10, with original rip left in grille cloth, just for old times sake....
A cracking little guitar and a great workhorse - highly recommended!
Brian.
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