Fender Squier or Yamaha Pacifica 112?
Manny
years now. I cant hold it anymore :P I've almost everything set, but I
still havent decided what to buy because since I'm not much into the
subject yet, I dont know what's better to buy, etc.
I've done some research though, looked up on Ebay and stuff, and I
pretty much ran into the same 2 models when talking about guitar for
beginners.
It's the Fender Squier and the Yamaha Pacifica 112 which seem to be
perfect for what I'm looking for. But I dont know which one is better
really. All I can tell is that they look pretty much the same with the
exception that the Yamaha only has a master tone while the Squier has
2 tones and a volume control. That and that the Yamaha is slighty
cheaper.
I'd need some help to decide what to buy. Please note that I'm talking
about the general aspect. Obviously, how it sounds is kinda the most
important thing, but I wouldnt like to leave aside how it looks and
other aspects that I might be leaving out.
I also read some comment on the Yamaha and most of the people
recommends it over the Squier, but how come it's cheaper then? Does
this have anything to be with paying the "Fender" logo? Any
suggestions and advice is appreciated. Thanks :D
Stompbox
Hi there - I play Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster, but i had a
Yamaha Pacifica 112.
The Squier version of the Stratocaster is excellent as is the Yamaha.
It really will not matter which you buy to my mind, as they are
similar instruments.
If anything the neck on the Yamaha is slimmer and therefore easier to
get a grip of when you are learing the chord shapes.
The sound of the pickups on the Yamaha are good as well - as for tone
controls, I would say they are of minor use on an electric anyway -
you get the bulk of your tone from the amplifier settings anyway.
Either way, whichever you buy you can always re-sell them on Ebay & if
you buy at the right price you won't lose much.
Hope this helps,
Geoff
MWC
>
> I also read some comment on the Yamaha and most of the people
> recommends it over the Squier, but how come it's cheaper then? Does
> this have anything to be with paying the "Fender" logo? Any
> suggestions and advice is appreciated. Thanks :D
Manny - Go get started! You can drive yourself crazy agonizing over
these things - either of your choices will be very good for a
beginner. Fender products carry some brand premium. I cant speak
directly to either product, but both companies make good products.
The main thing is to have a good enough instument that you will be
encouraged to practice. Which one of those 2 just appeals to you more
when you pick it up?
Often overlooked at first, the amp also has a big influence on the
sound and the "best" one depends on what sounds you like. Go to the
store and ask the salesman or a friend to play something through them
and others using a single coil guitar - pick the one you like best and
can afford. Although you might initially ignore them because they are
no-frills and use tubes, the Epiphone Valve Jr and Fender Champion 600
might sound good to you, are not expensive and have fans among the
more experienced.
Mike
Manny
Mike, I feel more confortable with the Yamaha. So I will probably go
for it unless someone comes over here with a good enough reason of why
I shouldnt. I'm not a "snob" guy or whatsoever, so I really dont care
if my first guitar is not made by Fender..although I cant say I
wouldnt like one in the future :P
Also thank you very much for the advice on the amplifier. I wasnt sure
about that either. A friend of mine has a Peavey (I dont know what
model) and he sounded good on it to me, although since I dont know
much about it yet it may actually be pretty bad.. I will look up those
two models you mentioned ;)
So, if any of you have more suggestions go ahead and post away! Thanks
for the help again :)
Manny
Anyway, I posted this on another site and a guy told me this:
"from looking at the reviews on guitar center for the Yamaha, it seems
it has trouble staying in tune, and also the jack is of low quality"
How bad is the tune thing? I dont want to have to tune it after every
5 minutes of playing it, but I guess it's not that bad is it?
And as for the jack input, I guess I wont break it if I'm careful..
all good if it doesnt get broken just by playing the guitar normally.
Will it? Thanks again and if you can, tell me how to edit messages :P
Thanks guys :D
Manny
messages and I also created another reply and it havent showed up yet.
Anyway, if you can tell me how to edit them I'll appreciate it. On
topic:
I posted this on another forum and someone told me this:
"from looking at the reviews on guitar center for the Yamaha, it seems
it has trouble staying in tune, and also the jack is of low quality"
I wouldnt like to have to tune it every 5 minutes after playing it,
but I guess it's not that bad is it? :S I guess "bad" means once a
week?
No Busking
> Also thank you very much for the advice on the amplifier. I wasnt sure
> about that either. A friend of mine has a Peavey (I dont know what
> model) and he sounded good on it to me, although since I dont know
> much about it yet it may actually be pretty bad.. I will look up those
> two models you mentioned ;)
>
> So, if any of you have more suggestions go ahead and post away! Thanks
> for the help again :)
The Fender Champion 600 and the Epiphone Valve Junior are excellent little
amps (I have a Valve Junior sitting across the room as my "office amp"), but
have no EQ, reverb or other effects. Bottom line...to get a cool and drippy
tone with some "atmosphere" (with your eyes closed, you think you're in a
stadium....), you'll need some pedals. We gearheads that have been buying
this stuff forever are tripping over pedals all over the house...if you
don't already have effects (or the skills to play with distortion tones),
both of those amps have a pretty dry sound.
Shorter version...both are great little amps, but are made to be components
in a system, which limits their versatility. If you play electric guitar,
making lots of cool noises is part of the fun.
Peavey solid state amps with reverb are great...they're sturdy, you can get
a good tone, and they're lightweight (which becomes an issue the more people
you find to play with). Fender, Vox, Epiphone, and Marshall all make amps
for that market as well, with varying degrees of effectiveness and
reliability...check online reviews of equipment at harmonycentral.com or
musiciansfriend.com to get an idea of particular models. Every manufacturer
has some stars and some lemons.
There are also modeling amps that have LOTS of effects built-in (Tech 21 and
Line 6 are a couple of additional brand names), and Fender's GDEC series is
pretty cool as a practice tool...you also get a bass and drum machine to
play along with (more fun than a metronome), and it has lots of effects and
other features built-in.
Don't go nuts worrying about getting lots of effects...after all, learning
to play is the highest priority at this point. But...when you make your
initial purchases, it's good to know what features you'll be looking for as
you improve your playing.
Hope this helps,
- Mike Pugh
jtees4
>Manny - if you truly serious about it then here is what I suggest
>(yes - my nick is "Squier" but it is mostly due to 2 guitars I love
>to play which are older MIJ Squiers from the 80's - completely
>different than the Squier guitars of today)
>
>Anyways - Get yourself a nice Standard Fender Stratocaster
>these are also known as "MIM" or Made In Mexico Stratocasters.
>Really nice guitars and for a little more money than the Yamaha
>or the Squier you get a really nice guitar. The 2006 and 2007
>models of the MIM Stratocasters now have medium jumbo frets and
>larger trem blocks. Very nice guitars and easy playing.
>Make sure wherever you buy it from does a nice 'setup' for you
>which means the action (string height) is adjusted to the way
>you like it (I suggest low string action) and the strings are intonated.
>
>So - Guitar would be Fender Standard Stratocaster (MIM)
>and the amp choice would be a Fender Blues Junior (tube amp)
>Both the guitar and amp suggested would last you a lifetime of playing.
>The only thing is (obviously) regular maintenance such as changing strings
>and changing tubes when needed. Both are not a big expense and you'll
>have a nice setup. In time you can always get effects pedals or whatever -
>but the main thing is with this guitar and amp you'll have a nice sounding
>and playing rig which you can build on without having to upgrade your
>guitar and/or amp for a long time if ever.
>
>That's my 2 cents.
I think you underestimate the Pacifica 112. They play great and the
fact that it has a H-S-S set up gives you a little more versatility
also. Having said that...I agree with everything you said. I too think
the MIM Strats are pretty nice and can be a good deal. Agree with the
amp too.
Squier
your point is well taken - i just might be underestimating the pacifica.
I just spoke from personal experience with MIM Strats and the amp suggested
and know them to be 'good stuff'.
Another thing is that the MIM strats also come as Fat with humbucker
and 2 single coils (HSS) if that's
what the OP wants to get. Obviously most of the guitars or amps suggested
from all the reply posters can be obtained used or new. That's up to the OP.
the next time I come across one of those pacificas again I'll play it
for a bit and pay more attention to how it feels / plays etc.
jtees4
Actually, I had a DUH moment the second I pressed send. I just sold
two MIM Strats a couple of weeks ago...both had the H-S-S set up. Both
were pretty nice too...I am just not a strat guy. The problem with the
Yamahas is they have so many models that look similar and all are
Pacificas. 012, 112, 112C on and on. The real 112 is a solid nice
playing guitar, decent hardware etc. also much lighter than the MIM
Strats I had. Not necessarily better, but nice. As a Fender guy, you
will probably not like the Pacifica, it just has a different feel than
a fender.
