Pacifica PAC112J
Black
The beginner guitar teachers actually recommend, and an alder body at Squier money
Amazon rating
5.0 (1)Price band
Under $300
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The short version
The Pacifica 112 has been the standing recommendation for a first electric guitar for three decades, and the reason is one specification: an alder body. At this price almost everything else is poplar, basswood or nyatoh, and alder is the wood Fender uses on Stratocasters costing many times more — balanced, resonant, with a scooped midrange that suits both cleans and overdrive. Around it sits an HSS layout with an alnico V neck pickup, which is a genuine surprise here since alnico is normally reserved for guitars a tier or two up. The 13.75-inch fingerboard radius is flatter than a Fender's 9.5, so it favours lead playing and low action.
Score profile
Six axes, scored 1-10. These are editorial judgements about what this instrument delivers for the money — not measurements, and not anyone else’s ratings.
- Build
- 8.0
- Tone
- 8.0
- Versatility
- 9.0
- Comfort
- 9.0
- Hardware
- 7.0
- Value
- 10.0
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
Full specifications
| Brand | Yamaha |
|---|---|
| Model | Pacifica PAC112JBlack |
| Body | |
| Body | Pacifica double cutaway |
| Body wood | Alder |
| Body finish | Gloss polyurethane |
| Pickguard | One-ply white |
| Neck & fingerboard | |
| Neck joint | Bolt-on |
| Neck wood | Maple |
| Neck profile | 20.9 mm at 1st fret, 22.9 mm at 12th |
| Neck finish | Satin polyurethane |
| Scale length | 25.5" (648 mm) |
| Fingerboard | Rosewood or walnut, depending on production run |
| Radius | 13.75" (350 mm) |
| Frets | 22 |
| Fret size | Medium |
| Nut | Urea |
| Nut width | 41 mm at the zero fret |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Vintage-style tremolo with block saddles |
| Tuners | Die-cast |
| Electronics | |
| Neck pickup | Single-coil, alnico V |
| Middle pickup | Single-coil, ceramic |
| Bridge pickup | Humbucker, ceramic |
| Configuration | HSS |
| Electronics | Passive |
| Controls | Master volume, master tone |
| Switching | Five-position lever |
| General | |
| Type | Electric guitar |
| Strings | Nickel-plated steel (.009-.042) |
| Finish | Black |
| Orientation | Right-handed |
30 verified fields. Specifications come from the manufacturer first, then the Amazon listing, then authorised dealers — sources are listed at the foot of this page. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
The good and the bad
What we like
- Alder body at a price where poplar and basswood are the norm
- Alnico V neck pickup, unusual and audibly better at this level
- HSS layout with a five-way switch covers clean and heavy ground
- Yamaha's build consistency is notably better than most rivals at this price
What we do not
- Vintage-style tremolo drifts under heavy use
- Ceramic middle and bridge pickups are ordinary next to the alnico neck
- Simple master volume and master tone, with no per-pickup control
Who it is for
Skill level
Styles it suits
What owners and reviewers report
Patterns we found across published reviews and owner feedback. These are summaries of recurring themes — we do not reproduce or invent individual testimonials.
What comes up most
- Decades of owner feedback consistently rate it as the strongest beginner electric available
- Build quality and factory setup are repeatedly praised
- The alder body and neck pickup are singled out by players comparing it with Squier alternatives
Frequent complaints
- Tuning stability under heavy tremolo use is the standard criticism
- Some owners replace the bridge humbucker as their first upgrade
Recognised strengths
- Widely regarded as the benchmark first electric guitar, and a common recommendation from teachers
- Holds up well as a second or backup guitar rather than being outgrown quickly
Recognised weaknesses
- Hardware, particularly the tremolo, is the clear limit of the instrument
The verdict
If someone asks for one electric guitar under three hundred dollars, this is still the answer, and it has been for a long time for good reasons rather than nostalgic ones. Alder body, alnico neck pickup, 22 frets and an HSS layout cover far more ground than the price suggests, and Yamaha's factory quality control is consistently better than its rivals at this level. The weak point is the vintage-style tremolo, which drifts if you use it hard, and the ceramic middle and bridge pickups are ordinary next to the alnico neck. Neither stops it being the most instrument you can buy for the money.
Sources
Amazon rating captured 2026-08-26. ASIN B0BVWLNX9W.
Strings for this guitar
All stringsIt ships with Nickel-plated steel (.009-.042). Staying at that gauge keeps the setup and the neck relief as the factory left them; going a step lighter makes bending easier, a step heavier gives more volume and tension. Anything more than one step either way usually needs the truss rod and the intonation adjusted.
- 8.3/10
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Nickel Plated Steel Electric
Standard .010s that survive a summer of gigs instead of a fortnight
- 7.8/10
D'Addario · Strings
NYXL1046 Nickel Wound Electric
The same gauge as an EXL110, with the tuning problem actually solved
- 7.7/10
D'Addario · Strings
EXL110 XL Nickel Wound Electric
The electric string most guitars leave the factory wearing
What else you need
All accessoriesThe highest-scoring option in each category that suits this instrument. If you have never owned a guitar before, the starter guide explains what each of these is for and what you can safely skip.
- 6.6/10
New Bee · Cables
The cable an electric guitar needs on day one, at the price of a coffee
- 7.8/10
Fender · Tuners
FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
The tuner to buy first, before strings, before a strap, before anything
- 8.2/10
Dunlop · Picks
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
- 7.4/10
GLEAM · Stands
The accessory that decides whether the guitar gets played at all
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