2024 Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus vs Fender SSS and HSS Strats | Which is best? Tone comparison

[@RichWordsMusic]

Get your Yamaha Pacifica at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/584320?offid=1&affid=1250 At Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/JznE9N And here's your timestamps: 00:00 Hello! 00:20 Intro and what we’re doing today 02:02 Yamaha Pacifica specs and info 04:04 Fender Modern Player HSS Stratocaster specs and info 06:05 Fender Japan SSS Stratocaster specs and info 08:40 Today’s rig and plan Clean Sounds 09:25 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings 10:44 Strummed country chords 11:02 Surf pop riff 11:33 Ringing open indie pop chords 12:12 Blues riff 12:45 Funky rhythms 13:09 Ascending droning indie chords Light & Medium Overdrive Sounds 13:35 Indie rock rhythm chords 14:04 Indie octave chords 14:30 Upbeat indie barre chords 14:53 Choppy barre chords 15:11 Garage rock riff 15:27 AC/DC inspired riff 15:42 Classic rock riff 15:56 Quacky rock riff 16:12 Groovy classic rock riff 16:39 Hendrix inspired riff Heavy Overdrive Sounds 16:56 80s rock riff 17:15 Melodic hard rock single note riff 17:46 Classic hard rock riff 18:03 Glam rock riff 18:24 Alternative rock riff 18:47 Pop punk riff 19:19 Punk rock power chords 19:32 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D tuning) Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D) 19:56 Metal chugging riff 20:29 Heavy metal lead sound 20:44 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang 21:06 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff 21:20 My thoughts 22:01 First impressions and looks 23:16 Price 24:30 Build quality and hardware 26:43 Playability and necks 28:02 Weight 29:24 Sounds and pickups discussion 32:27 Which one should you buy? Which would I buy?

[@ChidOki]

You make the best side by side guitar comparisons videos on KZbin. Thanks for your hard work!

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks so much! Really glad you appreciate the vids and the effort... these multi-way comparison ones are indeed a good few hours of slogging to get done, even though most of it is fun 😅 So I'm always extremely happy to get such positive feedback - thanks again!

[@denis.yarmonik]

Totally!

[@Julio3dc]

I’ve been watching a lot of videos while I wait for my new Pacifica to arrive. I also have a Fender and I’m very excited to have the PAC. This is by far the best video featuring the PACS+ great job man, great range of tones and styles

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it! And I hope your Pacifica arrived and you feel the same way about it :) They're such good guitars!

[@edwinshadian2852]

Great comparison! The fact that you presented guitars in various different styles is awesome. A lot of reviewers settle in their comfortable box and don't give real wide experience

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, I try and get in at least a riff for everyone if I can... makes it more fun for me as well :)

[@tbone4186]

Best comparison videos I’ve seen. Thanks 🙏

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it!

[@SB-hi2wb]

I've never liked how the vol knob are so close to the pickups on Strats. They are awesome sounding guitars along with Pacifica.

[@sEaNoYeAh]

This was a fantastic overview, thanks for the effort!

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed it!

[@philliosr3615]

Thanks for making this video. I was actually weighing up the pink yamaha or a silver burst hss fender player plus. I know it’s not exactly apples to apples but it was enough for me to see and hear them side by side to pull the pin. I went with the Yamaha 😊

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! That's exactly the Player Plus model I'd get if I was going for one of the new ones... I must say though, I've seen two in shops now and the Pau Ferro boards have been dry and nasty on both of them 😕 Which is a real shame, and makes me wish they did this model with a maple board, like they do with the Meteora. But anyway, I do believe you've made a fantastic choice with the Yamaha... enjoy it! It's a wonderful, versatile guitar.

[@mikeshinwa3398]

I own the Pacifica Professional and am absolutely in love with it. It pains me to go online and see how many guitar players still dunk on the Pacificas and especially criticize how a Pacifica is not something that deserved to be priced as high as the standard plus/ the professional is. But once I sat in store and compared it again the American Ultra and the AZ Prestige, I couldn't tell the difference between those three in terms of overall build quality and playability. To me, the new Pacifica are at the same level as those two other guitars. The hardware is all top notch, and I really like the modern-shaped neck and fretboard. But the Neeve pickups were the things that sold me. They give the Pacifica that pristine "HiFi" sound - sparkly, clean but with sufficient warmth and body. As you perfectly said, it's totally different to the vintage sound of that Japan strat. And let's face it - you just aren't going to get that classic strat sound from any other guitar and it's worth owning for that sound. But as someone who likes to versatility, and loves to dabble with music production, I liked how clean the Pacifica was and how I could add and mess around with the tone as if it was a blank canvas. Yamaha deserves more respect than what it is currently given that's for sure. And the Pacifica Pro / Standard Plus are guitars you can own for life. Thanks so much for the detailed comparison!

[@huanton2many]

whats the neck profile like? what would you compare it to? tnx

[@mikeshinwa3398]

@ it’s modern C shape. Very comfortable. And very similar to the Ibanez az2204. Both guitars felt incredibly comfortable to play on. The only difference is that the Pacifica Professional has a compound radius. I.e., when the fretboard transitions from a smaller radius to a larger radius, the aim is to allow for increased comfort when playing barre chords up the neck, as well as greater speed and cleaner bends. I won’t say it’s a night and day difference but it does help and became noticeable once I tried to play other guitars after playing on the professional for a few months. Definitely a very nice feature.

[@huanton2many]

would you say it has more pronounced shoulders? I havent been able to try the more expensive AZ series

[@johndo9648]

I like the design and construction of the Yamaha.

[@RichWordsMusic]

Me too, I think it's a really well done update/upgrade to the Pacifica. Would love to see some more affordable Fenders going in this direction.

[@LB-pp7pu]

Fantastic video, thanks for making it!

[@RichWordsMusic]

And thank YOU for watching and enjoying! Cheers :)

[@lynmaher112]

Wow I like the sound and tone of the Yamaha ...... Thanks for the comparison

[@jimmythefish]

This is an exceptional comparison, thank you. Subbed.

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! And I really appreciate the sub too :) More videos like this to come!

[@PooNinja]

A buddy of mine regularly travels quite a distance to pick up pretty pacifica’s . Such beautiful instruments especially for the price. And as always if it has a triple pitchfork on it it’s probably awesome.

[@RichWordsMusic]

Yeah, Pacificas have always traditionally been amazing value for money. It is interesting that the new ones are much more like 'modded Pacificas'... almost like they took the old ones and added parts people would swap out before. This one is awesome too, but it's in another price class. Pitchforks at the ready ;)

[@PooNinja]

@@RichWordsMusic 🤘🏽

[@ChidOki]

Does he happen go to another country to get color options not offered in the U.S.?

[@caiocsampaio]

Clearly the Yamaha has a very very top end sound and almost makes the Fenders sound muffled which is something I never thought could be possible. But obviously this could be just a question of EQ. Or maybe pink guitars sound clearer. Who knows... lol

[@RichWordsMusic]

Ha ha, it's definitely the pink guitars thing! But actually the Neve pickups in the Pacifica are extremely hi-fi and pristine... they take a while to get used to, for sure! You can warm them up, though, with some tweaking.

[@Sam_Gowman]

Great video

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!

[@Sam_Gowman]

@@RichWordsMusic I loved it thoroughly. Didn't even expect a hi-gain comparison. So many videos are out there without a hi-gain comparison. When I was typing my comment, I was about to ask if you have tried with distortion. But when I checked the timestamp, I found it. Thank you for posting this 🙏🏻

[@MH-kc8pq]

Great video, some great riffing, but you're incorrect about the better access heel joint being new. This was a feature on the 412v/512/712/812s and also on some of the original high end pacificas.

[@robertdonosobuchner3129]

My favorite in this comparison is the Stratocaster from Japan. It just has the sounds I like. I already have two Stratocaster Professional hss with the same specs, same settings, but they sound different and I will customize these guitars in different ways. One is a bit quiter than the other and has a bit more bass, the other sounds a bit brighter. These 3 guitars in this comparison sounding also different and that's completely OK. It's just a matter of taste. I think the best way to find the right guitar is, when you get inspired by playing a guitar and if you start to smile and when you get happy, just buy this guitar (if possible)... Often I get inspired by guitars with a good quality, because the feel of the the neck, the fretwork, and the resonance of a guitar is important to me. It's difficult for me to buy a guitar that I never have hold in my hands. A lot of good guitars are now in the same price range like this Pacifica and this makes it a bit complicated to choose the right guitar.

[@RichWordsMusic]

Great comment! I agree with all of it... comparisons like this are a lot of fun, and they are useful, but I am with you 100% in that I think it's always best to play a guitar in person before you buy it, if possible. Especially when you're up at higher prices like the Pacifica. Because you're also right... you might try five with identical specs on paper, and they all feel and sound a bit different! So in the end it's about the inspiration, finding the one that connects with you. Once you feel that, you know it's the right one. Even if it's the cheapest ;) The Japanese Strat here simply inspires me to pick it up and play it, and a lot of that is down to the looks. That's why I mention in the video that the Sparkle Blue Yamaha may have had the same effect. Thanks for the great comment, and enjoy your Strat journey! I would be very interested to hear what you choose to do with the customizations...

[@MarkStearle-w1m]

Do you prefer this over the Player 2 strat,thanks

[@RichWordsMusic]

I've only played a Player II Strat in a shop for about 10 minutes (it was the HSS version), and I really liked it. Overall, I'd say try both - they feel quite different and you may prefer one over the other for that. Quality-wise, though, I'd say they're fairly even.

[@MarkStearle-w1m]

@@RichWordsMusic thank you so much for your advice Rich,will do

[@marlynbrando9506]

Yamaha makes good shit!

[@RichWordsMusic]

They certainly do!

[@eloi4297]

The Pacifica sounded great, the single coil pickups sounded really nice, same for the Japanese Strat, and it handled gain graciously. The Player Strat was my least favorite, the sound was "dryer" overall

[@RichWordsMusic]

Yep, they've all got their own things going on tonally for sure. The Yamaha can do everything, the Japanese Strat has the vintage vibes, and the Modern Player is a bit more unusual and high gain orientated, but still nice at what it does. I guess I'm happy to have access to all three ;) Cheers and rock on!

[@edwinshadian2852]

What do you think about this Pacifica vs Fender Player Plus HSS? I want to try both, but I have some concern. I have Revstar RSE20 and it's awesome guitar, so I don't bother much about Yamaha quality, but I don't quite sure of Mex Fender quality. Thanks!

[@АлехандроФернандо]

I liked the Yamaha the most. The Fenders sound seemed more compressed, and even a little weak and muttering. Yamaha sounded optimal

[@crisco-crispy8509]

1. Yamaha Pacifica 2.Fender SSS -Japan 3. Fender HSS Fender just can’t the HSS right. Also I think our ears are starting to become accustomed to the other strats. Becoming more accepting of some of the thinner chime tones.

[@RichWordsMusic]

Yep, I'm OK with that ranking. I actually really want to try one of the new Fender Player II HSS Strats... it's supposed do be decent. Totally agree about other Strats now being accepted as the real thing. There's so many great alternatives out there now. I feel like the PRS Silver Sky sort of opened up many of our minds to that on a wider scale.

[@terryshrives8322]

There is no comparison. Yamaha all day long. Better quality and quality control. A $329 Pacifica by itself, beats the shit out of a $2000 fender. I've been playing Yamaha since the 90s. Not a beginner guitar. People talk bad about them, having never had one in their hands

[@carlosbernal5877]

Ths first fender sounds awesome! Second: yamaha sounds really good Last: fender made in japan.

[@paulsarodh5460]

Yamaha s d BEST BRO 💞🎸🤗 🥁💞💢🎸🎸PICKUPS

[@RichWordsMusic]

Can't go wrong with a Pacifica ever!

[@plainzero]

crazy to think a 90s guitar is 30+ years old

[@RichWordsMusic]

I know, I surprised myself when I said that and figured it out! Makes me even older ;)

[@650thunderbird]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thank you good sir!

[@thusithakularathne2417]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@RichWordsMusic]

Thanks a lot!

[@paulsarodh5460]

💗💞💢🎸YAMAHA PACIFICA SUPRB 💞🎸🎸👍🤗

[@RichWordsMusic]

It really is!

[@xiwodeqiudai]

Man I actually found all of the Yamaha coil split tones offensive to my ears. The blue strat was my fav in almost all comparisons. Although completely subjective.

[@RichWordsMusic]

Interesting! I really like the split coil Yamaha tones, although as you say, tone is in the ear of the beholder. Can't go wrong with that Japanese Strat, though!

[@rambadur5226]

Less Talk more play

[@RichWordsMusic]

That's what timestamps are for! You can skip the talking with one click if you don't want it :)

[@braulioa.aviles1602]

I can only imagine he meant that you are less talk and more play than other reviewers, because I did like that you talked a little bit, but presented us with a lot side to side comparisons.

[@fernandoocaranza4510]

I have a new japan made revstar and it's amazing. Now I only buy japanese made guitars.

[@RichWordsMusic]

They are sensational guitars for sure - I've tried a couple and they are incredible. And yes, you do feel the quality over the Standard models :) Enjoy yours!

[@fernandoocaranza4510]

@@RichWordsMusic I see that you can tell. The best Fender guitars that I've tried are Japanese. I've had Mexican (I'm Mexican) and American made fenders and i don't really them.