PRS SE Custom vs Yamaha Pacifica 611VFM

[Chris6542]

Bought two guitars new from Sweetwater recently, a PRS SE Custom ($899) and a Yamaha Pacifica 611 ($699) both beautiful dark brown maple tops. Did a shootout today thru my Legacy 3 half stack. As drop dead gorgeous as the PRS is visually (and it is gorgeous!), the pickups in it are harsh and brittle...the Yamaha schooled it so terribly on tasteful and classy tones. I tip my cap to the Japanese, they are so good at what they do. This Pacifica, while not as shockingly beautiful as the PRS, though it is beautiful in its own right, sounds so tasteful and gorgeous on all settings, the P90, the coil splitting, the pickup selector....all configurations sound so classy and tasteful, just beautiful tones! Those G&B pickups from Korea in the lower PRS's suck balls. Granted pickups are easily swapped out, and they will be in mine. Now, the neck on the PRS is nice and wide, just how I like it. The neck on the Pacifica is narrow and tight and I really don't like it, luckily I have smaller hands. Way too narrow for a Superstrat! So, in short, the PRS got it all correct except the pickups (bad). The Yamaha made a big mistake with a narrow neck, but the tones are so beautiful you do a double take! Guess I will have to keep em both!

[Mincer]

So what pickups are going in the PRS?

[Synapsys]

Just sold my 30th Anniversary SE Custom 24 Flametop, juat sold last week, I went Custom/ PGn.

Sounded great, but I am now on a Charvel shopping spree, so it had to go.

[Chris6542]

What pickups for the PRS? The Yamaha has the Duncan pickups stock which sound amazing, TB-14 in bridge and a Duncan P90 in neck position. So the PRS will get the same TB-14 in bridge, and probably a Duncan Jazz humbucker in neck....still pondering the neck. Think this will be a real tasteful combination.

[Masta' C]

First, have you tried adjusting the pickups in the PRS?

The newer PRS pickups are no longer made by G&B and are a small step up over older models, in my opinion, but not everyone digs the 85/15's. Still, I'd suggest playing with their heights a bit before dismissing them completely.

A little out of the box, perhaps, but take a look at the Duncan P-rails for the neck spot. Should get things closer to what you like about the Yamaha with all the play-feel goodness of the PRS!

[ArtieToo]

The Yammy is gorgeous. Tobacco Burst is one of my favorite guitar colors.

[Aceman]

I let a high end Pacifica go, many years ago. I miss that guitar.

[GuitarDoc]

I actually like the looks of the Pacifica better than the SE. And I think it's a better instrument all around.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the PRS has a 1 11/16" wide neck. Most other guitars have 1 9/16" - 1 5/8". I have found that over the years I went from 1 5/8" to 1 11/16" but now I'm making all of my custom guitars with a 1 21/32" neck...half way in between. I have small hands so it's difficult to get wrapped around a 1 11/16", but I like the extra room for my stubby fingers. The 1 21/32" is a compromise which works for me...but I can play any width neck since most of my playing is above the 5th fret anyway.

[Chris6542]

GuitarDoc, agreed, the Pacifica is certainly a very impressive instrument. It really is stunning the quality of tones for a $700 guitar, nothing today. It's my best sounding guitar. The nut on the Pacifica is a very narrow 38mm, immediately apparent as soon as you play it. I "think" the nut on the PRS is 42mm...a big difference. People used to Fender Strat necks may not be upset, but people used to like an Ibanez wide flat neck will be surprised. I guess guitars are individual like people, different personalities.

[GuitarDoc]

Yep.

[pskorz]

For me, I think the 85/15s pickups on an se24 are a good example of the pickups being matched well to the guitar for its own unique vibe. I can’t say they’re my favorite pickups overall, but I’m hesitant to change them. They sound good, unique, I think they split very well. I could swap in some set of Duncans to give it a more familiar vibe be and feel, but since it’s not my main guitar I like it for what it is in a unique way.

but I love that Pacifica vibe with the p90 neck.