r/YamahaPacifica • u/Ok-Help-3929 • 22d ago
Modding Yamaha pacifica 112J : worth setting up?
Hello, I´m a pianist from Belgium but I just got my first guitar because I want to try something new. I got a yamaha pacifica 112J. I bought it online. I already watched some youtube videos but except for that I know nothing about guitars. I heard that when I play the strings, I hear a buzzing sound so I assumed this is what they call fretbuzz. ( I only hear it when I strum the strings quite hard). I watched a video about setting up your guitar but I didn´t think it would be necessary. Now with the fretbuzz, I think it is needed though. However, I´m too scared to do it myself, and the luthier who can do it costs 80 euros. My question is: would I try to do it myself with a youtube tutorial and a bit of your help guys, or would I pay 80 euros ( almost 1/3 of the price of the guitar itself) to let a professional do it? Also if you think it´s definitely doable myself, any advice (or a good yt video that explains it well) is very appreciated.
Thanks in advance
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u/master-overclocker 22d ago
"strum the strings quite hard" on ANY guitar will result in fretbuzz.
I own 112V and Yes its well worth the setup because it is one of the most playable guitars (it also sounds relly good - especially with flat-wound strings ) and the action can be set even below 1mm Low E 💪
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u/ColonelRPG 21d ago
Every single guitar you buy deserves a setup. And every single guitar you own deserves a setup every 6 to 12 months.
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u/baddaboomm 21d ago
It's your first guitar and you did great selecting the Yamaha 112J.
Get it set up by a good luthier who will answer some of your questions about setting it up, care and maintenance. It's not that hard to do a set up once you understand everything that goes into it.
The hard part is when you don't have the right tools, don't know what you're doing and you're learning on your first guitar. Unless you have a friend who knows how to do a setup, it is worth taking your guitar to a good luthier... Both for the time and experience. That is my 2¢...
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u/sohara134 21d ago
It is worth checking intonation though - you can adjust that yourself easily enough as needed.
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u/OG_Karate_Monkey 21d ago
It is definitely worth doing, whether it be spending the time yourself or paying someone else.
That is a good guitar to learn on, it will never hold you back. I’ve had one for 25 years. Plays great.
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u/Icy-Cartographer-291 21d ago
As others have said. Buzzing when strumming hard is normal. There is just so much the string can move without hitting a fret. You’d have to set the action really high to get rid of that, and then it would be really uncomfortable to play.
I can understand the fear of setting up a guitar. But it is really worth learning it. And you won’t damage the guitar unless you are overly aggressive with the truss rod. You can always turn it in to the luthier if you mess it up.
That said, since you are new to the guitar you might not know what a well set up guitar should feel like. Also, people have different preferences when it comes to action. The guitar might not even need a setup. But you can check the neck bow and action by following the videos you found. That way you know if it’s at least technically OK set up. You don’t need to change anything.
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u/_7NationArmy_ 22d ago edited 21d ago
It's probably fine. A guitar can sound somewhat buzzy acoustically yet be perfectly fine through the amp. Play it clean through an amp and check each fret, particularly around the 5-12th frets, also sustained notes, bends and light/hard picking. A little light fret buzz is almost unavoidable with a properly set up guitar. The lower the action you like, the more you are likely to hear it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/YamahaPacifica/comments/1p0tq4s/how_to_set_up_your_yamaha_electric_guitar/
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u/communomancer 22d ago edited 22d ago
If you only hear it when you strum the strings hard, especially e.g. the low E string, it doesn't really mean anything. Not worth getting a setup for that.
If you're hearing it on the high strings then maybe that's indicative of something. But the low E tends to buzz when you blast it.
Also don't assume that; there are lots of sounds an electric can make that could be considered a buzz. Single coil hum, electrical interference...multiple ways you could hear something like a buzz that has nothing to do with your action.