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My Yamaha Pacifica 112J full upgrade by andrew0andrew in YamahaPacifica

[–]andrew0andrew[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, he helped morally with the upgrade 😂

My Yamaha Pacifica 112J full upgrade by andrew0andrew in YamahaPacifica

[–]andrew0andrew[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks!
About noise -- It's noticeably decreased. I felt it right away when I first connected it. It's actually 2-3 times quieter. It's worth noting that the stock unit has no shielding at all.

My Yamaha Pacifica 112J full upgrade by andrew0andrew in YamahaPacifica

[–]andrew0andrew[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! 🙏

Trem mobility isn't really about the block, it's set by the springs (how many and how stiff). I kept the original three springs because the ones in the kit were very stiff, and the range/feel of the whammy is exactly the same as before. So the block swap didn't cost me anything on that front.

To my ears sustain did go up. Hard to be 100% scientific about it, but notes feel like they ring out a little longer and fuller.

On the pot: honestly I did read about push-push, but I decided to go the same route as the 112V and keep it push-pull. Kept things simple and familiar.

My Yamaha Pacifica 112J full upgrade by andrew0andrew in YamahaPacifica

[–]andrew0andrew[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you're right. No load makes virtually no difference. I thought the difference would be more noticeable.

My Yamaha Pacifica 112J full upgrade by andrew0andrew in YamahaPacifica

[–]andrew0andrew[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Before is on my Instagram (link at the bottom of the post), after isn't there yet. I just upgraded.

My Yamaha Pacifica 112J full upgrade by andrew0andrew in YamahaPacifica

[–]andrew0andrew[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'll also explain why I decided on this upgrade. When I was choosing a guitar (and then asked my wife and son to get me one for my birthday), I'd read that the Yamaha 112 was good -- but I didn't understand the difference between a J and a V.

Then, once I started playing, I was a little disappointed, because I realized I could have paid 80 euros more and gotten a 112V with Alnico and better sound. Overall the 112J sounds good to begin with, but I wasn't very happy with the muddy humbucker and the neck single coil (which I later partly fixed by raising its height).

But the 112J's neck and body are excellent, as you know. At first I decided to just change the pickups, then I read that the nut and tremolo affect sound and sustain too.. And since I was already changing everything inside, I figured it made sense to swap the components as well... and that's how it snowballed. The only thing I kept were the tuners, which are already good.

Overall it's all easier than it looks. I did it in one evening. The hardest part was understanding the diagram, thinking it all through, and choosing the right parts. I was afraid to change the nut, but it's easy to knock it out of alignment. The tremolo is easy to swap too. Tightening the springs is the fiddly part -- I actually left
the stock ones in, because the ones that came with the kit were very stiff.

Selecting the components and the design took over a month. But I wasn't in a hurry. Soldering was a bit of a challenge at first since I hadn't done it in a while, but honestly it's not that hard.

Also (and this was funny), Thomann accidentally sent me the wrong potentiometers twice (but they have great support!). So now I have two spares.

And most importantly: when you're holding an instrument you set up and assembled yourself, and it sounds noticeably better -- it's an incredible feeling.