Originally Posted by: cheaviag

Originally Posted by: manXcat

Certainly as recently as product produced through 2019, Yamaha OEM fitment to their PAC612VII and indeed the entire Pacifica range were (still are? -read the last paragraph below) D'Addario EXL .9s.[br][br]That said, there has recently (2021) been a 612V model change from suffix FM to X to the PAC612VII. AFAICT it denotes only a change to the available range of colours to facilitate production and reduce current supply problems. i.e. Solids can be completely electrostatic spray booth paint finished vs the former translucent FMs which require skilled labour hand finishing prone to higher QC fails.

The PAC612V's GraphTech nut is cut to accomodate .9's. Having fitted and tried .10s on my Pacificas over the years, I can affirm they play best with .9s fitted for a multitude of reasons I shalln't elaborate upon here. For reference, I own and play four Pacificas inluding a 612VII FM. [br][br]Re Ernie Ball Slinkys. They are good strings, but [u]characteristically[/u] won't last as long as the D'Addarios [u]before losing their tone[/u] IMPE. D'Addario EXL .9s do work very well on the Pacifica, and have great tone and feel. They suit the instrument well. [br][br]Yamaha currently fit Elixir .10s as OEM to their entire Revstar range. I haven't bought a new Pacifica since 2019, so the OEM may have since changed to Elixir for the suffix X 612V Pacificas as well, although they would still be 9-42s.[br][br]Hope that is of use.

Thanks for that, once I found out that 9's were fitted as standard I ordered in a set of D'Addario EXL120-3D Nickel Wound Super Light (9-42), once they've arrived I'll fit them.. and 25 bucks for a set of three is a cheap fix, and will keep the feel that Yamaha intended.

But please don't forget that the manufacturer isn't playing your guitar. You are. You'll understand more when you've been playing longer and start to see that the way a guitar leaves the factory, and how you prefer it, are very different things. This also includes the action, but that's an entirely different discussion.

It's your guitar. Your choices. Much of what is written in the forum is opinion, anyway, so judge for yourself. The main thing is to enjoy playing (my opinion). Good luck with the lessons; there are some excellent ones on this site.