Yamaha Pacifica 812W vs. Blade RH3?

[Dave L]

My on-again, off-again search for something a bit more classic than my Soloists and Collens continues... I just came across two ads, one for a Yamaha 812W and one for a Blade RH3. Looking at the specs they´re pretty similar... bolt-on strats with rosewood boards, Wilkinson trems, H/S/S pickups. IIRC the Yamaha has stock Duncans, but the Blade has been fitted with EMG´s. The Blade is more expensive, even though they´re both very affordable.

Which one would you guys go for? I know the Yamaha is a very good piece of gear, but I´m not familiar with the Blades.

[chrisolson]

Warning -- the necks on the 612 and 812 Pac's are HUUUUUGE. They make Les Pauls cry.

That trem BLOWS as well - there is NO adjustability.

My 612 was the biggest and ONLY disappointment I've ever had from Yamaha.

[kelly user]

Warning -- the necks on the 612 and 812 Pac's are HUUUUUGE. They make Les Pauls cry.

That trem BLOWS as well - there is NO adjustability.

My 612 was the biggest and ONLY disappointment I've ever had from Yamaha.

that les paul crack was too funny.

[chrisolson]

that les paul crack was too funny.

Funny, yes, unless you bought one sight unseen off eBay expecting the neck to be like all the other Pacificas you've ever played... Terrific looking guitar, but it wasn't the player's guitar almost every Pacifica I've had before was. Bummer.

How many times have I had to learn the same lesson??

Back to the trem - if you have a buzzy string (like I did), if you have saddles on the trem, you can usually adjust that out. But since this one only has posts like a Floyd, you are SOL. It's not a very nice trem IMHO.

[Dave L]

The huge neck is a bit of a surprise... were these the necks made by Warmoth rather than Yamaha themselves, perhaps? I seem to remember ads from around this time toting the Warmoth connection.

[chrisolson]

On the USA's maybe (and some of the older HIGH end stuff), but no longer on the imports, which the 812 is. At least not that I'm aware of.

There was a connection though - you are correct.

[Dave L]

I just noticed that the 812 is still in production, with a two-point vintage trem under the name 812V instead of the old Wilkinson-loaded 812W from the nineties that I´m looking at... maybe the neck changed somewhere along the line as well?