Originally Posted by: Sasha-B

yamaha pacifica (it's their version of a strat, can't think of the model name)

The name is "Pacifica" if we are talking about the same model.

This is the guitar Santa brought me when I decided to take up guitar playing again in retirement. And @dkabanad, this is a great suggestion. I spent months learning on it. And now, my granddaughter and grandson are learning on it. Do you think Papa would let his grandkids try and learn on a crummy guitar?!?!

It is their version of a Strat as @Sasha-B said. But it is an HSS pickup configuration. If you go to my link, which takes you to Thomann Music, you will see that in the guitar specs. This is possibly getting into deep tone discussion for a self described "noob". Sorry.

But Strats are [u]S[/u]ingle coil pickup guitars (unless you get their HSS version). They have 3 single coil pickups. It's what gives them the characteristic Strat sound. The Strat "spank", the 60's rock sound, the surf music.

The Les Paul's have [u]H[/u]umbuckers. It's what gives them the rock "growl", the Zepellin sound, etc.

This Pacifica gives you the hybrid version where one can go to the neck pickup for the Strat single coild sound or the bridge pickup for the humbucker tone. A lot of flexibility and a lot of fun! Keep in mind that this is an inexpensive guitar and they are, by budget necessity, cheaper pickups. I had actually purchased some better pickups to put in mine. I just never got around to it.

But this is a great suggestion for a starter guitar and will give you the opportunity to explore the dichotomy (Strat vs. LP; single coil vs humbucker) we have in electric guitar music.