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Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS
Yamaha PAC012
VS
Playability
70
Sound
69
Build
59
Value
81
Score
66
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Playability
70
Sound
64
Build
55
Value
73
Score
63
FIND IT ON:
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Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS vs Yamaha PAC012 Specs Comparison
Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS Yamaha PAC012
General
Brand: Fender Squier Yamaha
Year: 2023 2012
Configuration: HSS HSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Sonic Pacifica
Colors: Pink Black, Blue, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Poplar Mahogany
Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo with Block Saddles Vintage-Style Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Die-Cast Sealed Covered
Fretboard: Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: C Shape Pacifica C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.84'' (21.3mm) - 12th Fret: 0.89'' (22.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.823'' (20.9mm) - 12th Fret: 0.902'' (22.9mm)
Frets: 21 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 13.78"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Plastic
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 41mm (1.614'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Ceramic Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Ceramic Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Ceramic Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Ceramic Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Ceramic Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Ceramic Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 2 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS and Yamaha PAC012 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS and Yamaha PAC012's switch options

Reasons to Get
Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS over Yamaha PAC012

Release Year
2023 vs 2012
From a more recent year
Number of Frets
21 vs 22
Warmer neck pickup
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Plastic
Good quality nut with rich tone
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.84'' (21.3mm) vs 0.823'' (20.9mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.89'' (22.6mm) vs 0.902'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.614'' (41mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
81 vs 73
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Yamaha PAC012 over Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS

Type of Frets
Medium vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.823'' (20.9mm) vs 0.84'' (21.3mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.902'' (22.9mm) vs 0.89'' (22.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.614'' (41mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS vs Yamaha PAC012

Middle Pickup
Ceramic Single-Coil vs Ceramic Single Coil
Different Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup
Ceramic Single-Coil vs Ceramic Single Coil
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Poplar vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS vs Yamaha PAC012

Bridge Pickup
Ceramic Humbucker
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
5
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Pickups
HSS
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS favors large hands more than the Yamaha PAC012.

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha PAC012:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Yamaha PAC012 meets only 5. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha PAC012
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS

Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

Woods Used in the Yamaha PAC012

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Winner: Yamaha PAC012.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HSS. HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.

Pickups Quality

None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 69
Yamaha PAC012
Pickups 60
Sustain 65
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 64

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS compares to the Yamaha PAC012.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS has a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

On the other hand, the Yamaha PAC012 comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

Winner: Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS's are Die-Cast Sealed while the Yamaha PAC012's are Covered

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha PAC012
  • Expensive Wood
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 59
Yamaha PAC012
Quality of materials 46
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 55

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS Nut Width
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS Nut Width
Yamaha PAC012 Nut Width
Yamaha PAC012 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS has the wider nut with 41.9mm (1.65'') vs 41mm (1.614''). This is a 0.9mm (0.036'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS and Yamaha PAC012's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS Neck Profile
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS's neck profile
Yamaha PAC012 Neck Profile
Yamaha PAC012's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS and the Yamaha PAC012 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS Fingerboard Radius
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha PAC012 Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha PAC012's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha PAC012's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Yamaha PAC012.

Fret Size

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS Frets Size
Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS's Frets Size
Yamaha PAC012 Frets Size
Yamaha PAC012's Frets Size

The Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Yamaha PAC012's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster HSS
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Yamaha PAC012
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70