My initial play and recording work were done with the amp at 15 watts. This thing is single coils on steroids, and the look/aesthetics would fit on just about any stage. Its at a suitable price point in my opinion and not racing down the road to pricing itself right out of the marketplace. I know that locking tuners have nothing to do with tuning stability, but they make string changes so much easier. To be fair, I only own 6 guitarsI mean 7wait. If I am going to use a single coil guitar, I prefer the regular Fender style. Sticking with the honesty, I ditched the Katana for this part of the review because these P90s were made for a tube amp like the Fender Blues Jr. This neck is stable as hell, so once you set it you can forget it. Always). The Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20: This is the same guitar as the Element model, with a very classic dual humbucker design and a standard TOM tailpiece that you would expect on this sort of guitar. No pedals were used in the recording, this is guitar into amp. Over the last two days, I have kind of fallen in love with both models! The passive boost of the Focus switch has not done anything for me yet, and I am ok with that because I like simple clean design, not all manner of gestures required. You would assume the 5 way switch is for coil tap positions, since this is a humbucker guitar. Necks from guitars costing three times this could do with this kind of build quality, not naming names. The Focus acts more like a taming switch than a boost on this model, while still boosting the signal in volume. But to be completely honest with you, this is something I could overlook with this guitar because it sounds so sweet. I hate satin finishes on guitars. These are professional-grade guitars that are aimed at the working guitarist from all of the marketing I have seen. The tone control itself has a pretty wide sweep but below two goes right into the mud room. Comes with a gig bag. Immediately after that review, I knew I was going to take a look at the Yamaha Revstar Standard next, and I honestly couldnt think of how Yamaha could possibly improve on an instrument like the Element. It tames the high end clarity of the bridge pickup, which I could hear being used for jazz. It just smooths everything out, giving you 10 tonal options in total, just like the dual humbucker Yamaha Revstar Standardbut in a completely different way. So this tailpiece would be an obstacle for me. I would call it out of phase but really it sounds like something completely different. Since both of these produce totally different sounds, we will talk about them separately. The straps allow you to carry it with a handle, or wear it like a backpack. The out of phase sounds also work with the Focus switch, allowing you to dial up some really interesting tones. The only thing that is missing for me, is locking tuners. I found myself turning down treble on both amps, which is something I almost never do. Can you hear me Gibson and Fender? The gig bag is even nicer than what PRS offers in my opinion! That is, until I started playing. Both have some very unique sounds to offer, and I cant imagine just having one, since I have played both now! The Revstar Standard comes with a gig bag but I used a generic one so as not to mark up the one in the box. Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS02T: I will be 100% honest with you here, I am not usually a fan of P90s and Im definitely not a fan of the Trapeze style bridge on this model. I would love to see a Revstar that has a P90 in the neck, and a humbucker in the bridge. The Yamaha Revstar Standard has a chambered body that was designed to add resonance, and reduce weight just like the Element. Now, Yamaha has a whole new lineup of Revstar guitars for 2022, available in three tiers. Reverend | CME Exclusive Baritone Guitars. I did eventually plug it into the Katana for cleans, but it paled in comparison to the tube amp sounds. What a piece of art! Since the merger with Line 6, Yamaha looks to be changing that business structure for the better! This is usually a hard question to answer when it comes to two models that are similar, but with the Yamaha Revstar Standard models, it has never been more clear which one belongs where. I set the volume on the guitar at about eight and raised the channel volume to the level that a hard attack would just push the amp into breakup. If you already know the features, skip down to Testing! The guitar is still very balanced with no neck-dive issues. The P90 pickups came with cream covers and sound like a P90 should, or at least they do now. The tuning machines are very smooth, and very positive. This first audio sample is a G chord in all five switch positions. Call (773) 525-7773 or Chat Today! I play a lot, so I restring every couple of weeks, and even more if I am recording. The unique Hanko mark on the headstock means Revstar. But this is a whole new level from the Element series. The neck is a flatter C shape and is neither too thin nor too chunky. Yamaha says it is designed to make the pickups sound like they are overwound. To my ears it is a low + mid passive boost with what also sounds like a high shelf filter. Im going to try really hard not to gush too much, but the quality of both models is just insane. Like the humbucker version, these pickups definitely punch. Yamaha. So lets get started! Some people dont care for stainless steel frets, I like them a lot. I really hope that Yamaha keeps up this trend. The Alnico V pickups are just as bright in the Standard series as they were in the Element. Something else that is missing for me is a trem system. Later on I used the Walrus Audio Fathom for some reverb, because I like reverb and the VOX does not have it. Position one is bridge, three is both, five is neck. The fingerboard is rosewood and the frets are jumbo stainless steel. This may not seem like a huge selling point, but it really is an amazing feature. My amp for the test is my handwired VOX AC30. I know we have all been burned by Indonesian made guitars at some point, but Yamaha really delivers with these models. Source: inspired by the style and performance of 1960s caf racer motorcyclesmarked the Japanese brands first new electric guitar series in more than a decade. The second sequence of pickup switch position chords in the samples later on feature the Focus switch on, and I have to be straight with you, Im not at this point a fan. The Revstar was very clean, but really needed a setup. It can be a little hard to describe how the 5 way works, as well as the new Focus switch, but I will do my best. The neck has a smooth satin poly finish. I have not played the humbucker version as yet but expect it to be a good choice and a better alternative to the increasing price tag of the Sire L7 series. So, any instrument purchased from the Gift of Music Collection Foundation Collection at CME puts another instrument in the hands of the next generation of music makers! This next sample is a simple chord riff sequence with the guitar turned up full, which pushed the VOX into a pleasant overdrive recorded into Studio One using an AKG condenser microphone run into an Apollo Solo interface. I am sure it could do high gain, but that isnt where it really shines. I feel a lot better playing something like the Revstar, instead of one of my more expensive guitars. I always like to use a tube amp, and a modeler for reviews and these are both amps that guitarists would use considering the Revstar guitars price range. These may be able to survive a nuke blast, but how do these guitars sound? The RSS20 is a versatile guitar, and makes for an ideal gigging guitar. While I was connected to the amp through the room pedal board, I had everything off. I went into that review with no expectations at all, since it is a budget friendly model, but I came out completely surprised! These pickups will cut in just about any kind of mix, since they push the mids so hard. The fretboard is a lighter Rosewood than I am used to, but it really makes the thin line mother of pearl inlays pop. Pulled up it takes on what Yamaha calls Focus mode. Now available in Chicago Music Exchange Exclusive colorways, including Army Green (RA) and Coral (W), both Reverend Descent models feature Railhammer pickupsgiving players a passive bass roll-off knoband are outfitted with Reverends custom SIT 12-68 gauge string set, which features a plain third string for easy bending. Join our mailing list for prime access to new gear, great giveaways, and the best deals! Now, Yamaha has a whole new lineup of Revstar guitars for 2022, available in three tiers. These are guitars that are made for the gigging guitarist in every way. I think the Yamaha Revstar Standard could be a great replacement for the expensive axe that you probably play at bar gigs. Image copyrights are held by their creators and used with permission, Technologist, photographer, videographer, general pest. The Focus really tames these pickups, and makes them incredibly smooth, with a chime-like quality. This opens up a whole new world of tones, both clean and dirty. I could have gotten a humbucker model but I am glad I got the version with the P90s. I knew long before plugging it in, that it was going to be a sonorous experience and it certainly is. It still has a regular truss rod, so the carbon rods support the truss rod and do not replace it as we are seeing with hollow D carbon rods in other guitars. This is exactly the guitar I would pick for that project! One pickup is slightly delayed, which gives it the different sound. This could even replace a clean boost pedal! These two Standard models have a ton of features and specs that professional guitarists are going to love. Things get darker and thicker. The alternative is two humbuckers, but I had heard the brilliant Welsh guitarist Chris Buck playing a model with P90s and I really wanted to try that. This is a two channel amp with no reverb and selectable output level for 15 or 30 watts. Add the focus with some of the in between switching positions, and you can just about nail the tone from Bohemian Rhapsody. We're only a click away. You have a Gibson style 24.75 scale length with all of the Yamaha Revstar models, and a 14 fretboard radius. The neck is a three piece mahogany unit with two carbon reinforcing rods. The reason I talked so much about the Pro Grade Pacifica models, is because that is exactly what I think the Yamaha Revstar Standard is trying to be. More important to me is how resonant the guitar is. The pickup setup was the first disappointment in the guitar. Additional appointments to the Revstar Standard RSS20 include a gloss body finish, satin neck finish and rosewood fingerboard with 22 stainless steel frets. This is one fight the Katana cant win! So today we take a look at the Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20/RSS02T lineup that is brand new for 2022. Comes with a gig bag. Unfortunately, the high end Pacifica never really took off. If I owned this guitar, I would probably keep the Focus enabled all of the time. I know how to dial in tones really well on both amps, and they were available at our affiliate site where I test gear for reviews. In the top tier of the new 2022 lineup, Revstar Professional guitars receive Yamahas Initial Response Acceleration (I.R.A.) I would totally gig either of these guitars, and other than the lack of locking tunersthey are ready for the road. I always use a strap and the guitar is comfortable to play sitting down and standing. The bridge is hot enough to handle some serious distortion, while still remaining very clear. Other than that one gripe, these guitars are pretty much flawless in build quality. We will go over the features and specs of both variants of the Yamaha Revstar Standard models, and talk about the differences between both. For $800, you very rarely see features like stainless frets and neck through construction. Going into this review, I really didnt think I would be any more impressed with the Yamaha Revstar Standard, than I was with the Element. But that is just personal taste, and what we are here for is the tones you can get. Your email address will not be published. As if I need to be buying more guitars! From first glance this looks just like the Element, and it is totally unassuming. The large unique looking tailpiece and tune-o-matic style bridge are well finished and appear to be quality parts, not cheap stamped pieces. Under high gain, these are just too noisy and brittle. These are Yamaha designed and built pickups using Alnico V magnets. So what do I conclude from this test? The frets were all nice and level and the bound neck had no sharp points. The bridge pickup has enough bass response for solos, but never gets too woof-y or shrill. The guitar is light, has incredible acoustic resonance and is readily playable. Its like we have awoken a sleeping giant that always had the potential to be something greater. There is a good range of dynamic control in the volume pot and keeping it around eight in general worked well, with a rollup to ten for some nice VOX overdrive and a short rolloff for clean tones. Visit CME to view the collection; and learn how you can donate instruments to The Gift of Music Foundation, today! To my good fortune, the fine folks at The Arts Music Store were able to arrange a short term evaluation of a Standard model and I chose to go with the build that has two P90 pickups. It feels like a Fender in some ways, but it also has the familiar feeling of a shorter scale Gibson guitar. The neck still feels like a slightly fatter Stratocaster to me, but it is super comfortable. Youre on to something good Yamaha, keep it up! Visit Our Showroom Today! Last week we took a look at the Revstar Element Series which is a budget version of the Revstar. Not only do you have the traditional dual humbucker sounds, you also have the 5 way switch to color your tone differently. I would love to see what Yamaha continues to do if the Revstar Reboot is a massive success. The gig bag is a very nice addition, and this is not just some thin, useless gig bag. These had flame finishes, name brand hardware, and Seymour Duncan pickups. For the second amp, I chose something completely different and used a Fender Blues Jr. I dont particularly like the Trapeze bridge on these. Now that we know what Yamaha is capable of, I hope this trend continues. Its sound is driven by dual humbucking pickups, as well as a passive focus switch for further tone sculpting. The action was far too high for me, and the pickups were much too close to the strings, producing those wolf tones that you read about. The RSS02T is amazing for blues/jazz and rivals other brands that feature dual P90s at twice the cost. Its sound is driven by dual humbucking pickups, as well as a passive focus switch for further tone sculpting. I always say that one day, I will give up playing heavy stuff and start a blues trio. All I knew in the play test is that nothing choked out and the neck was not so flat as to annoy my arthritis. Once recorded an Eddie Kramer Tape Delay preset was applied. Its sound is driven by dual single-coil pickups, as well as a passive focus switch for further tone sculpting. I use the Katana these days for most live situations just because its easy, but I used a Blues Jr for years, so I have pretty good knowledge of both. I would love to have each in the studio as well! The Revstar range has landed: Yamaha launch a huge range of guitars, New Yamaha Revstar guitar line to be released next week, Summer NAMM 2017: Yamaha celebrates 40 years of its BB bass range. It was quite quick when I got the straight out of the box guitar, but a bit of wax polish and some light buffing and its glorious. Even with the maple cap, I would not call this type of build a bright guitar by any means. The Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20 is the dual humbucker model, that we have already become pretty familiar with since the Element Series is based on this model. It can make the guitar have a vowel-like quality to individual notes, and can even be a little honky. Become a CME VIP and get the latest news on gear, giveaways, and deals FIRST! The neck set was just fine so it was a matter of lowering the pickups a lot, lowering the bridge to achieve the action I preferred, then raising the pickups to a proper height for great tone with no wolf tones. Why skimp on locking tuners, Yamaha? Without the chambering, you would have your usual Mahogany body/Mahogany neck guitar. Yamaha may not be a trendy name in guitars but it is very hard to beat their quality and value for the dollar. These in between positions give you an almost cocked wah-wah sound. I am not sure if the one that I got was an outlier, as Yamaha guitars are usually ready to go out of the box. I was very impressed with the bag that the Yamaha Revstar Standard comes with. I was always afraid of someone spilling beer on my expensive guitar, or it getting stolen on tour. Hey neighbours! Additional appointments to the Revstar Standard RSS02T include a gloss body finish, satin neck finish and rosewood fingerboard with 22 stainless steel frets.