Sold my Les Paul to buy the Yamaha RSP20X Pro. Walked out with a brand new guitar, a few hundred still in my pocket and a guitar that is twice as good. Ymmv
@@pfpublius I tried. But no response from him via IG or Etsy. Don’t see a way to do it through RUclips or a direct email address. Not sure if tgat reply was from him or someone impersonating him??
Just a new comment for those finding this vid. I have owned all 3 tiers of the Yamaha Revstars and by far my favorite is the Element. I have one now and the tone is amazingly buttery and thick but not dark and it's relatively light to wear. Feels great and I like what the push-pull does on the Element as opposed to the pro. 100% recommend the Element, it is not "cheap" guitar.
Thanks for the info. Always assuming the higher tier to be the most desirable one. Also, may depend on style of music? I am a Hobbyist and enjoy a little of every genre . Hopefully they Element conquers lots of style music?
As an extra to my last comment, I’ve just played one of these (humbuckers) for a hour or two. A simply sensational instrument. The set up was amazing. The neck is flawless, as are the electrics. Playability is exquisite. Maybe not as much character as a LP, but a fraction of the price and probably more user-friendly overall. I recommend anyone to try one.
I just bought one. It the kind of guitar I typically wouldn’t get, but I played it and fell in love. To me it’s like a cross between and Gibson and PRS.
I found my Revstar (2) Humbuckers IN the Revstar to be some of the best sounding piclups I've had, certainly stock. Responsive, complex tones. Yamaha says they went through 100 different designs until the one they finalized as fitting the best with the guitar. IMHO they nailed it. I like using the focus switch on an an amp set to light crunch, toll the volume back on the bridge to edge of breakup and engage the Focus boost. Oh baby.
NEAT STORY.... Today, I purchased the exact P90 sunset burst one you're reviewing. After looking everywhere on-line and at several brick & mortar shops for this exact model and finding it backordered virtually everywhere, I decided to check out a very cool guitar shop in Providence, RI where I had actually tried an RSP Revstar 2 years ago and loved it. Well, they were all out of Revstars of every model soooo I thought while I was there I'd look at my second choice guitar, a Reverend. Played a few and was just about to leave when the UPS lady delivered a box of 2 guitars, and wouldn't you just know it... a brand spankin' new rss02t in sexy sunset burst at $799. The sales guy said "that NEVER happens... what are the chances"? Well, if that isn't kismet, I don't know what is.
I’ve been playing exclusively acoustic for two years and my first electric guitar was a Pacifica 612 I didn’t know much about brands so I looked for my favorite looking guitars and tried them all out and settled on the Pacifica haven’t regretted it one bit I love it :) the indigo blue flame top was too sexy it seduced me
Personally I like the 2016 versions way more, more variety for one. These are kinda a bring down. Mine is Totally solid, like a Les Paul. I don’t use tone controls or the volume much, I wanted coil selection, Seymour Duncan sells pickup bezels, IE mounts, that allows individual coil selection or combos. 4 sounds per PU, I wanted more powerful pickups. The stock electronics were useless for me, 2 wire pickups, although nice sounding neck pickup, I almost left it. I put a stacked vol/tone control for the bridge PU, where the tone control was, and left the neck pickup volume….as a blend control. The only reason anything but the blend will be used is to adjust to room acoustics on the fly, but I would make the adjustment on the amp on a break, and max the guitar controls again. Touch sensitivity is what I’m after, I use my hands to control volume. Plus mine had a really nice thin flame veneer, as well as the maple top under that, green flame! and much nicer bigger abalone inlays, but the key feature was the wrap around bridge, I’m very tall, it allows me to mute easily, excellent picking position! all my guitars have a wrap arounds except those with Tremelo’s. The 2016 models are slightly smaller, mine fits me perfect and the neck stays at that angle, no neck drop, it’s like the axe is part of me!🙂. The stock aluminum bridge had a weird honk to it, I replaced it with a tone pros, which was almost a fail, the aluminum bridge had different dimensions, so when adjusted in the original post holes the new bridge break angle is not so good for someone who plays hard, adjusters far forward, IE firm left hand grip, poor break angle for hard play, but I don’t have a firm grip, so it’s fine for me. Soft touch. Only the weather makes me tune up, very stable. But I agree with the author, IF I wanted a soapbar guitar, that bridge set up would also work for me. Beautiful finish on that! But I’ve got other soap bars…. 1959 soap bars, I’d bet what I have sounds better, I DO like the satin neck back, however, wish mine had that for sure, sweaty hands become a real drag…. But the old line had 5 tiers, instead of just 3, the bolt on seemed just a waste, the top tier had the racing strip and no veneer, or inlays!🙄. It didn’t make sense to me, but the tiers 3,4,&5 were Japan built, I think mine was tier 3, aluminum bridge instead of the Tone Pros on the top 2 tiers. It’s my baby, the other guitars don’t get played all that much.🙂
I tested the previous version of that p-90 model against a p-90 equipped Gibson Les Paul a while ago, and I was super impressed with the Yamaha pickups. Best stock p-90's I've tried in a mid-budget guitar.
I've been a fan of Yamaha guitars for years, they very rarely put out anything that's not good. Their semis in particular are some of the best I've ever played. Also, absolutely nothing wrong with small pots if they're good quality. I'd take top notch smaller pots over average full size ones any day.
Very very phenomenal guitars. Awhile back, one of the Yamaha reps visited the music store I work at and let me demo the high end model before it was released. Can't wait to buy one of these bad boys
Thanks for the review. I’ve been on the fence about adding a P90 guitar and when I saw the first review of this awhile ago I immediately ordered one. Your review reinforced my decision!
Thanks for the review Darrell. Can't wait to get one of these with the P90s. I can live with the smaller pots if I'm getting those sweet sounds. These guitars just look and sound fantastic. More great work from Yamaha.
I play Yamaha SG's and was always interested in getting a Revstar since it pays an homage to the SG. Might have to look into the P-90 version. Sounded way cool!
I played a humbucker one and almost bought the damn thing. It was really exciting to play also set up really well. But it sounded a little to close to my other main guitar and i want something a bit darker sounding.
I haven't tried the new generation yet, but the last gen Revstars were very well built for the money as well. They're on top of my list of guitars to buy!
Ooh, I love the tones of the 2, 3 and 4 positions on the P90 version in particular! 😍 A friend of mine has a black one with creme parts, and its hardware is so matt it almost looks grey! I've only had a chance to play it unplugged so far, though. And I totally agree that Yamaha have always strived for great quality, no matter the price range; One of my favourite brands! 😀👍
P90 is surely the most interesting thing in the line-up, good thing they now also have a Japanese top tier P90 model as well, although given how nice the Indo model seems hard to justify the price gap for most people.
I have the entry level Yamaha guitars , now the Revstar is on my wish list. Love the racing stripe and stainless steel frets . Would like the Pacifica 612 with same stainless steel frets .
Looks like a great value Darrell. I’ve always liked the shape. The humbucker in the bridge position is really too harsh, but the neck position is butter I’d probably leave it in the neck position. Thanks Darrell
I finally got my RSS02 in Sunset Burst, and an RSS20 in Black. Both guitars cost less than one pro series Revstar yet they share identical electronics with their more pricey siblings. The tuning stability, build quality, balance, and playability are excellent. Well done, Yamaha! Kudos to you, Darrell Braun for an insightful review and demonstration of these excellent guitars.
I've had many Yamaha instraments and motorcycles also outboard motors and they all performed very well,, I have 2 of there drum sets and 2 outboard motors I'm very pleased I've never lost money on Yamahas stuff
I've also had good success with Yamaha outboards, though the internals are becoming cheaper with each model. Enjoy my Pacifica and couldn't care less about the pots. Wish this review would have invested more time in tone on the P-90's clean.
I had a 2016 RS320. For an "entry level" model, that thing absolutely ROCKED. I'm surprised to hear Darrell criticize the fretwork on past models - on every RevStar I played, the frets were like polished glass! Mine was a joy to play, and it was my main road guitar for a while. My only knock on the old RS's was the elctronics. I had to gut mine. The pots and wiring were seriously cheap, but once I dropped CTS pots, new wires and a decent cap, and a Duncan in the bridge the guitar was a reliable and fun road guitar!
I have to say, rolling the tone all the way off on the neck pickup is a beautiful jazz tone. As soon as I heard that I took notice from doing something else on my computer. Hopefully it sounds as good in person as it did in the demo.
Question: Is it really necessary to upgrade the pots if the sound they produce is great, smooth and effective ? Maybe that is an unnecessary criticism really ... Yamaha produce great musical instruments ... Thanks for the Revstar demo.
From Leo: I have done tech work at a 1/2 dozen shops since the 70's. I change a lot of parts that are working fine, but the customers just want them changed.. On my personal instruments, I don't change anything that is working fine. Some of the "lesser" parts have been fine for a couple of decades. If changing them makes you happy, no worries there either.
On my Revstar 2 (Flash Green Standard with HBs) they are some of the smoothest working with a taper I like (i.e. not all the change at one end, but not forever to cleanup on volume. So they do work great. The Focus switch push pull does feel a little flimsy. If it lasts, I'll leave alone.
Small pots to larger pots by the same brand basically means you get more room to solder, but not much else. You actually lose room to put in other caps, switches etc. Also, Bourne makes excellent quality pots both "big" and "small" so just looking at size doesn't necessarily indicate quality (these have a B stamped on top FYI). Personally, after playing 40 years, I have never had a pot fail. Maybe gone a little scratchy or wonky feeling when turning but a small drip of contact cleaner usually solved the issue. This is just one area where manufacturers can save money and nobody is worse for wear imo. As long as the sweep feels good and solid, I'd leave them alone.
Nice ! I really like the P90 one. Jay Turser SG Special alike here. $249 'new' (well played) in '07. Still great so i'm set. Nowhere to be found now. All i can think of is Reverend Guitars when i see these.
Yamaha is an old school company who make a ton of different products and actually care to make them the best that they can. I have an f150 4 stroke outboard 2004 that runs like a clock, a revstar, pacifica, piano, receiver and soundbar. All are top quality.
Darrell - I've heard about problems with bigger the tailpiece on older models. Is the big tailpiece on the sunburst cool? I was planning on a P90 model with the stop tailpiece but it seems Yamaha has discontinued it.
Cool review. I’m sure where you live dry air in the winter at times leads to fret sprout. Curious if that’s a harder fix on a guitar like this with its SS frets?
I ordered a standard RSS20 in the swift blue featured here just this morning, I owned a 1980 Super Flighter SF500 back in the day and loved it so I can't wait to take delivery of this beauty tomorrow. Thanks for the review it was very helpful in me making my final buying decision. 👍
Thank you for featuring Yamaha guitars, I’ve got one and love it. Yamaha guitars are underrated but they are built like almost art. I feel like I wanna get older models as well.
As a guitar and amp tech, I have to say that potentiometer size has nothing to do with their quality. There are good quality small pots and poor quality big pots. I actually preffer small form factor potentiometers in guitars and pedals because they allow for better use of the limited space. Lets stop the guitarrist myth of "small pots are bad just because they are small".
@@sillysausage4549 It's not a myth. The Warmoth channel has some good comparisons of body, neck, and fingerboard woods. Subtle, but definite differences.
@@fretbuzz59 Warmoth has product to sell, if they made a video saying tone wood isnt real nobody would buy them from them. They'd be selling paulownia guitars with AAA flamed maple tops. They would have no reason to stock wood for anything other than appearance.
Love your reviews Mate. This one especially......I knew this guitar had a few interesting nuances...... sounds great too.....finally something different 😎....good work
I played a standard at GC in Hollywood a few weeks ago and was blown away. These guitars feel great to play but it was the pickups that sold me. Great guitars.
Love your demos, always focused on tone rather than playing, great job. The fretwork looks good however the fingerboard binding looks to be a little rough in places?
I have the Revstar 502T with P90's. Discovered them at Namm one year and finally got one earlier this year! Officially paid it off this month, so it's mine forever now and love it!
ugh.. i was supposed to get a prs se custom 24 but after seeing this.. I might check this one first before making a decision.. i can feel the neo soul vibe in this one❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Darrell, you are a joy. Thank you for what you do. Fantastic review as always, and now I am really contemplating that P90. And I'm with you--stainless on the 612 and I'd snap one up!
Great Guitar!! I have the RSS020 in Left Handed Black. I had Sweetwater put a Tortus Pickguard on it and it just sets the guitar off!! Unfortunatley they DON"T make the Left Handed guitar in the Sunbirst with P-90s. I'd LOVE to have one! The other thing is Yamaha doesn't make a HSC for the Left Handed Model. And the Body Shape is such that it won't fit in most HSC. I had to go with a Gator Gig Bag witch i don't especially like carrying the guitar in!! So I have to carry it myself, NO ROADIES or assistance from anyone, I don't trust them with it! Great Review and Demo! Please keep up the Good Work!! Love your Channel! By the way, I'm 71yrs old and have played the OLD Yamaha's which sounded GREAT and the Revstar does NOT disappoint!!!
Yamaha always does good with the bang for the buck for sure. From Grand pianos on down. I am very interested in the Revstar lately at about 450 bucks and dropping P90's in it, but for the extra 300 bucks this looks intriguing. I it might be worth it. Thanks for this.
Great review. Been debating between the new Revstar P90 and the Reverend P90 Dirtbike Royale. Yamaha it is. The only thing left to ponder is the color. Not sure about availability in Canada.
Yamaha finally understands on how to make a looker. The quality is often great to almost perfect across every price range. However bland colours and other choices make it not stand out. And every colour in the range is just so good. Love the Merlot and sunburst colours. The burst especially is done differently and is truly something special.
Surprised you didnt mention the transformer in the control cavity. Its a booster circuit but has no battery. It uses the amplifier voltage to boost the signal. Cool stuff.
@@ElvisPriceless Since it severely cuts down on treble i would call it a low pass filter, can't hear one dB boost apart from what passive filtering normally does to the frequency area next to the cut-off frequency. So by cutting off at 4 KHz, you may have a slight boost in the 3 KHz area, enough to make it sound like a treble boost. But you loose some tone, it sounds muffled to me.
I’ve been eyeing the P90 standard. How does it compare to the Gretsch G5210 P90?? That’s the other one that I’ll be choosing either or. But no store has them available locally so I have to depend on opinions.
I had never even considered buying a Revstar but after seeing both Chris Buck and Mateo Mancuso rocking them I checked one out at the local music store. Wow! My next guitar is going to be a Revstar!
Nice review, Darrell. The P-90 version looks great - love the tailpiece - and those middle (interior) positions sound wonderful! I don't currently have a guitar with P-90s, and this will go on that short list!
I have a Tokai Love Rock with P90s and although I love their sound I wish I could somehow avoid that annoying hum when using a fuzz or other high-gain pedals. Are the Revstar's P90s noiseless?
@@marmelaki They are not. Lindy Fralin makes a noise cancelling P-90, but it isn't exactly like a P-90 sound wise. That said, his pups sound killer so maybe check them out. I've been very happy with mine.
@@bigjules5139 aren't these just hotter versions of P90s? (but with the same hum). I'm actually thinking of swapping them for mini humbuckers, at least the bridge one
Those are some of the best sounding humbuckers I've ever heard! Yamaha is a great musical instruments company across the board, whether it's guitars, saxophones, pianos/keyboards, etc. It's always nice to see how well they incorporate attention to detail, the most important features, and overall quality at competitive prices. I might have to get one of these for myself.
I think sponsored reviews are actually helping the mass produced guitar industry. Not just sales, but feedback on QC. 10 years ago, $200 bought you a device that was more a nightmare machine than guitar. Today, that sum can get you a pretty reliable ax. The $500-700 range is surprising too.
The Revstar also has what Yamaha refers to as a "hidden forearm contour," and you can see the the gradual contour toward the rear of the lower bout (kinda like a strat). Playing comfort is a good thing!
Ordered a P90 model with to same finish last week and your review has bolstered my decision to jump in. And I own a RS420 model Revstar already and love it.
Man, these guitars look super cool! Reading up on the specs between the standard and the professional, it looks to me that the only real differences are the professional has carbon fiber rods in the body and Yamaha's Initial Response Acceleration process (which seems unnecessary to me). So I'm definitely going for the standard with P90s.
@@Tigerex966 oh yeah, the pro has locking tuners. But I can put locking tuners on the standard myself for a fraction of the cost difference. And do you really think actual luthiers are building each pro model that comes out of Japan? No major manufacturer uses luthiers to build all the guitars that come out of a factory anymore. Maybe a luthier helped design the model, but once they start production it's assembly line workers making the ones that actually go to retailers.
@@randygomez9595 well supposedly custom order ones from japan get one Luthier and his team inspection and adjustments on parts and build quality through it's oroduction that are not done nearly as often on high speed Indonesia fast assembly lines. Any human interaction causes time and money, but increases possible quality and decreases the chance of defects and problems. Yamaha for the top Japan models supposedly uses a team of Luthier's and apprentices to go over and double check each and every pro guitar from beginning to end before it leaves the door, their reputation is on the line as a group, the best pieces of wood are selected by them first before indonisia. They get paid very well to do this and you pay extra for this. To my knowledge only the acoustic l series custom LS 56 and above have one Luthier start to finish that signs it and is responsible for it, even then there is some automation but not as much, and their very best wood is used. But they are about $4000 to $10000 and truly a time honored tradition. But in any event you can get lucky and get similar quality and the midrange, it just does not have the human touch and checks that only time can do and since so much is automated now, it is becoming a list art Hence the high price of Japanese handmade and partially handmade guitars. For instance fender Martin Taylor charge more for their top models because of the woods and time with human inspection and adjustment even though they are still hugely automated particularly Taylor which is almost totally automated. The truly mostly handmade ones are extremely expensive by all of them.
@@Tigerex966 well yes, handmade is always more expensive. But it doesn't necessarily mean a better instrument. It's what a company is actually doing when hand making it that matters. But if Yamaha is using luthiers to inspect the pro models and ensure each one is up to a high quality and build standard, then that's great and speaks to Yamaha's care of quality. I wasn't aware of that
@@randygomez9595 I agree, sometimes a cheap budget instrument can sound better than anything. But more often then not it is s at least put together as well if better with more inspection human touch and attention to detail a few extra details and goodies you can buy yourself later, and is my h more rare and exclusive increasing it's long term value and often lifespan. I think it's n most cars midrange is the best but even the f the resale is less, and you don't have to worry as much about a Scratch her and there. I'm not sure is they actually do that,, but that is what I was told happens on the l series acoustic line depending on model, they make very few so there is usually a long wait for each one, and even then sometimes they mess up or it can be damaged in shipping and handle my after it's built changes in humidity and temp. On the ship etc.
These are Fantastic Guitars, for the all the companies pricing guitars in the same price range, these are some the best you can buy. I found that these are great guitars that take to any setup or tunings beautifully as well. Built to last, these are Solid Guitars⚡️
Darrell, you’re about to cost me some money! I’ve been on the fence about getting a P-90 equipped guitar and had considered the previous version of the Revstar but never pulled the trigger. Looks like now might be the time! Great review.
Sold my Les Paul to buy the Yamaha RSP20X Pro. Walked out with a brand new guitar, a few hundred still in my pocket and a guitar that is twice as good. Ymmv
I discovered them through Chris Buck. I have to say they are the best looking relatively new guitar I’ve seen built by a major company in ages.
Did you PM?
@@pfpublius I tried. But no response from him via IG or Etsy. Don’t see a way to do it through RUclips or a direct email address. Not sure if tgat reply was from him or someone impersonating him??
@@TK-fk4po is scam
@@pfpublius I confirmed. They’re a scam.
Yeah I'd say they've got a hit on their hands?
Just a new comment for those finding this vid. I have owned all 3 tiers of the Yamaha Revstars and by far my favorite is the Element. I have one now and the tone is amazingly buttery and thick but not dark and it's relatively light to wear. Feels great and I like what the push-pull does on the Element as opposed to the pro. 100% recommend the Element, it is not "cheap" guitar.
Thanks for the info. Always assuming the higher tier to be the most desirable one. Also, may depend on style of music? I am a Hobbyist and enjoy a little of every genre . Hopefully they Element conquers lots of style music?
@@supercraig2009 My opinion is that it does. Get yourself a boost pedal if you do harder rock but otherwise it’s an awesome guitar.
@@ThomasStrings Ok, I'm still learning but thanks 👍
Thanks for your input 🤘 I've had my eyes on a Revstar 🫣 Most likely my next addition!🥳
Yamaha's quality control is second to none. Just my opinion. Great company, great prices, great craftsmanship.
Sadly mine came with quite a few unfinished parts :( Hopefully for other people I got a bad one.
Just got mine and the frett ends are terrible.Very rough and almost sharp
So it's great review of better made instrument sent for reviewer that is completely different than those in retail. Nice job Yamaha.
@@makikaze Not necessarily. Mine was flawless, but I've seen some complaints of really significant issues.
@@TenaciousPrawn So it's a lottery. You won.
As an extra to my last comment, I’ve just played one of these (humbuckers) for a hour or two.
A simply sensational instrument. The set up was amazing.
The neck is flawless, as are the electrics. Playability is exquisite. Maybe not as much character as a LP, but a fraction of the price and probably more user-friendly overall.
I recommend anyone to try one.
chris buck is an amazing Revstar player. for me, he's the one who got my attention on his P-90's
I just bought one. It the kind of guitar I typically wouldn’t get, but I played it and fell in love. To me it’s like a cross between and Gibson and PRS.
I found my Revstar (2) Humbuckers IN the Revstar to be some of the best sounding piclups I've had, certainly stock. Responsive, complex tones. Yamaha says they went through 100 different designs until the one they finalized as fitting the best with the guitar. IMHO they nailed it. I like using the focus switch on an an amp set to light crunch, toll the volume back on the bridge to edge of breakup and engage the Focus boost. Oh baby.
I have a Revstar 502 with p90s that I love. Just tried one of the new models today and I'm absolutely floored by how they outdid themselves.
Congratulations 🎊🎈 fan !
Inbox the above telegram
we got something special for you
Giveaway🎉🎊
Saving up for both of these.
The blue one is a beauty.
NEAT STORY.... Today, I purchased the exact P90 sunset burst one you're reviewing. After looking everywhere on-line and at several brick & mortar shops for this exact model and finding it backordered virtually everywhere, I decided to check out a very cool guitar shop in Providence, RI where I had actually tried an RSP Revstar 2 years ago and loved it. Well, they were all out of Revstars of every model soooo I thought while I was there I'd look at my second choice guitar, a Reverend. Played a few and was just about to leave when the UPS lady delivered a box of 2 guitars, and wouldn't you just know it... a brand spankin' new rss02t in sexy sunset burst at $799. The sales guy said "that NEVER happens... what are the chances"? Well, if that isn't kismet, I don't know what is.
Yamaha guitars needs more love. Revstars and Pacificas all sounds awesome! Beautiful guitars,and a good value.
yeah
Says HE, named Fender! LOL!
AMEN BROTHER.
I’ve been playing exclusively acoustic for two years and my first electric guitar was a Pacifica 612 I didn’t know much about brands so I looked for my favorite looking guitars and tried them all out and settled on the Pacifica haven’t regretted it one bit I love it :) the indigo blue flame top was too sexy it seduced me
It's crazy how the Revstars are getting so much attention now. The last run of models they did in 2016 were awesome.
That was also the first run. :) The guitars are great - I love mine.
Guitar manufacturers weren't as dialled in on youtube advertising in 2016 as they are now
Personally I like the 2016 versions way more, more variety for one. These are kinda a bring down. Mine is Totally solid, like a Les Paul. I don’t use tone controls or the volume much, I wanted coil selection, Seymour Duncan sells pickup bezels, IE mounts, that allows individual coil selection or combos. 4 sounds per PU, I wanted more powerful pickups.
The stock electronics were useless for me, 2 wire pickups, although nice sounding neck pickup, I almost left it.
I put a stacked vol/tone control for the bridge PU, where the tone control was, and left the neck pickup volume….as a blend control.
The only reason anything but the blend will be used is to adjust to room acoustics on the fly, but I would make the adjustment on the amp on a break, and max the guitar controls again. Touch sensitivity is what I’m after, I use my hands to control volume.
Plus mine had a really nice thin flame veneer, as well as the maple top under that, green flame! and much nicer bigger abalone inlays, but the key feature was the wrap around bridge, I’m very tall, it allows me to mute easily, excellent picking position! all my guitars have a wrap arounds except those with Tremelo’s. The 2016 models are slightly smaller, mine fits me perfect and the neck stays at that angle, no neck drop, it’s like the axe is part of me!🙂. The stock aluminum bridge had a weird honk to it, I replaced it with a tone pros, which was almost a fail, the aluminum bridge had different dimensions, so when adjusted in the original post holes the new bridge break angle is not so good for someone who plays hard, adjusters far forward, IE firm left hand grip, poor break angle for hard play, but I don’t have a firm grip, so it’s fine for me. Soft touch. Only the weather makes me tune up, very stable.
But I agree with the author, IF I wanted a soapbar guitar, that bridge set up would also work for me. Beautiful finish on that!
But I’ve got other soap bars….
1959 soap bars, I’d bet what I have sounds better, I DO like the satin neck back, however, wish mine had that for sure, sweaty hands become a real drag….
But the old line had 5 tiers, instead of just 3, the bolt on seemed just a waste, the top tier had the racing strip and no veneer, or inlays!🙄. It didn’t make sense to me, but the tiers 3,4,&5 were Japan built, I think mine was tier 3, aluminum bridge instead of the Tone Pros on the top 2 tiers. It’s my baby, the other guitars don’t get played all that much.🙂
Yes they were. Grabbed one to try a pedal at GC . Just wasn’t in the market for another 6 string. Outstanding craftsmanship
Not les Paul’s
I tested the previous version of that p-90 model against a p-90 equipped Gibson Les Paul a while ago, and I was super impressed with the Yamaha pickups. Best stock p-90's I've tried in a mid-budget guitar.
I've been a fan of Yamaha guitars for years, they very rarely put out anything that's not good. Their semis in particular are some of the best I've ever played. Also, absolutely nothing wrong with small pots if they're good quality. I'd take top notch smaller pots over average full size ones any day.
I 100% agree with you
still wondering what is wrong with small size pots!! Lower volume? Thin tone??
@@nicksonthevet Nothing.
Except for the MS1511 pots andsekector switch, so many reviews saying they are crap yet Yamah did nithing ti fix it.
6:34 😅😅
Your video pushed me over the edge. I'm getting one. 👍👏
that gold Revstar is one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen! Sounds fantastic, too.
I agree the Sunset Burst with P90s is the guitar I would buy. Those P90s sound great and I love the finish.
These sound amazing. I didn't like the look of them at first, but they're growing on me.
Got one of these on order at the moment. Wanted one forn a while and finally pushed rhe button as rhe reviews are just never bad.
Very very phenomenal guitars. Awhile back, one of the Yamaha reps visited the music store I work at and let me demo the high end model before it was released. Can't wait to buy one of these bad boys
Thanks for the review. I’ve been on the fence about adding a P90 guitar and when I saw the first review of this awhile ago I immediately ordered one. Your review reinforced my decision!
Had the 502T for a few years now and think that the Revstar P90’s are as good they get. Rock machines that can happily sit in a jazz mix. 👍🇦🇺
Man those look and sound so nice!
I am absolutely loving the style and sounds of the Revstar II
Congratulations 🎊🎈 fan !
Inbox the above telegram
we got something special for you
Giveaway🎉🎊!!!!.
Thanks for the review Darrell. Can't wait to get one of these with the P90s. I can live with the smaller pots if I'm getting those sweet sounds. These guitars just look and sound fantastic. More great work from Yamaha.
So incredible clear and clean sound! A high quality feeling all the way! Wow!
I play Yamaha SG's and was always interested in getting a Revstar since it pays an homage to the SG. Might have to look into the P-90 version. Sounded way cool!
Kind of like a marriage of the slab-top double cut LP Jr. and an SG. Great player!
I played a humbucker one and almost bought the damn thing. It was really exciting to play also set up really well. But it sounded a little to close to my other main guitar and i want something a bit darker sounding.
Me too, but they are nothing like an SG. A vintage SG is superior in every way.
I haven't tried the new generation yet, but the last gen Revstars were very well built for the money as well. They're on top of my list of guitars to buy!
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The last gen RevStar was so amazing in the studio or live!
I absolutely love RecStar Guitars! I need the Blue One!
I need standard and professional.
Ooh, I love the tones of the 2, 3 and 4 positions on the P90 version in particular! 😍 A friend of mine has a black one with creme parts, and its hardware is so matt it almost looks grey! I've only had a chance to play it unplugged so far, though. And I totally agree that Yamaha have always strived for great quality, no matter the price range; One of my favourite brands! 😀👍
P90 is surely the most interesting thing in the line-up, good thing they now also have a Japanese top tier P90 model as well, although given how nice the Indo model seems hard to justify the price gap for most people.
Yamaha has always make professional quality instruments. From pianos to anything. My favorie acoustic is a 1984 Yamaha. Second to none!!!
I have the entry level Yamaha guitars , now the Revstar is on my wish list. Love the racing stripe and stainless steel frets . Would like the Pacifica 612 with same stainless steel frets .
Scam bot lol
And medium jumbo or jumbo frets
Looks like a great value Darrell. I’ve always liked the shape. The humbucker in the bridge position is really too harsh, but the neck position is butter I’d probably leave it in the neck position. Thanks Darrell
I finally got my RSS02 in Sunset Burst, and an RSS20 in Black. Both guitars cost less than one pro series Revstar yet they share identical electronics with their more pricey siblings. The tuning stability, build quality, balance, and playability are excellent. Well done, Yamaha! Kudos to you, Darrell Braun for an insightful review and demonstration of these excellent guitars.
I've had many Yamaha instraments and motorcycles also outboard motors and they all performed very well,, I have 2 of there drum sets and 2 outboard motors I'm very pleased I've never lost money on Yamahas stuff
I've also had good success with Yamaha outboards, though the internals are becoming cheaper with each model. Enjoy my Pacifica and couldn't care less about the pots. Wish this review would have invested more time in tone on the P-90's clean.
I had a 2016 RS320. For an "entry level" model, that thing absolutely ROCKED. I'm surprised to hear Darrell criticize the fretwork on past models - on every RevStar I played, the frets were like polished glass! Mine was a joy to play, and it was my main road guitar for a while.
My only knock on the old RS's was the elctronics. I had to gut mine. The pots and wiring were seriously cheap, but once I dropped CTS pots, new wires and a decent cap, and a Duncan in the bridge the guitar was a reliable and fun road guitar!
I love Yamaha instruments. P90s are my favorite pups. I love their drums and percussion instruments.
I have to say, rolling the tone all the way off on the neck pickup is a beautiful jazz tone. As soon as I heard that I took notice from doing something else on my computer. Hopefully it sounds as good in person as it did in the demo.
Question: Is it really necessary to upgrade the pots if the sound they produce is great, smooth and effective ? Maybe that is an unnecessary criticism really ...
Yamaha produce great musical instruments ... Thanks for the Revstar demo.
Yes, I’ve really bad luck with those, but after about 18 to 24 months they become very noisy. So good for awhile.
From Leo: I have done tech work at a 1/2 dozen shops since the 70's. I change a lot of parts that are working fine, but the customers just want them changed.. On my personal instruments, I don't change anything that is working fine. Some of the "lesser" parts have been fine for a couple of decades. If changing them makes you happy, no worries there either.
On my Revstar 2 (Flash Green Standard with HBs) they are some of the smoothest working with a taper I like (i.e. not all the change at one end, but not forever to cleanup on volume. So they do work great. The Focus switch push pull does feel a little flimsy. If it lasts, I'll leave alone.
I was surprised too by those small pots on my RSS20, but if it ain’t broke…
Small pots to larger pots by the same brand basically means you get more room to solder, but not much else. You actually lose room to put in other caps, switches etc. Also, Bourne makes excellent quality pots both "big" and "small" so just looking at size doesn't necessarily indicate quality (these have a B stamped on top FYI). Personally, after playing 40 years, I have never had a pot fail. Maybe gone a little scratchy or wonky feeling when turning but a small drip of contact cleaner usually solved the issue. This is just one area where manufacturers can save money and nobody is worse for wear imo. As long as the sweep feels good and solid, I'd leave them alone.
Nice ! I really like the P90 one.
Jay Turser SG Special alike here. $249 'new' (well played) in '07. Still great so i'm set. Nowhere to be found now.
All i can think of is Reverend Guitars when i see these.
Yamaha is an old school company who make a ton of different products and actually care to make them the best that they can. I have an f150 4 stroke outboard 2004 that runs like a clock, a revstar, pacifica, piano, receiver and soundbar. All are top quality.
Yamaha is the only logo that I ever considered getting a tattoo of lol. I'm a big fan also.
Darrell - I've heard about problems with bigger the tailpiece on older models. Is the big tailpiece on the sunburst cool? I was planning on a P90 model with the stop tailpiece but it seems Yamaha has discontinued it.
Those p90s rip! Absolutely fantastic sounding. A little wooly on the bottom string for leads with the rhythm pickup but hey that’s what p90s do.
I love that left to right gradient. Nice to see something in the spirit of a burst but that isn't a burst.
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Cool review. I’m sure where you live dry air in the winter at times leads to fret sprout. Curious if that’s a harder fix on a guitar like this with its SS frets?
Can someone please tell me what the series of chords is, he played at 10:39 - sounds really beautiful.
I loved the sound of both of those guitars. I don’t play but I really enjoy and envy someone who can play.👍👍
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I ordered a standard RSS20 in the swift blue featured here just this morning, I owned a 1980 Super Flighter SF500 back in the day and loved it so I can't wait to take delivery of this beauty tomorrow. Thanks for the review it was very helpful in me making my final buying decision. 👍
I have the p90 version identical to your one. It’s sounds great, plays brilliantly. Highly recommended.
Hi... Can you confirm about changing strings? Does the tailpiece have to be removed ? Many thanks
@@keithb5612 Surprised no one has replied to you yet. No, you don’t have to remove the tailpiece to change strings.
@@ChidOkiThanks a lot.
enjoyed this very much! How is the 60Cycle hum on the P90 version? I could not detect any
I’d gig full-time with either of these but the P90 version is exceptional.
Thank you for featuring Yamaha guitars, I’ve got one and love it. Yamaha guitars are underrated but they are built like almost art. I feel like I wanna get older models as well.
As a guitar and amp tech, I have to say that potentiometer size has nothing to do with their quality. There are good quality small pots and poor quality big pots. I actually preffer small form factor potentiometers in guitars and pedals because they allow for better use of the limited space.
Lets stop the guitarrist myth of "small pots are bad just because they are small".
Right. Size doesn't matter. And even more for limited spaces.
I wondered bout this! Educate me even more
Thank you!
@@sillysausage4549 It's not a myth. The Warmoth channel has some good comparisons of body, neck, and fingerboard woods. Subtle, but definite differences.
@@fretbuzz59 Warmoth has product to sell, if they made a video saying tone wood isnt real nobody would buy them from them. They'd be selling paulownia guitars with AAA flamed maple tops. They would have no reason to stock wood for anything other than appearance.
the fret work looks fantastic!!!
Love your reviews Mate. This one especially......I knew this guitar had a few interesting nuances...... sounds great too.....finally something different 😎....good work
I have the previous version with p90s, and it a terrific guitar. But man, the 5-way switch and that sunburst finish…great upgrades.
Man those look killer and seem a sweet deal. Just when you tell yourself you're not gonna buy another guitar....you stumble upon these things.
I played a standard at GC in Hollywood a few weeks ago and was blown away. These guitars feel great to play but it was the pickups that sold me. Great guitars.
Love your demos, always focused on tone rather than playing, great job. The fretwork looks good however the fingerboard binding looks to be a little rough in places?
I have the Revstar 502T with P90's. Discovered them at Namm one year and finally got one earlier this year! Officially paid it off this month, so it's mine forever now and love it!
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Ok Darrell... I’ll do it...I’ll get the P90’s one...thanks man!!!!
ugh.. i was supposed to get a prs se custom 24 but after seeing this.. I might check this one first before making a decision.. i can feel the neo soul vibe in this one❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Darrell, you are a joy. Thank you for what you do. Fantastic review as always, and now I am really contemplating that P90. And I'm with you--stainless on the 612 and I'd snap one up!
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Great Guitar!! I have the RSS020 in Left Handed Black. I had Sweetwater put a Tortus Pickguard on it and it just sets the guitar off!! Unfortunatley they DON"T make the Left Handed guitar in the Sunbirst with P-90s. I'd LOVE to have one! The other thing is Yamaha doesn't make a HSC for the Left Handed Model. And the Body Shape is such that it won't fit in most HSC. I had to go with a Gator Gig Bag witch i don't especially like carrying the guitar in!! So I have to carry it myself, NO ROADIES or assistance from anyone, I don't trust them with it! Great Review and Demo! Please keep up the Good Work!! Love your Channel! By the way, I'm 71yrs old and have played the OLD Yamaha's which sounded GREAT and the Revstar does NOT disappoint!!!
Wonderful guitars 🎸
I’m longing to own one of these…
Someday….
I have the P-90 model from a few years ago, and it only has the three way switch. Now I want a new one with the five way.
Dang... only if someone sold 5 way switches!
Yamaha always does good with the bang for the buck for sure. From Grand pianos on down. I am very interested in the Revstar lately at about 450 bucks and dropping P90's in it, but for the extra 300 bucks this looks intriguing. I it might be worth it. Thanks for this.
Great review. Been debating between the new Revstar P90 and the Reverend P90 Dirtbike Royale. Yamaha it is. The only thing left to ponder is the color. Not sure about availability in Canada.
If these are the "standard" models, imagine what the MIJ professionnals are like! They must be crazy good.
Not much different in terms of sound just built with premium materials. I really liked the one with copper pickguards.
@@See_Sharp I think the MIJ ones went through an acoustic ageing process.
Cool vid bro
Yeah, seems like the way to go for those who want to explore the P90 world for the first time. Way to go, Yamaha.
Yamaha finally understands on how to make a looker. The quality is often great to almost perfect across every price range.
However bland colours and other choices make it not stand out. And every colour in the range is just so good. Love the Merlot and sunburst colours. The burst especially is done differently and is truly something special.
Thanks Darrell - looks like I'll have to start saving for my first P90 Guitar
Surprised you didnt mention the transformer in the control cavity. Its a booster circuit but has no battery. It uses the amplifier voltage to boost the signal. Cool stuff.
Amplifier voltage?
@@Heatfarmer Well, what you have to know, is that it boosts the signal. 😁
@@Heatfarmer I'm not an expert but Yamaha says the "Focus switch" is a "passive boost"
@@ElvisPriceless Since it severely cuts down on treble i would call it a low pass filter, can't hear one dB boost apart from what passive filtering normally does to the frequency area next to the cut-off frequency. So by cutting off at 4 KHz, you may have a slight boost in the 3 KHz area, enough to make it sound like a treble boost. But you loose some tone, it sounds muffled to me.
@@Heatfarmer Thanks for the explanations. I think you are right.
I’ve been eyeing the P90 standard. How does it compare to the Gretsch G5210 P90?? That’s the other one that I’ll be choosing either or. But no store has them available locally so I have to depend on opinions.
Please??
I had never even considered buying a Revstar but after seeing both Chris Buck and Mateo Mancuso rocking them I checked one out at the local music store. Wow! My next guitar is going to be a Revstar!
I believe Jeff Shroeder (who left the smashing pumpkins about a year ago) was playing Revstars
Nice review, Darrell. The P-90 version looks great - love the tailpiece - and those middle (interior) positions sound wonderful! I don't currently have a guitar with P-90s, and this will go on that short list!
I have a Tokai Love Rock with P90s and although I love their sound I wish I could somehow avoid that annoying hum when using a fuzz or other high-gain pedals. Are the Revstar's P90s noiseless?
@@marmelaki Nope!
@@marmelaki
They are not. Lindy Fralin makes a noise cancelling P-90, but it isn't exactly like a P-90 sound wise. That said, his pups sound killer so maybe check them out. I've been very happy with mine.
@marmelaki you might want to try p100 pickups
@@bigjules5139 aren't these just hotter versions of P90s? (but with the same hum). I'm actually thinking of swapping them for mini humbuckers, at least the bridge one
Great review! As a very happy original owner of a Yamaha Pacifica USA-2, I'm interested in this P90 equipped RevStar.
Those are some of the best sounding humbuckers I've ever heard! Yamaha is a great musical instruments company across the board, whether it's guitars, saxophones, pianos/keyboards, etc. It's always nice to see how well they incorporate attention to detail, the most important features, and overall quality at competitive prices. I might have to get one of these for myself.
My thoughts exactly. They sound killer.
yamaha makes everything literally. Buying a motorbike? yamaha! Buying a piano? yamaha!
Finally a Revstar review. Fantastic guitars.I have an RS420 from the previous series, and that's also fantastic.
I have the older version w p90s. It is awesome. Super articulate pups
i’ll be picking this guitar up soon! thank you for the review.
I think sponsored reviews are actually helping the mass produced guitar industry. Not just sales, but feedback on QC. 10 years ago, $200 bought you a device that was more a nightmare machine than guitar. Today, that sum can get you a pretty reliable ax. The $500-700 range is surprising too.
I recently purchased one, it is acoustically more resonant due to the chambering compared to solid bodies. therefore enhancing that P90 tone
Great review sir. Really interested in the P-90 model and you helped me make up my mind thx
The Revstar also has what Yamaha refers to as a "hidden forearm contour," and you can see the the gradual contour toward the rear of the lower bout (kinda like a strat). Playing comfort is a good thing!
Thanks for the review - VERY nice guitars - I like the p-90 version for sure!
Japanese workmanship is a very sought after quality. If they say it's good. It is good. You may want to look up the pots and their price/quality.
Ordered a P90 model with to same finish last week and your review has bolstered my decision to jump in. And I own a RS420 model Revstar already and love it.
The "Sunset" P90s Standard is definitely the stand-out model of this new series.
I agree 💯
Nah, I like the Vintage White Standard and the Moonlight Blue Professional.
Hi Darrell, just logging on late to relax and wind down watching your latest video. I hope all is well, thank you for the video.
If only the revstars had an option for a p90 in the neck and a humbucker in the bridge. Speaking of that, can we see a review of the pacifica 611?
....I think all mid range and above priced guitars should offer p90neck/hum bridge combo...
... or alternatively of the 311, yes! 😀👍
Yes I definitely agree. 😌🤌🏿
This is a great idea! Now I'm wondering why no one has made these
I am sold. They look just different enough to be cool. Strange I wouldn't go near Pacifica but these have Vibe going on!
Man, these guitars look super cool! Reading up on the specs between the standard and the professional, it looks to me that the only real differences are the professional has carbon fiber rods in the body and Yamaha's Initial Response Acceleration process (which seems unnecessary to me). So I'm definitely going for the standard with P90s.
Locking tuners?
Lit of hand Luther attention to detail that mass production can't do and make a profit.
@@Tigerex966 oh yeah, the pro has locking tuners. But I can put locking tuners on the standard myself for a fraction of the cost difference. And do you really think actual luthiers are building each pro model that comes out of Japan? No major manufacturer uses luthiers to build all the guitars that come out of a factory anymore. Maybe a luthier helped design the model, but once they start production it's assembly line workers making the ones that actually go to retailers.
@@randygomez9595 well supposedly custom order ones from japan get one Luthier and his team inspection and adjustments on parts and build quality through it's oroduction that are not done nearly as often on high speed Indonesia fast assembly lines.
Any human interaction causes time and money, but increases possible quality and decreases the chance of defects and problems.
Yamaha for the top Japan models supposedly uses a team of Luthier's and apprentices to go over and double check each and every pro guitar from beginning to end before it leaves the door, their reputation is on the line as a group, the best pieces of wood are selected by them first before indonisia.
They get paid very well to do this and you pay extra for this.
To my knowledge only the acoustic l series custom LS 56 and above have one Luthier start to finish that signs it and is responsible for it, even then there is some automation but not as much, and their very best wood is used.
But they are about $4000 to $10000 and truly a time honored tradition.
But in any event you can get lucky and get similar quality and the midrange, it just does not have the human touch and checks that only time can do and since so much is automated now, it is becoming a list art
Hence the high price of Japanese handmade and partially handmade guitars.
For instance fender Martin Taylor charge more for their top models because of the woods and time with human inspection and adjustment even though they are still hugely automated particularly Taylor which is almost totally automated.
The truly mostly handmade ones are extremely expensive by all of them.
@@Tigerex966 well yes, handmade is always more expensive. But it doesn't necessarily mean a better instrument. It's what a company is actually doing when hand making it that matters. But if Yamaha is using luthiers to inspect the pro models and ensure each one is up to a high quality and build standard, then that's great and speaks to Yamaha's care of quality. I wasn't aware of that
@@randygomez9595 I agree, sometimes a cheap budget instrument can sound better than anything.
But more often then not it is s at least put together as well if better with more inspection human touch and attention to detail a few extra details and goodies you can buy yourself later, and is my h more rare and exclusive increasing it's long term value and often lifespan.
I think it's n most cars midrange is the best but even the f the resale is less, and you don't have to worry as much about a Scratch her and there.
I'm not sure is they actually do that,, but that is what I was told happens on the l series acoustic line depending on model, they make very few so there is usually a long wait for each one, and even then sometimes they mess up or it can be damaged in shipping and handle my after it's built changes in humidity and temp. On the ship etc.
thanks for giving the weights on these! Really nice clean clear sound on both these.
These are Fantastic Guitars, for the all the companies pricing guitars in the same price range, these are some the best you can buy. I found that these are great guitars that take to any setup or tunings beautifully as well. Built to last, these are Solid Guitars⚡️
Tempting
Thanks a lot for this! I'm about to make this purchase, and this really helped me feel good about the decision.
Great looking guitars! The P90’s would be my choice.✌️🤘
Darrell, you’re about to cost me some money! I’ve been on the fence about getting a P-90 equipped guitar and had considered the previous version of the Revstar but never pulled the trigger. Looks like now might be the time! Great review.
No wonder I can’t get one, Yamaha has been sending them to all the RUclipsrs! 😂