Review: Yamaha Revstar RSS02T Guitar

Yamaha has relaunched its highly successful Revstar series with three new models: the Element, Standard and Professional. Both the Element and Standard are manufactured in Indonesia, while the Professional gets the special treatment of Yamaha’s Japanese factory (and has a price tag to match!). We chose to take a look at the more affordable Standard model, as this instrument carries all the same features as the Professional model.

The Revstar is a double cutaway instrument with a very definite retro vibe, and is offered with either a pair of P90 pickups or a pair of humbuckers - we chose to test the P90 model. The body of the instrument is made up from a chambered and beautifully sculpted mahogany back (for optimum playing comfort), matched with a maple cap.

A solid line of cream binding defines the outline of the face of the guitar, which in the case of our test model is a very attractive light sunburst. To the lower rear bout of the guitar are the knurled chrome volume control and tone control with its Focus push/pull option which activates a passive boost that Yamaha tells us gives ‘a similar effect to overwound pickups’. Beneath these are a 5-way lever switch. The two cream P90 neck and bridge pickups sit in front of a fixed adjustable tune-o-matic bridge that carries the strings to the fluted, fixed chrome steel tailpiece.

The set-in three piece mahogany carbon fibre reinforced neck has a new shallow ‘C’ profile, and comes with a cream binding and supports the super smooth rosewood fretboard with its 22 medium frets and MOP bar position markers. A 43mm Tusq nut carries the strings to the six individual Grover style Yamaha tuners with their cream tulip buttons set on the black faced Yamaha headstock with its subtle star motif.

Picking up the Revstar, you are immediately struck by the weight of the instrument. Although it has a chambered body, this is not a particularly lightweight guitar. The neck and fretboard however are a dream – super-fast and as smooth as silk. Plugged into our house DV Mark Little Jazz amplifier, the Revstar produced a very clear and clean response at both ends of the tonal scale. The single coil P90s however seemed to lack the ‘bark’ that we might have expected. We raised the tone control to engage the Focus setting, and the instrument immediately burst into life, not only adding fullness to the sound, but also some extra volume. Using the five-way switch together with the Focus/tone control combination offered a myriad of different sounds from a deep, mellow sweet tone, to an edgy full-fat tone, with bags of character. And there’s plenty of sustain available to add to the mix. We particularly liked the settings 2 and 4 on the five-way switch with the tone control cranked right up.

The Revstar comes with its own well padded nylon denier Yamaha gig bag, that has a zippered front face double pocket and front face grab handle. There is a full length side zip, standard side set grab handle and an adjustable back harness with cushioned shoulder pads.

And just in case you were wondering, Yamaha have not forgotten all those brilliant ‘lefties’ out there. Left handers are standard on all models. 

Find out more: www.uk.yamaha.com