Watch It First
The Yamaha Revstar is the guitar that makes other guitarists walk over and ask what it is. It does not look like anything else on the wall, and that is entirely the point.
Yamaha took inspiration from cafe racer motorbikes, and somehow it works. It is retro and modern at the same time, and it wears it beautifully.
But a cool shape only gets you so far. Does the RSS20 Standard actually play and sound as good as it looks? Short answer: yes, and then some.
The Short Version
This is a properly grown-up guitar. Chambered body, stainless frets, carbon-reinforced neck and a clever tone trick, all in a package that looks like nothing else.
That Focus Switch Is the Party Piece
Pull up on the tone knob and the Focus switch kicks in, a passive mid-boost that tightens and fattens the sound without a battery in sight.
It is genuinely useful. Click it on for solos or heavier rhythm and the guitar suddenly punches harder. It is the sort of feature you did not know you wanted.
If you like your rock guitars with a bit of cleverness, it is worth lining this up against the Epiphone SG Standard and the ESP LTD EC-1000 to see where it sits.
Build and Feel
The chambered mahogany body makes it lighter and more resonant than a slab, and it helps that lovely airy sustain. It hangs beautifully on a strap.
The Neck
Carbon-fibre reinforcement keeps the mahogany neck dead stable, and the stainless jumbo frets are slick and hard-wearing. This is premium stuff for the money.
The 24.75-inch scale makes bends easy and chords feel relaxed. It is an immediately comfortable guitar to sit down with.
Hardware
Simple Tune-o-matic and stopbar, so tuning stability is excellent and setup is a doddle. No trem to worry about, which suits the vibe.
So How Does It Sound?
Rich, clear and versatile. The VH5 humbuckers are articulate rather than muddy, so they clean up nicely and crunch hard when you push them.
It covers indie, rock, blues and heavier stuff with ease, and the Focus switch stretches the range even further. It is a joy for grungy Alice in Chains riffs and glassy clean tones alike.
The Niggles
It is not the cheapest guitar in its class, because you are paying for the neck, the frets and the design. It earns it, but budget shoppers should know.
The looks are polarising. Most people love them, a few do not. If you want a traditional shape, this is not your guitar.
And that is honestly about it. For the money, faults are thin on the ground.
Who Is It For?
Improving and gigging players who want a distinctive, do-it-all electric with premium touches. Also anyone bored of seeing the same three guitar shapes everywhere.
Total beginners might start cheaper, so check the best cheap electric guitars for beginners first, and shredders should also eye the Ibanez GRG131DX.
The Specs
- Body: chambered mahogany, maple top
- Neck: 3-piece mahogany with carbon-fibre reinforcement
- Fingerboard: rosewood, 12″ radius
- Scale: 629 mm (24.75″)
- Nut width: 41.9 mm
- Frets: 22 jumbo stainless steel
- Pickups: VH5 AlNiCo 5 humbuckers
- Controls: volume, tone with push/pull Focus switch, 5-way
- Bridge: Tune-o-matic with stopbar
- Thomann article no.: 539405
Verdict
The Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20 is the cool kid’s guitar, and it has the substance to back up the style. Great build, clever electronics, and a look that turns heads.
If you want an electric with real character that still nails the fundamentals, this is one of the most satisfying guitars in its class. Highly recommended.
