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Yamaha Revstar Guitars 2nd Generation Models
The Yamaha Corporation
Is a Japanese corporation that was established in 1887 under the Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd and incorporated on October 12, 1897.
The Yamaha Culture and Corporate Mission are summed up in the Japanese word Kandō (感動)
Kandō (感動) translates into excitement, gratification, quality and performance.
Yamaha corporation creates and produces a broad scope of products and services, ranging from pianos, for which Yamaha is one of the largest manufacturers starting in the 1900s to the present day, producing the world’s first commercial digital synthesizer in 1983, and in the late 1990s released a series of portable battery-operated keyboards.
Being proven successful, popular and respected, Yamaha was awarded “Keyboard of the Year” and “Product of the Year” in 2007 from The Music and Sound Retailer magazine for their YPG-625 model. The company’s brand logo still integrates the trio of interlocking tuning forks. (See Image)
Today Yamaha has become the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments and is also widely known for its music teaching programs that began in the 1950s, establishing the Yamaha Music Foundation in 1966 to promote music education.
Other Yamaha-manufactured products include…
- CD-Recorder (Worlds First in 1988)
- Semiconductors and Audio/Visual computer-related products. (Industry-leading)
- Drums, Brass instruments, Woodwinds and…
- Guitars
Yamaha & Carlos Santana
The SG-175
In 1975, Yamaha reached out to Carlos Santana, offering to build the artist a custom instrument to increase brand awareness, and had the custom shop make him an SG-175 model.
Even though the artist clearly loved his custom SG-175, he also noticed numerous areas where the guitar could be improved and collaborated with the company to develop his ideas.
The result was the SG-2000 model, one of Yamahas’ most innovative and successful solid-body designs ever. (See image)
Carlos Santana and his Yamaha SG2000 – Image Courtesy of Wikipedia – Author Chris Hakkens – is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
The SG 2000 Devadip Model
The SG-2000 featured a neck-through-body design and was granted 2 United States patents for its T-Cross System of attaching mahogany wings to the maple and its Sustain Plate, including a brass block mounted in the body connected to the bridge to enhance sustain. (See Image)
Yamaha SG2000 Devadip (1976, with inlay) Image courtesy of Wikipedia- Author Kevin Spencer and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
Carlos Santana played the 1976 SG2000 Devadip model w/Tennyo inlay and dark green finish before moving on to PRS guitars and getting a Signature Custom Model from the then-new guitar company.
Santana has been extremely giving in his Guitar Player interviews, sharing his gear secrets, technical approaches, musical influences, and the building blocks of his sound. Click the Image To Get Your Copy.
The SG quietly disappeared from production in 1988. However, the Yamaha custom shop still built a limited number of SG guitars on request and even after its first appearance in 1974, to this present day the SG has continued to inspire the current line of guitars for the company.
The Yamaha Revstar-A NEW GENERATION
The original Revstars launched in 2015 but released this guitar line’s second generation in 2022.
The company’s 50-year legacy of guitar craftsmanship, engineering and excellence is again reflected in its new series. This Guitar can be taken from a practice room to a recording studio or stage; it is a tone machine with plenty of standard premium options, including…
- Distinctive colours, finishes and hardware
- Custom Electronics and more. (Read on)
Revstar Inspiration & Yamaha Motorcycles
Putting into production 125 motorcycles in 1954, the success of their model designs resulted in the founding of Yamaha Motor Co Ltd in 1955.
The motorcycle division split away from the musical division of the company in 1954.
The Yamaha Motobikes were high-performance machines that showcased the personality of their London and Tokyo riders.
This inspiration gave way to a new generation of Revstar guitars that, like the custom cafe street racing Motobikes of the 1960s, will be as unique as the guitarist who plays them.
Image courtesy of ca.yamaha.com
Let us look at what you are getting in each Tier, as far as standard options and add-ons.
The 3 New Model’s Price Points
- The Element /Pricing from 499.99
- The Standard / Pricing from 799.99
- The Professional (Made in Japan) Models/ Pricing from 1999.99
Standard Options
All Revstar guitar models have solid-body Mahogany chambered, double-cut style w/Gloss Polyurethane finish and “Acoustic Design.”
Using Mahogany bodies for guitars is not uncommon, for this wood delivers warm Resonance that nullifies different frequencies and perfectly complements whatever pickups your guitar sports.
Chambering means you take a solid wood guitar body and route out minor or substantial pockets changing the nature of the wood.
Yamaha calls its new chambering pattern The “Acoustic Design” approach or process.
Benefits Of The “Acoustic Design”
This was developed to enhance and sculpt the Sonic Tone, giving more Resonance (both plugged or unplugged), Reduce Weight, and making the guitar body substantially lighter, providing more balance and comfort. (See Image)
The Chambered Body provides Tone, Resonance Weight & Balance -Image courtesy from ca.yamaha.com.
Image of the Push/Pull feature on the Tone control – Image courtesy of ca.yamaha.com.
Pickups
This Guitar’s Sound is about Power, Strength & Individual Tone.
Each Tier of Revstar will have either a HH (Humbuckers) or P-90s Pickup configuration. The Alnico V Pickups are Standard across the 3 tiers, but the P-90s appear only on the Standard or Professional Models.
Ground up
More than 50 prototype pickups with different combinations of wires, windings, magnets, and base plates were tested. Choosing materials for these specially wound YGD Pickups was done from the ground up.
Finally, the proper specifications for each guitar model were decided upon, and the Revstar series pickups were born.
Revstar Duel Alnico V Humbuckers
- VP5n /VP5b Alnico V Single-coil pickups w/German silver baseplate– These Proprietary pickups will deliver a powerfully raw, punchy kick with a warm and organic mid-range tone and not hum when adding gain
- Revstar (Soapbar) VP-90s provide a bright and thick tone.
You have all shared similarities between the 3 models; let’s now look at what makes these 3 models differ.
The Revstar Element
The Revstar Element -Image courtesy of ca.yamaha.com
- Outside of the standard options, this Revstar Element will include left-handed models
- Only have the HH Alnico V Pickup Configuration
- The Element comes in 5 racer-inspired finishes
The Element will have the Push/Pull High-Pass Filter’ Dry Switches’ on Tone Control.
Provides a single-coil pickup sound, operating as a high pass filter, that is analog and passive.
With the “High Pass Dry Switch Filter,” frequencies are filtered, and the low end drops out, providing more punch, highs, clarity and tighter bass, but the volume does not; it stays consistent; no volume decrease, hum or weak tone that comes with the conventional coil-splitting.
With the 3 pickup selectors (only on the Element) and the pickup “Dry Switch” switch, you have 6 different sound variations with this Guitar.
- It also includes a high-quality gig bag.
- Made in Indonesia
The Revstar Standard
The Revstar Standard -Image courtesy of ca.yamaha.com
- This Revstar Standard will include left-handed models
- Binding Finishes on the body and neck
- Two Bridge options
- 3-Ply Pickguard
- The Standard will include either a HH Duel Alnico V or SS P-90’s proprietary pickup configuration.
- Top Wood Maple Cap on the standards and professional lines to enhance the tones.
- Reinforced three-piece necks with carbon fibre for extra rigidity. (See below Image)
The Standard and Professional Revstar models with carbon fibre reinforced necks- Image courtesy of musicradar.com.
- The Revstar Standard will also include 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel Frets — This material is corrosion-resistant, more difficult to wear down than a conventional fret, and allows for more control in your vibrato and string bends. (Only available on the Standard and Professional models.)
- 5-Way Pickup Switching — Giving you “in-between” sounds on the pickups (Standard and Professional models only)
- Bridge/Tailpiece-Tune-O-Matic Bridge with sleek custom racing/floating aluminum tailpiece options. (See Image)
The Revstar Standard Floating Aluminum Tailpiece -Image courtesy of sweetwater.com
For the Tone Control, a Passive Push/Pull ‘Focus Switches’
The Focus Switches Provide a passive/analog “Outboard Boost” that changes the Resonance of the pickups and amps up your power, giving you a fatter sound in the mid-range and bottom end, even though there is no pre-amp. (Standard and Professional models)
This 5-way pickup option and “Focus Switch” give you 10 different sound variations.
- Includes high-quality gig bags,
- The Standard comes in 6 racer-inspired finishes
- Made in Indonesia
The Revstar Professionial
The Revstar Pro is the flagship of the new line of Yamaha guitars.
The difference between the professional and the Standard: along with some carbon fibre add-ons, the professional is Made In Japan.
The Revstar Professional -Image courtesy of ca.yamaha.com
- The Professional will also include either a HH Duel Alnico V or VP-90’s proprietary pickup configuration, two Bridge options and a 3-ply pickguard. (See Image)
The Revstar Pro w/Alnico V or SS P-90’s Pickup Configuration -2 Chrome Tailpiece Options & 3-Ply Cream Pickguard- Image courtesy of kraftmusic.com
- Also, Top Wood Maple cap, Binding finish, 5-Way Switching, 22 Jumbo SS Frets, Passive Push/Pull ‘Focus Switches’ 10 different sound variations, and the Reinforced Carbon Fibre. Necks, but for the proline, this MIJ Model will also sport a…
- Reinforced Chambered Body – Carbon Fiber strips at the end of the body improve Vibration Sonic Transfer. (See Image)
The Revstar Professional w/carbon reinforcement in the body and neck to improve vibration transfer-Image courtesy of musicradar.com and guitarristas.info
- No left-handed models
- It comes in 3 racer-inspired finishes
- The premium MIJ professional sports a Yamaha Hardshell case
- Made in Japan
HANKO MARK
Used in place of a signature, Yamaho uses 2 Hanko stamps as the seal of approval for every Tier in this line.
One is for the Element and Standard Models the other is for the MIJ Proline. (See the below images)
Revstar Element and Standard brand logo (Hanko) – Image courtesy of usa.yamaha.com
Revstar Professional w/Made In Japan Hanko Mark – Image courtesy of usa.yamaha.com
Video
Final Thoughts
One of my first teaching jobs was for a local Yamaha Piano and Guitar licensed distributor, so I was around this equipment for many years.
I will never question the quality, craftsmanship, and design that goes into these guitars, so this new generation of Revstar will be no different.
And seeing Santana hold an impressively long sustaining note during his song “Europa” greatly inspired my interest in the Yamaha SG 2000.
My only regret is not getting my hands on the 1976 SG2000 Devadip or the SG 175B Carlos Santana models, but I will continue to search.
When Dave Miner (Yamahas Product Marketing Manage) says…
“These updated classic-meets-modern instruments offer enhanced playability, versatility and tone.”
I have no reason to doubt.
Should You Add This Guitar To Your Collection?
This instrument is an excellent addition to any collection and is understated yet attractive.
Unfortunately, this line does not have a tremolo setup for the shredders.
Did You Like This Article
Check out my review on the Jackson JS32 Dinky Archtop Natural Oil
Also…
Leave your comments in the section below if you would like me to review a favourite guitar.
As always, stay the course and keep playing
Featured image courtesy of yamaha.com
Yamaha logo image courtesy of Wikimedia.org and is in the public domain
Carlos Santana Guitar Player interviews Image courtesy of Amazon.
Yamaha Revstar Guitars
$1,999.99
Pros
- Left-Handed Models (Select)
- Top Wood Maple Caps (Select)
- 22 Stainless Steel Jumbo Frets
- 3 or 5-Way Pickup Switching
- Reinforced Carbon Fiber Necks & Body (Select)
Cons
- No Tremolo Option
- Can Be Pricey
Starting A Journey At 7 Years Of Age, The Love For The Guitar Only Became Stronger Going Into My Teens. This Leading To An Exciting Time Of Teaching, Performing, And Recording. Join Me Now As We Can Bring The Love Of This Instrument To Other Musicians Globally.
