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Dual Alnico V humbuckers meet 5-way switching for improved sound-shaping options.
The Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20 electric guitar is an updated take on the original Revstar line, now with a sleek, café racer-inspired finish, plus dual Alnico V humbucking pickups and 5-way switching for excellent tone versatility. It has a maple top, chambered mahogany body and 3-piece mahogany neck with carbon reinforcement, developed using Yamaha's exclusive Acoustic Design process to enhance tone, reduce weight and ensure optimal balance without sacrificing resonance. Its sound is driven by dual humbucking pickups, as well as a passive focus switch for further tone sculpting. Additional appointments to the Revstar Standard RSS20 include a gloss body finish, satin neck finish and rosewood fingerboard with 22 stainless steel frets. 

The Revstar Standard RSS20 comes with a gig bag.

Review Snapshot

by PowerReviews

4.8

100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend

Ratings Distribution

Reviewed by 5 customers

Boutique Quality

Submitted 20 days ago

By Bud

From Newark, OH

Submitted as part of a sweepstakes entry

Reviewed at

Yamaha

This guitar does not get the recognition it deserves. I personally compared it side-by-side to a PRS SE Custom 24 before buying it. Everything about this Guitar is superior; the feel of the neck, the stainless steel frets the chambered mahogany body. The finish is immaculate. The sound is superior in every way. I honestly feel like I cheated the system somehow and got this superior Guitar for less money than I would spend on an inferior Guitar for more money.

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Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend to a friend

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Great guitar

Submitted 7 months ago

By Dan

From Atlanta Ga

Submitted as part of a sweepstakes entry

Reviewed at

Yamaha

Literally the best guitar I've owned at any price point. Saving my pennies for one with P-90's next.

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Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend to a friend

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10/10

Submitted 11 months ago

By D

From Atlanta

Reviewed at

Yamaha

My feed back is I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS GUITAR!!! The best guitar I've played and owned easily out shadowing ones 2 and 3 times the cost.

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Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend to a friend

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Surpasses All Expectations

Submitted 2 years ago

By B

From Utah

Reviewed at

Yamaha

I spent 10 months researching so many different guitars before I bought the RSS20. I enjoy the feature list on this in particular. The stainless steel frets are polished nicely, the push-pull focus switch adds the perfect mid boost, and the pickups here are amazing. I respect the true single coil tone, but it is too quacky for me and the music I play. The RSS20 has the in-between positions created by making one of the pickups be slightly out-of-phase. It makes those 2 and 4 positions have the honk without being nasal. I was so shocked by how much I loved it that I find myself playing in those positions quite a bit. It is very daring (and great) of Yamaha to put the same pickups in the Standard model as well as the Professional. Maybe that would deter some people from getting the Professional, but I don't have the budget for the more expensive version and it's nice to know that Yamaha puts their best into each entry (tried the Element and that one is great too). The tone and volume controls are dynamic and feel very smooth. I find a slight roll off the tone or volume can really change the sound of the guitar through an amp (previous guitars I have owned require a large roll off to do this… and it doesn't sound as good as the RSS20). I found the tone and volume controls are not in the way for picking or strumming, which is great because some guitars you may accidentally hit the controls. The fit and finish is fantastic. The neck feels so smooth with the satin finish. I bought the Vintage White version, and I personally like how the racing stripes are subtle. I also like how they look on the other modes, but it's something special seeing a mostly white guitar and then in certain light/angles the stripes pop out. The back and sides of the body, as well as the back of neck, are a dark red color. The guitar looks stunning. It feels like it could have cost twice as much and, based upon all the guitars I've done my research on, would still be a good value.

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Cream binding.
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Deep dark bed color.
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Must slide out of case.
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The comfortable heel joint (I can reach the 22nd fret easily).
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Headstock angle, showing the volute.

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend to a friend

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Yamaha making a giant splash! (4.5 Stars)

Submitted 2 years ago

By Guitar0holic

From SoCal

Reviewed at

Yamaha

My first two guitars were Yamaha in 1992... an RGX521 and an '89 Image Custom. They're still around and fun as ever. But for too long Yamaha was out of sight in the guitar world. Mainly recognized as top-value instruments. Until now... The Revstar Standard is amazing. The styling is a modern classic rooted in tradition. The engineering and sound are wonderful. I have US pickups in all my guitars except the Image Custom... and this one. These are great. My only complaints are the neck profile and the lacquer. The piano black looks amazing, but you want to clean off any finger smudge. So when I did just that with merely the sleeve of my hoody, it instantly left swirl marks like nothing else. They polished out easily, but swirl marks from cloth?? The other is the shoulders on the neck profile are too much for me from the 7th fret upward. They fight my playing style. I get along with many neck shapes, thick or thin, but this one feels too big up high even though it doesn't measure too thick per se. Getting around the bottom is cumbersome (for me). It fights me too much. I was going to also get the Professional with P-90s as a Gold Top once available, but the neck shape made me reconsider unfortunately.

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend to a friend

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