I'd like to get a Yamaha RevStar

Reverend Conehead

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This Yamaha RevStar guitar has caught my eye. Some of you may remember the Yamaha SG 2000 that Carlos Santana used to play back in the 70s and 80s. That guitar was like a cross between a Gibson SG and a Les Paul. I think Yamaha even got in some hot water with Gibson for calling it an SG. They came up with some other name for it, but SG is the name people remember.
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Fast forward to 2015. Yamaha has modified their old 70s-era SG into the RevStar. They changed the shape a little. It's now thinner and wider. The cutaways are no longer even, with the bottom one being more pronounced. Now fast forward to 2021. They've modified it some more. They've given it a chambered body, but only in the top half of the body by the neck. It changes its resonance; plus, it helps it to be a superbly balanced guitar. It comes in three basic types, Elements (the cheapest), the Standard, and the Pro. The Elements and Standard versions are made in Indonesia. The Pro is made in Japan. Both the Standard and the Pro come with stainless steel frets and carbon reinforcements in the neck. The Pro also has that in the body. For all versions you have the choice between P90 or humbucker pickups. The tone knob can be lifted up to add an extra burst of gain and midranges, something handy for soloing.
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I've watched all the Youtube videos of this thing, and I think I love it. The one pictured here is the "sunset burst one." I already am blessed with some very good guitars, but I can't stop thinking about this one. I want it. The only mod I might make is adding locking tuners. My Sire guitar has those, and I've grown fond of them. They do make changing strings a lot easier.
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As much as I would be tempted to pay a bunch more for the made-in-Japan Pro version, most reviewers have said that the Standard is already amazingly good quality. The basic Elements version is also quite respectable, though I would rather pay a few hundred extra to get those stainless steel frets and the carbon fiber reinforcement. This thing looks like a thing of beauty and a fine instrument. I'm thinking of getting one when I can. This thing looks cool.
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revstarcomposite-final.jpg
 

Creeper

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I'd have to play it, it is a nice looking guitar. Its under $1000 so it is not that expensive for a guitar these days. Go for it!
 

Reverend Conehead

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I'd have to play it, it is a nice looking guitar. Its under $1000 so it is not that expensive for a guitar these days. Go for it!
Yes, only the made-in-Japan Pro version is over 1K (about 2K), but almost every reviewer said that the Standard version was already really good. A couple years ago, I bought a made-in-China Ibanez Artist online. I had some concerns if it would have good quality craftsmanship, but it does. I love that guitar. I also bought a made-in-Indonesia Sire S7 FM (basically a Super-Strat). It's also of really good quality workmanship. I've done fine so far for guitars.
 

Creeper

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Yes, only the made-in-Japan Pro version is over 1K (about 2K), but almost every reviewer said that the Standard version was already really good. A couple years ago, I bought a made-in-China Ibanez Artist online. I had some concerns if it would have good quality craftsmanship, but it does. I love that guitar. I also bought a made-in-Indonesia Sire S7 FM (basically a Super-Strat). It's also of really good quality workmanship. I've done fine so far for guitars.
Cheap guitars can be really good too. I have an Epiphone 12 string I bought close to 50 years ago for $105. I had some neck and nut issues but I was able to fix them (mostly) and the guitar still sounds like a dream. I had to replace the original nut, which wore out, and the replacement is not exactly right so fingering the double strings is tricky. I may try replacing the nut again.
 

Reverend Conehead

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Cheap guitars can be really good too. I have an Epiphone 12 string I bought close to 50 years ago for $105. I had some neck and nut issues but I was able to fix them (mostly) and the guitar still sounds like a dream. I had to replace the original nut, which wore out, and the replacement is not exactly right so fingering the double strings is tricky. I may try replacing the nut again.
Yes, nowadays, you can really get a lot of bang for your buck with guitars and accessories. Back in '78 when I started playing, most of the cheapy guitars were pieces of crap with high action or buzzy frets. And this was an era when Gibson and Fender were in decline, mainly because of the bad economy. Today you can spend just a decent amount on a guitar and have it be really good.
 
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