Great video, I wish I knew a Barry! I 1:59 wanted to try these out, thank you for keeping this simple and thorough. You have great chops and excellent format. Don’t change a thing, I’ll be back!
I have one of these in “ox blood” colour and absolutely love the sound of the pickups. As you pointed out, they give great definition of every string picked. The in between pickup settings and the pull-up mid-boost play nicely with some amps. The satin neck is super-smooth and the tuners are great. The only downsides I find are the higher than average weight and bigger body shape. Value for money? I think so. Stainless steel frets, a super stable straight neck, brilliant pickups, some unique tones…
I have the same IYV guitar as yours. I put Seymore Duncan humbuckers in mine and also Hot Shot locking tuners with a roller string tree, a bone nut, and I put holoflash on the whole body top and the headstock. Looks amazing now. I'm also now jonesin' for a Revstar II standard
Holy smokes man! Sounds like an awesome mod job, Nice! Yeah the revstars are nice, but the IYV is right there sound wise for 1/4 of the price and that's including the mods 😃...
I scored most of them for under $500 USD people really sleep on these. Even the 702b p90 w bigsby and split inlays I found for $465 USD. Any way I’m a fan of your content going back to the quilter stuff. Cheers.
@@aperezdeal wow thanks man, much appreciated! Great deals. If I could get one for that price, I would grab one in a heart beat! Enjoy, they really are great guitars!
I think they're very cool looking guitars. And I generally love the sound of P90 pickups. I really like the looks of that particular model and finish, although I'm not crazy about heavy guitars. They look (to my eyes) kinda like a cross between a Les Paul and Rickenbacker. I think it sounds great too, and especially with you playing it. Here's what I think: If you really LOVE it a LOT, and really really REALLY want one (doesn't sound like it), then you should have one. For myself, I'd like to see some less expen$ive copy-cat guitars on the market with that same body shape - I might be interested then. For me personally, anything more than about $500 is too much $$.
Hey thanks! Yeah 500 ish is typically my sweet spot as well. The revstar element is about 1/2 the price but from what I can tell is not offered with P90 pickups... I think I'll keep my eyes peeled for a used one😀
Cool guitar, Jay-Bo! I dig it. I think they are great. But I couldn't drop that kind of cash on one of those. Then again.... I can't play like you, either! LOL But I have been jonesing on the less expensive model for a while. Can't quite get there. But maybe one day..... We'll see. Hope all is well up there on PEI, Brother!
All good here buddy! Yeah cool guitar but in my opinion, I don't see anything here that makes it worth the price tag... after this video, I A/B -ed it with my Musi fusion and the Musi is everybit as rich sonically for 800$ less! If I put a high end set of Humbucker sized P90s in my Fusion. The Yammie wouldn't touch it!
Hey cool Mark thanks... I will. I had tried a T-style Godin at L&M in Summerside like a year ago and it felt really cheap to me. Can't remember the model. I know Godin makes good guitars. I played a radiator in Moncton and now that I think back, I should of bought it lol!
@@j-man9457 the stadium is a t-style so I hope it’s not the same one you tried in Summerside 😂. The radiators are great guitars. My radium is a t-style body, 24.75” scale, HSH setup with coil splitting. Gives me a lot of options.
@@markpetten9777 yeah? Cool. I like the 23.75 scale. Gonna look those up. The T-style I tried was not 24.75 and it also had the input jack on the face of the guitar on the control plate. Not a design choice that I'm drawn to🤔
@J-MAN - Very nice playing, as always! While the Revstar is a very interesting guitar (I believe it has a passive coil or transformer inside to give it a unique type of output), I personally don't think it's worth $1250 which is about 4.5x your modded IYV. At that price, I would want SS frets to seal the deal. Perhaps you could mod one of your M Musis to also have P-90s? That said, why we guitarists decide to pull the trigger is a personal decision often based on emotional factors after considering technical features (including price/performance).
I agree although the Revstar does have SS frets... funny you should mention about me putting P90s in my musi.... I was just shopping for a good set of p-90 pickups for that exact reason this morning LOL
@@j-man9457 I stand corrected on the Revstar having SS frets - just beware that there are two lower end models that don’t - the RSE20 and RSE20L (left-handed version?). You can confirm on Yamaha’s spec page which I tried to post a few times yesterday, but these never made it. Looking forward to your unveiling of a modded Musi with P-90s!
I think your first e action is the correct one. They c-n often b. A grand more does not justify its purchase un;ess you have something up your sleeve. I sure do like your approach to these vids. You heavily influenced my purchase of a musi fusion. Being a rank beginner I took it to a luthier to be set up. Other than a change of strings,something lighter for beginner.s fingers. Thnx from Vancouver to PEI.?
Thanks so much! Yeah the price is holding me back. Hard to justify, when the IYV can keep up to it at a fraction of the price... still deliberating hahaha
I've been sitting on a Revstar -the new basic model lefty- that a Strat player has had up for sale for a few months. Humbucker type, and it's down to $420CAD. I haven't jumped on it because $420 for me is A LOT and I already have an Epiphone LP Standard that basically does the same thing with a strong mid punch. Your modded IYV is giggable and sounds great- the Revstar sounds like it has a lower range punch to me and that only a couple tweaks on your amp settings. I say don't buy because your IYV is too comparable.
BTW, I can’t remember, do you guys have Guitar Center or Musician’s Friend there in Canada, or do they ship to Canada? Sometimes they have good deals on used gear for us here in the United States.
I was after a P90 guitar. Decided the Gibson scale suits the pickup tone - but a good Gibson is a serious amount of cash. The Revstar jumped out at me because it looks so cool and pickups sound great - especially with that dry circuit which I’m not sure you mentioned. Build quality is top notch. Playability is near perfect. Stainless frets mean I’ll never need a refret (which I usually do - and they ain’t cheap!). Sure it’ll never compete with a cheap, some might say ‘ugly’ modded guitar… or just maybe… how does it play and sound? How does it make you feel when you pick the thing up? Does it inspire you? Does it fill you with money-saving pride? I bought one off eBay for a good price and very happy with it. It holds it's own among top brands… Yamaha knocked it outta the park with Revstar!
So turns out this one wasn't 7 months old... My buddy had just bought it 7 months ago... This revstar is a 2017 model lol! The newer versions are better and have many refinements... Would like to try one of those now... I did buy a new Revstar element which are the entry line of Revstar but are still almost 700$ here in Canada. Kept it for a week and sent it back. What a crap guitar that was! Cheap electronics, terrible tuners, poorly cut nut, weak pickups, terrible fret work... Yamaha certainly did not hit the element line out of the park... Not the one I received anyway! I'll take my 230 dollar IYV over that thing any day of the week! I would guess the Standard and the Pro series are far superior at 1700 and 2700 respectively here in Canada anyway....,🤔😟
@@j-man9457 I think I have the same model you have here - picked it up for £400 and very happy with it. Tbh Yamaha have offered a wide range of variants which can be confusing. I wasn’t so interested in the 2nd gen with their wider bodies and 5-way switching though… sometimes an unrefined 1st gen guitar just hits the mark!
@@GazzaGTR oh cool... Yeah this one was heavy, did not have Satin neck, no SS frets etc... I did like the P90s though. Only from 2022 on did Yamaha Chamber the bodies, add SS on all standard and Pro models and upgrade the electronics, but again not 100% as the stores around here don't stock them😟
I am pretty biased because I have the blue version of that guitar. I have some cheap Chinese guitars, like yours, that I have bought to mod up, like you. And I also have some American guitars that I tend to leave alone and play as they are, for the most part. One of the things that I have noticed about the Revstar is that at the end of a rehearsal, or the end of the rare gig, is that my hands are just as fresh as they were at the beginning. I guess what I mean is that I don’t tend to fight it at all. It is easy to play, and easy to get the tone to come out without a large amount of squeezing and pushing and pulling. I don’t know if that makes sense to anybody else. But it is one of the reasons that the Revstar stays on the front line for me.
Totally understand where you're coming from! I get that same experience with My Musi Fusion tele. Unbelievable instrument for 500$. No doubt the Revstar is better but a 2.5 times the price, it's not 2.5 times better... well in my hands anyway... hard to justify... I think I'll hold out for a used one😀
That bowden green body with binding, dot inlays and p90s is a first generation one (2015-2021ish) which you can find in $500 realm used. The brand new ones from 2022 are slightly bigger, chambered and better deals, IMO. You may find a newer, used Element series (RSE20) used in the $350-$500 ballpark. It goes up from there to the Standard (RSS20) and then the Professional (RSP20) which is $1000+. I bought an RSE Revstar last week on Reverb for less than $400, a little over with shipping. Fantastic guitar.
Awesome... the elements here sell for 699. The standards 1300 and the pros are close to 2700! No one in Canada seems to stock the Elements for whatever reason. Mostly the standards and some pros... i'm keeping an eye out for a good used element. Do you know if any of the newer Revstars come with maple fretboards,
@@j-man9457 Used elements are absolutely worth it. The satin finish feels so much better than the 1st gen necks. Have not seen a maple fretboard offered, mainly stainless steel frets on standard and pro, additional carbon rods in pros, plus those are MIJ. I prefer darker boards but a maple one would look killer.
@@EchoToVoice cool thanks for sharing your knowledge on the revstars with me! 2 more questions... any particular production year of Revstar Elements you would recommend? And can you get the Element with P90s? The few elements I've seen here are only humbucker equipped...
@@j-man9457 My pleasure. I've no inside knowledge, just a nerd with impulsivity issues when it comes to buying guitars. I believe p90 options on the Revstar II are only on Standard and Professional models. From the 1st run, that'd be the one you're holding which I believe is the RS502T, the other is the RS502, same but without the aluminum tailpiece. Have to say I'm definitely partial to the new ones from 2022 on. I've had the RS502T, an RS420 and an RS620, all had something I loved but parted with them because they felt heavy and I just stopped picking them up after a while. I think I remember the frets feeling a little high and sticky necks. Just a preference thing, guitars were lookers and solid players. The new ones are totally up my alley though. Love the weight, the resonance, the slightly larger bodies and the satin finish on the necks. New ones feel better overall to me, recommend them over the originals. Hope you find a good deal sooner than later.
@@EchoToVoice awesome man! I love guitar nerds, you are needed Hahaha! Makes sense now. Everything you described, weight, sticky neck, high frets, are exactly what this Revstar had... also not surprised the Elements don't come with P90s... will keep my eyes opened for a used 2022 standard or Element. Thanks!😀❤
Thanks man! That was an IYV, but I agree! I did just buy a Revstar, but the entry level element model. Way less money, and the 2023 model has features the this one in the video does not have... Chambered body for weight reduction, satin neck as opposed to high gloss, push pull pots... still it will have to be gig worthy ou of the box, or it's going back! I'm going to make a video of the unboxing and demo, but it will be at a live gig😀
Yamaha puts a ton of money into R&D and advertising so you would have to factor that into the price as well but Yamaha makes a fantastic product and has very good QC and compared to other guitars out there I don't have a problem with that price. I'm sure this Revstar didn't have 6 high frets. Lol
Hahaha you"re right there. However there are no high frets on my Musi's either and they are less than half the price... still deliberating on this one! Hahaha
Wait does the Standard tier have the dot inlays? I am getting the Standard (mid) tier, and I have only found it with the 'bar' inlays, would love to have the standard with the dots instead.
Hey Sorry I'm really not sure... Come to find out after this video that this Revstar is an older model pre 2022 I think all the post 2022 models have the Gibson style block inlays...🤔
If money were no object I would pick the Yamaha in a heartbeat, but the law of diminishing return means the gains are less when spending more. I'm not very frugal so I would likely pick the Yamaha or take a look at the Yamaha one step down and see how it is.
Yeah I hear you. I am fortunate enough that money isn't really a problem, it's more the justification and my skill level. I'm just a fair guitar player, and a $1300 guitar isn't gonna change that lol. Plus, if a well set up 270 dollar guitar can deliver very similar tones, I just can't justify spending the cash just to have the name brand on the headstock! I think I'll hold off until I see a a good used one for sale😀
I got the basic RSE20 but despite that I will think that your IVY as some of my other guitars sounds better. Sounds better but they do not play better and I noticed the same with yours. The sound.. .Yamaha seems to push it all in to the middle of the street as Ibanez, a one size fits all sound and people likes it. I do not, a mahogany body should sound like one (les Paul) and it is there for those who knows how to get it. A very good guitar a ergonomic design, nice. By one!
If you take into consideration the carbon rods in the neck , the 5 position switch and the focus switch build quality and the fact that you don't have to replace every part to get what you want. 1300.00 is about 2000.00 less than my Eastman mx 184. mind you I am ordering the iyv ijz 300 you demo'ed
@@j-man9457 I like my IYV JZ300, but I have had to work on it. most recently had to replace the neck pup volume pot (original pot was slightly scratchy at first, then got worse and worse over several months). I ended up replacing the trapeze tailpiece with one that doesn't have the swirly scroll thing (which I didn't like) and I also replaced the original pickups which I thought did not sound good at all. I put a pair of ceramic magnet P94 pickups ("P90s" in humbucker form factor) in it, and it sounds so much better now. Also on mine, for some reason it didn't like 10s for strings, and I've had to back off to a set of 9s on that guitar. But over all, I'm glad I got it and think its worth the price.
Ok, everyone else commented on the Incredible playing and guitars, but the Real question is… how in the heck does a Father, Teacher, part time gig’er, work out guy, with unbelievable Paisley Chops, find time to be All those things, and yet be able to make U Tube videos 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯😱💪💪💥🤙👍👍🤙?????? Just kidding, we all know about Cloning 😱😆😆 God Bless you and your Sleepless Family!
Lol! I just hit record on my cell phone and that's it. Nothing is planned, or rehearsed. But i just get and Idea or a cool piece of gear I think people may find interesting and I press record. Don't have time to prepare and script a video lol! Thanks buddy!
Nooooooooooooo!!!! They've been coming up in my feed all last week as well. So I started looking at a bunch of videos about people who had them and played them and I thought I liked it the sound as well but they were humbuckers with the five-way switch and the reverse polarity thing going on with them. After I did that I was thinking okay I'm going to look them up and see what they cost and I was thinking maybe 699 maybe 799 but when I saw it at 11:00 the big Nooooooo went up. Also that green sucks there are better colours. The Rev star pickups are a little darker but I prefer the iyz GFS pickups over them in a direct comparison like that. For the difference in the price between those two in your hands you could buy two or three really good guitars. I think if you drop that kind of cash on 1 guitar will be having a divorce soon in your family
Hahaha maybe you're right lol! Nah my wife is pretty cool and she knows that my gigging money goes back into gear. Do no problems there haha. Right now, I don't like it enough to justify the price tag. Gonna spend some more time on it then I'll see... maybe the 699 one would be just as good. They are hard to find. I canxt find a used one anywhere..
PERSONAL OPINION: The Revstar really is a good looking guitar, with GREAT specs and craftsmanship! (Stainless steel frets on the higher end models too, if memory serves me correctly!) HOWEVER, for us mere mortals who don’t play music professionally or aren’t professional collectors like Joe Bonamassa, I say: NOT WORTH IT!!!! But if you truly find a Revstar inspiring to play, then I say at least HOLD OUT FOR A USED ONE at a good price from a reputable seller, and then sell a couple of your other (inferior or lesser played) guitars to help pay for it!!!!!! As for the technical points: The IYV Partscaster does indeed sound slightly brighter than the Revstar, and yet it also doesn’t sound as full or articulate as the Revstar somehow, maybe due to the semi hollow body of the Partscaster? My guess is that the brightness is mostly due to the 25.5” vs 24.75” scale length, and maybe the fact that humbucker-sized P90’s can NEVER sound 100% the same, because even if all the magnets and electrical components are the same, the width of a humbucker is slightly less than the width of a true P90, so there’s absolutely no way it can get 10,000 winds of 42 AWG wire like an original P90 would have. To get in the ballpark, they’ll have to resort to tricks somewhere, like using a mix of 42/43 AWG, or compromising slightly on the wind count.
I don’t think you have the new revised version 2022 if it is army green it must be a 2015 design. The new version is a very good guitar with very good build quality
You're absolutely right! I misunderstood my buddy who lent me the guitar... he said he bought it 7 months ago, which he did but he got it used... I understood it was 7 months old so assumed it was a 2023 or 2022 model lol! Yeah pretty sure the new versions are way better! I actually ordered a brand new Element version. They are the cheapest of the Revstar line but here in canada after taxes they are still $798 CAD dollars. For me to keep it, it will have to be twice as good out of the box as my budget (300-400 dollar) guitars or it's going back. No way I'm paying $800 for a budget quality guitar. So I'm expecting to be wowed! Hahaha
@@j-man9457 yea I wasn’t sure at first seeing you play it but then I thought army green I don’t think they offer that color on the newer models. I ordered a standard in hot red ruby w P90s it should be here on 11/8 pretty excited. Now I need to practice more to play better like you👍🏻
@@2shoestoo ohhh that sounds like a sweet guitar. The Standards here are $1265.00 after taxes. Too much money for something I'm not sure I'll even like... aim higher, trust me you don't want to play like me! There are much better players out there to copy 😄 Let me know how you find the Standard😀
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Great video, I wish I knew a Barry! I 1:59 wanted to try these out, thank you for keeping this simple and thorough. You have great chops and excellent format. Don’t change a thing, I’ll be back!
Thanks Fred! Much appreciated!
Just discovered your channel. Love the no nonsense approach and easy to follow explanations. Keep it up!
~a fellow tstyle warrior
Thanks! Much appreciated!
T-styles are hard to beat haha!
I have one of these in “ox blood” colour and absolutely love the sound of the pickups. As you pointed out, they give great definition of every string picked. The in between pickup settings and the pull-up mid-boost play nicely with some amps. The satin neck is super-smooth and the tuners are great.
The only downsides I find are the higher than average weight and bigger body shape.
Value for money? I think so. Stainless steel frets, a super stable straight neck, brilliant pickups, some unique tones…
Yeah very nice guitars for sure! Thanks for watching and for your comment!
I have the same IYV guitar as yours. I put Seymore Duncan humbuckers in mine and also Hot Shot locking tuners with a roller string tree, a bone nut, and I put holoflash on the whole body top and the headstock. Looks amazing now. I'm also now jonesin' for a Revstar II standard
Holy smokes man! Sounds like an awesome mod job, Nice!
Yeah the revstars are nice, but the IYV is right there sound wise for 1/4 of the price and that's including the mods 😃...
Even the cheapie is a fantastic guitar. I bought the standard and wish I got the element. Good stuff!
Thanks! Gonna check out the cheap one too before pulling the trigger!
Really like the IYV! Great looks and sounds! I’d take that any day over the Yammie, although it also sounds quite Good in your over worked hands!
Yeah thanks man! It's hard to justify a $1,250 purchase when my $270 guitar is right there with it. I appreciate your opinion!
Sounds great
Thanks!
I have one on each finish in the Revstar 1 line starting at the 500 series up through the Rusty rats. I like them.
That's cool man. Nice collection. Yeah you must like them alot to have 1 of each color! I like this one but not the price....
I scored most of them for under $500 USD people really sleep on these. Even the 702b p90 w bigsby and split inlays I found for $465 USD. Any way I’m a fan of your content going back to the quilter stuff. Cheers.
@@aperezdeal wow thanks man, much appreciated! Great deals. If I could get one for that price, I would grab one in a heart beat!
Enjoy, they really are great guitars!
Great video J-man! Have you tried Jet Guitars? It would be great to see you compare them to the M musi stuff
Hey Thanks!
I have not tried the Jet however they are on my radar... may later this year😀
I think they're very cool looking guitars. And I generally love the sound of P90 pickups. I really like the looks of that particular model and finish, although I'm not crazy about heavy guitars. They look (to my eyes) kinda like a cross between a Les Paul and Rickenbacker. I think it sounds great too, and especially with you playing it.
Here's what I think: If you really LOVE it a LOT, and really really REALLY want one (doesn't sound like it), then you should have one. For myself, I'd like to see some less expen$ive copy-cat guitars on the market with that same body shape - I might be interested then. For me personally, anything more than about $500 is too much $$.
Hey thanks! Yeah 500 ish is typically my sweet spot as well. The revstar element is about 1/2 the price but from what I can tell is not offered with P90 pickups...
I think I'll keep my eyes peeled for a used one😀
Cool guitar, Jay-Bo! I dig it. I think they are great. But I couldn't drop that kind of cash on one of those. Then again.... I can't play like you, either! LOL But I have been jonesing on the less expensive model for a while. Can't quite get there. But maybe one day..... We'll see. Hope all is well up there on PEI, Brother!
All good here buddy! Yeah cool guitar but in my opinion, I don't see anything here that makes it worth the price tag... after this video, I A/B -ed it with my Musi fusion and the Musi is everybit as rich sonically for 800$ less!
If I put a high end set of Humbucker sized P90s in my Fusion. The Yammie wouldn't touch it!
Seriously man you need to check out the Godin Stadium at the L&M in Charlottetown. Great guitar. I’ve almost bought it twice now but I have my Radium.
Hey cool Mark thanks... I will.
I had tried a T-style Godin at L&M in Summerside like a year ago and it felt really cheap to me. Can't remember the model. I know Godin makes good guitars. I played a radiator in Moncton and now that I think back, I should of bought it lol!
@@j-man9457 the stadium is a t-style so I hope it’s not the same one you tried in Summerside 😂. The radiators are great guitars. My radium is a t-style body, 24.75” scale, HSH setup with coil splitting. Gives me a lot of options.
@@markpetten9777 yeah? Cool. I like the 23.75 scale. Gonna look those up. The T-style I tried was not 24.75 and it also had the input jack on the face of the guitar on the control plate. Not a design choice that I'm drawn to🤔
I've got the same one that you have in your hands. I love it, it's so versitile. you'll see
Awesome. Good to know. Thanks!
@J-MAN - Very nice playing, as always! While the Revstar is a very interesting guitar (I believe it has a passive coil or transformer inside to give it a unique type of output), I personally don't think it's worth $1250 which is about 4.5x your modded IYV. At that price, I would want SS frets to seal the deal. Perhaps you could mod one of your M Musis to also have P-90s? That said, why we guitarists decide to pull the trigger is a personal decision often based on emotional factors after considering technical features (including price/performance).
I agree although the Revstar does have SS frets... funny you should mention about me putting P90s in my musi.... I was just shopping for a good set of p-90 pickups for that exact reason this morning LOL
@@j-man9457 I stand corrected on the Revstar having SS frets - just beware that there are two lower end models that don’t - the RSE20 and RSE20L (left-handed version?). You can confirm on Yamaha’s spec page which I tried to post a few times yesterday, but these never made it.
Looking forward to your unveiling of a modded Musi with P-90s!
@@TechnoRiff haha stay tuned!
I think your first e action is the correct one. They c-n often b. A grand more does not justify its purchase un;ess you have something up your sleeve. I sure do like your approach to these vids. You heavily influenced my purchase of a musi fusion. Being a rank beginner I took it to a luthier to be set up. Other than a change of strings,something lighter for beginner.s fingers. Thnx from Vancouver to PEI.?
Thanks so much! Yeah the price is holding me back. Hard to justify, when the IYV can keep up to it at a fraction of the price... still deliberating hahaha
I've been sitting on a Revstar -the new basic model lefty- that a Strat player has had up for sale for a few months. Humbucker type, and it's down to $420CAD. I haven't jumped on it because $420 for me is A LOT and I already have an Epiphone LP Standard that basically does the same thing with a strong mid punch. Your modded IYV is giggable and sounds great- the Revstar sounds like it has a lower range punch to me and that only a couple tweaks on your amp settings. I say don't buy because your IYV is too comparable.
Yeah I'm struggling because of that very reason... the revstar is good, but 1300 good? Hmmm not sure!
BTW, I can’t remember, do you guys have Guitar Center or Musician’s Friend there in Canada, or do they ship to Canada? Sometimes they have good deals on used gear for us here in the United States.
No we don't have those, but yes they do ship here... i'll be looking around for sure!😀
@@j-man9457 Reverb is another possibility, of course, if you find a good reputable seller on there, and occasionally maybe eBay. Also Craigslist.
I was after a P90 guitar. Decided the Gibson scale suits the pickup tone - but a good Gibson is a serious amount of cash. The Revstar jumped out at me because it looks so cool and pickups sound great - especially with that dry circuit which I’m not sure you mentioned. Build quality is top notch. Playability is near perfect. Stainless frets mean I’ll never need a refret (which I usually do - and they ain’t cheap!). Sure it’ll never compete with a cheap, some might say ‘ugly’ modded guitar… or just maybe… how does it play and sound? How does it make you feel when you pick the thing up? Does it inspire you? Does it fill you with money-saving pride?
I bought one off eBay for a good price and very happy with it. It holds it's own among top brands… Yamaha knocked it outta the park with Revstar!
So turns out this one wasn't 7 months old... My buddy had just bought it 7 months ago... This revstar is a 2017 model lol! The newer versions are better and have many refinements... Would like to try one of those now...
I did buy a new Revstar element which are the entry line of Revstar but are still almost 700$ here in Canada. Kept it for a week and sent it back. What a crap guitar that was! Cheap electronics, terrible tuners, poorly cut nut, weak pickups, terrible fret work... Yamaha certainly did not hit the element line out of the park... Not the one I received anyway! I'll take my 230 dollar IYV over that thing any day of the week! I would guess the Standard and the Pro series are far superior at 1700 and 2700 respectively here in Canada anyway....,🤔😟
@@j-man9457 I think I have the same model you have here - picked it up for £400 and very happy with it. Tbh Yamaha have offered a wide range of variants which can be confusing. I wasn’t so interested in the 2nd gen with their wider bodies and 5-way switching though… sometimes an unrefined 1st gen guitar just hits the mark!
@@GazzaGTR oh cool...
Yeah this one was heavy, did not have Satin neck, no SS frets etc... I did like the P90s though. Only from 2022 on did Yamaha Chamber the bodies, add SS on all standard and Pro models and upgrade the electronics, but again not 100% as the stores around here don't stock them😟
I am pretty biased because I have the blue version of that guitar. I have some cheap Chinese guitars, like yours, that I have bought to mod up, like you. And I also have some American guitars that I tend to leave alone and play as they are, for the most part. One of the things that I have noticed about the Revstar is that at the end of a rehearsal, or the end of the rare gig, is that my hands are just as fresh as they were at the beginning. I guess what I mean is that I don’t tend to fight it at all. It is easy to play, and easy to get the tone to come out without a large amount of squeezing and pushing and pulling. I don’t know if that makes sense to anybody else. But it is one of the reasons that the Revstar stays on the front line for me.
Totally understand where you're coming from! I get that same experience with My Musi Fusion tele. Unbelievable instrument for 500$. No doubt the Revstar is better but a 2.5 times the price, it's not 2.5 times better... well in my hands anyway... hard to justify... I think I'll hold out for a used one😀
That bowden green body with binding, dot inlays and p90s is a first generation one (2015-2021ish) which you can find in $500 realm used.
The brand new ones from 2022 are slightly bigger, chambered and better deals, IMO. You may find a newer, used Element series (RSE20) used in the $350-$500 ballpark. It goes up from there to the Standard (RSS20) and then the Professional (RSP20) which is $1000+. I bought an RSE Revstar last week on Reverb for less than $400, a little over with shipping. Fantastic guitar.
Awesome... the elements here sell for 699. The standards 1300 and the pros are close to 2700!
No one in Canada seems to stock the Elements for whatever reason. Mostly the standards and some pros... i'm keeping an eye out for a good used element.
Do you know if any of the newer Revstars come with maple fretboards,
@@j-man9457 Used elements are absolutely worth it. The satin finish feels so much better than the 1st gen necks.
Have not seen a maple fretboard offered, mainly stainless steel frets on standard and pro, additional carbon rods in pros, plus those are MIJ. I prefer darker boards but a maple one would look killer.
@@EchoToVoice cool thanks for sharing your knowledge on the revstars with me! 2 more questions... any particular production year of Revstar Elements you would recommend?
And can you get the Element with P90s? The few elements I've seen here are only humbucker equipped...
@@j-man9457 My pleasure. I've no inside knowledge, just a nerd with impulsivity issues when it comes to buying guitars.
I believe p90 options on the Revstar II are only on Standard and Professional models. From the 1st run, that'd be the one you're holding which I believe is the RS502T, the other is the RS502, same but without the aluminum tailpiece.
Have to say I'm definitely partial to the new ones from 2022 on. I've had the RS502T, an RS420 and an RS620, all had something I loved but parted with them because they felt heavy and I just stopped picking them up after a while. I think I remember the frets feeling a little high and sticky necks. Just a preference thing, guitars were lookers and solid players. The new ones are totally up my alley though. Love the weight, the resonance, the slightly larger bodies and the satin finish on the necks. New ones feel better overall to me, recommend them over the originals. Hope you find a good deal sooner than later.
@@EchoToVoice awesome man! I love guitar nerds, you are needed Hahaha!
Makes sense now. Everything you described, weight, sticky neck, high frets, are exactly what this Revstar had... also not surprised the Elements don't come with P90s... will keep my eyes opened for a used 2022 standard or Element. Thanks!😀❤
Your eart is far better imho😊 you should try a sterling cutlass or stingray or valentine fair priced very nice guitars 😮
Thanks man! That was an IYV, but I agree! I did just buy a Revstar, but the entry level element model. Way less money, and the 2023 model has features the this one in the video does not have... Chambered body for weight reduction, satin neck as opposed to high gloss, push pull pots... still it will have to be gig worthy ou of the box, or it's going back! I'm going to make a video of the unboxing and demo, but it will be at a live gig😀
Yamaha puts a ton of money into R&D and advertising so you would have to factor that into the price as well but Yamaha makes a fantastic product and has very good QC and compared to other guitars out there I don't have a problem with that price. I'm sure this Revstar didn't have 6 high frets. Lol
Hahaha you"re right there. However there are no high frets on my Musi's either and they are less than half the price... still deliberating on this one! Hahaha
The problem with inexpensive guitars is that you end up with too many guitars. When I say "you", I mean me.
Hahaha! I hear you brother!
J
there is no such thing as "too many guitars." it's just an urban legend...
@@anthonypanneton923 hahahaha!
Wait does the Standard tier have the dot inlays? I am getting the Standard (mid) tier, and I have only found it with the 'bar' inlays, would love to have the standard with the dots instead.
Hey Sorry I'm really not sure... Come to find out after this video that this Revstar is an older model pre 2022 I think all the post 2022 models have the Gibson style block inlays...🤔
So. While i am using my Helios as a mod platform. My main girl has always been 'Ruby' my July bought RSE-20. And has been my go to girl.
Cool man thanks for the input!
Great guitars for sure!
@@j-man9457 oh yes they are. And pretty versatile too. I run her through my Joyo amp head. And it can growl
@@Streamertail do you have the humbucker or P90 version!
IYV for the win..🏅
Hahaha really? Cool thanks! Appreciate your opinion😀
If money were no object I would pick the Yamaha in a heartbeat, but the law of diminishing return means the gains are less when spending more. I'm not very frugal so I would likely pick the Yamaha or take a look at the Yamaha one step down and see how it is.
Yeah I hear you. I am fortunate enough that money isn't really a problem, it's more the justification and my skill level. I'm just a fair guitar player, and a $1300 guitar isn't gonna change that lol. Plus, if a well set up 270 dollar guitar can deliver very similar tones, I just can't justify spending the cash just to have the name brand on the headstock!
I think I'll hold off until I see a a good used one for sale😀
And if you’re left handed , you only get humbuckers , no P 90 version .😊
Ahhh interesting! Wonder why that is?🤔
I got the basic RSE20 but despite that I will think that your IVY as some of my other guitars sounds better.
Sounds better but they do not play better and I noticed the same with yours.
The sound.. .Yamaha seems to push it all in to the middle of the street as Ibanez, a one size fits all sound and people likes it.
I do not, a mahogany body should sound like one (les Paul) and it is there for those who knows how to get it.
A very good guitar a ergonomic design, nice. By one!
Yup I agree! I'm shopping around😁
If you take into consideration the carbon rods in the neck , the 5 position switch and the focus switch build quality and the fact that you don't have to replace every part to get what you want. 1300.00 is about 2000.00 less than my Eastman mx 184. mind you I am ordering the iyv ijz 300 you demo'ed
Cool man! Keep in mind tje IYV doesn't come with P90s!😁
@@j-man9457 I like my IYV JZ300, but I have had to work on it. most recently had to replace the neck pup volume pot (original pot was slightly scratchy at first, then got worse and worse over several months). I ended up replacing the trapeze tailpiece with one that doesn't have the swirly scroll thing (which I didn't like) and I also replaced the original pickups which I thought did not sound good at all. I put a pair of ceramic magnet P94 pickups ("P90s" in humbucker form factor) in it, and it sounds so much better now. Also on mine, for some reason it didn't like 10s for strings, and I've had to back off to a set of 9s on that guitar. But over all, I'm glad I got it and think its worth the price.
Ok, everyone else commented on the Incredible playing and guitars, but the Real question is… how in the heck does a Father, Teacher, part time gig’er, work out guy, with unbelievable Paisley Chops, find time to be All those things, and yet be able to make U Tube videos 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯😱💪💪💥🤙👍👍🤙?????? Just kidding, we all know about Cloning 😱😆😆 God Bless you and your Sleepless Family!
Lol! I just hit record on my cell phone and that's it. Nothing is planned, or rehearsed. But i just get and Idea or a cool piece of gear I think people may find interesting and I press record. Don't have time to prepare and script a video lol!
Thanks buddy!
I would not. The M Musi Strats are really good but heavy
Yup not getting the Revstar! Just not enough bang for your buck!
Nooooooooooooo!!!!
They've been coming up in my feed all last week as well. So I started looking at a bunch of videos about people who had them and played them and I thought I liked it the sound as well but they were humbuckers with the five-way switch and the reverse polarity thing going on with them. After I did that I was thinking okay I'm going to look them up and see what they cost and I was thinking maybe 699 maybe 799 but when I saw it at 11:00 the big Nooooooo went up.
Also that green sucks there are better colours.
The Rev star pickups are a little darker but I prefer the iyz GFS pickups over them in a direct comparison like that. For the difference in the price between those two in your hands you could buy two or three really good guitars. I think if you drop that kind of cash on 1 guitar will be having a divorce soon in your family
Hahaha maybe you're right lol!
Nah my wife is pretty cool and she knows that my gigging money goes back into gear. Do no problems there haha.
Right now, I don't like it enough to justify the price tag. Gonna spend some more time on it then I'll see... maybe the 699 one would be just as good. They are hard to find. I canxt find a used one anywhere..
I think country sounds better with the brighter pickups in the telly.
But I wouldn't spend $1,300 on any guitar.
I'm leaning that way too😀
PERSONAL OPINION: The Revstar really is a good looking guitar, with GREAT specs and craftsmanship! (Stainless steel frets on the higher end models too, if memory serves me correctly!) HOWEVER, for us mere mortals who don’t play music professionally or aren’t professional collectors like Joe Bonamassa, I say: NOT WORTH IT!!!! But if you truly find a Revstar inspiring to play, then I say at least HOLD OUT FOR A USED ONE at a good price from a reputable seller, and then sell a couple of your other (inferior or lesser played) guitars to help pay for it!!!!!! As for the technical points: The IYV Partscaster does indeed sound slightly brighter than the Revstar, and yet it also doesn’t sound as full or articulate as the Revstar somehow, maybe due to the semi hollow body of the Partscaster? My guess is that the brightness is mostly due to the 25.5” vs 24.75” scale length, and maybe the fact that humbucker-sized P90’s can NEVER sound 100% the same, because even if all the magnets and electrical components are the same, the width of a humbucker is slightly less than the width of a true P90, so there’s absolutely no way it can get 10,000 winds of 42 AWG wire like an original P90 would have. To get in the ballpark, they’ll have to resort to tricks somewhere, like using a mix of 42/43 AWG, or compromising slightly on the wind count.
Yup all good points. Thanks buddy! Good used ones are extremely hard to find around here...
I don’t think you have the new revised version 2022 if it is army green it must be a 2015 design. The new version is a very good guitar with very good build quality
You're absolutely right! I misunderstood my buddy who lent me the guitar... he said he bought it 7 months ago, which he did but he got it used... I understood it was 7 months old so assumed it was a 2023 or 2022 model lol! Yeah pretty sure the new versions are way better! I actually ordered a brand new Element version. They are the cheapest of the Revstar line but here in canada after taxes they are still $798 CAD dollars. For me to keep it, it will have to be twice as good out of the box as my budget (300-400 dollar) guitars or it's going back. No way I'm paying $800 for a budget quality guitar. So I'm expecting to be wowed! Hahaha
@@j-man9457 yea I wasn’t sure at first seeing you play it but then I thought army green I don’t think they offer that color on the newer models. I ordered a standard in hot red ruby w P90s it should be here on 11/8 pretty excited. Now I need to practice more to play better like you👍🏻
@@2shoestoo ohhh that sounds like a sweet guitar. The Standards here are $1265.00 after taxes. Too much money for something I'm not sure I'll even like... aim higher, trust me you don't want to play like me! There are much better players out there to copy 😄
Let me know how you find the Standard😀
The Partscaster sounded better.
It is pretty impressive isn't it!
Still pondering! Hahaha
Where is the serial #s located on these?🙄
Not really sure, but I think it's printed behind the headstocck!
@@j-man9457
😎👍
Thanks, but nope...?
Can't seem to locate it anywhere on the guitar...🤔
😎✌👍❤🖖
@@richardlynch5632 hmmm what year is it, do you know?
@@j-man9457
😎👍👍
It's an October, 05, 2022.
I have the serial # as it is on my receipt, but can't find it ANYWHERE on the guitar itself...?🤔🤣🤣
😎✌👍❤🖖
@@richardlynch5632 hmmm that is strange! Maybe in the upper pickup cavity where the set neck comes in??
Definitely don't buy, you get a used American Tele for under 1k, it'll last you for life, and all the parts will be top notch.
Yes good point!
Thanks for watching!
I don't understand your price............A Standard is $799.00 and the Pro is 1900.00 How did you get a pro for a grand?
Sorry I'm speaking CAD! The Element line here is 799, the standard line is 1100 and the Pros are 2700 (in Canada)
This one is the Standard....
Oh thanks for the answer.@@j-man9457
Honestly I think your IYV sounds better than that revstar
Hey Louis, thanks for your comment, I was thinking the same haha!
For that kind of $ you can put together something better yourself!
Well thanks for the vote of confidence😆
Your guitar is much better sound !
Yup thanks... I did not buy the Yamaha😃