REVISED - Yamaha RevStar 620 Burnt Charcoal

What's Hot
MrBumpMrBump Frets: 1244
edited April 2016 in Guitar Reviews
Got this because - firstly I love Yamaha, and think that they produce some excellent instruments - and secondly because I was in the market for a Gibson-y guitar, as I'm mostly a Fender-y player.

The Pro's:
  • Really well built - can't see any flaws, lovely binding, no glue splurges or paint blemshises
  • Feel is great - very Gibson-y, although I like the wrap around bridge much more than I like Gibson TOM style bridges.  It feels nicer under the hand.
  • Finish - I think it's a love it or hate it thing, but the matt top is really lovely - subtle maple under charcoal.  Really, really good.  It's going to "relic" quickly though!!!
  • Neck - chunky!  I like a chunky neck, and this one feels positively chubby, particularly as you move up the fretboard.  Really comfortable though.
  • Resonance - this is really spectacular - you can feel the top vibrate really, really powerfully when strumming.  It has a superb acoustic quality to it.
  • Sound - pros and cons here.  Pros are that it does what I wanted it to - it's a meaty, middy and Les Paul-y.
Cons:
  • Nut - plastic (I think) and not great.  Tuning stability suffers from this.  I'll replace with Tusq or somesuch when I can be arsed.
  • Frets - these are a wee bit pronounced under the neck binding.  Not a huge issue, but I guess a sign that not huge amounts of time were spent on the guitar.
  • Dry Switch - thought I'd love this - when I tried one out in the Yamaha shop I could think of loads of applications.  Now, at home and playing through my own rig, I'm not so sure.  I don't think that the tonal change will be significant enough to be useful in a practical sense.  However, I've only had it a few days, and that could change.  It would have been perfect with some kind of active bass cut/treble boost affair.
  • Sound - not really a con as such, but the pickups are a little hot for my tastes.  For me, the guitar lends itself to a vintage tone - given the acoustic properties of the thing, I think it's crying out for some vintage PAF style pickups.
Overall, this is a superb guitar.  It's a real workman type instrument - not flashy - exactly my sort of thing.  

==EDIT==

OK, so last night I rehearsed with this guitar for the first time, and I thought I'd correct some of my first impressions.

The Dry Switch - actually, at rehearsal volume, this control is EXCEPTIONALLY useful.  My set list goes from quite thick and grungy tones through to sharp, cleanish, trebly comping, and the dry switch allows this brilliantly, as long as you're set relatively bright on the amp (which I usually am) and the volume is high.  It's really good - only one drawback is that it's actually fairly tricky to pull the knob out (as it were), and I found myself a second behind adjusting it on the fly.  That's not a huge criticism, but I'd actually prefer it - and I think it would be more practical - to have a mini switch to engage the circuit. 

At volume, tonally this is completely Les Paul territory.  It's thick, rich and middy.  Clean notes have real thickness & substance, and the dirty tones are chewy and awesome.  I was concerned initially that the pickups were too hot - I don't this this is true now (or maybe I'm being less of a wuss), they're actually very responsive, saturated notes bloom nicely under gain.

I was more than happy with the guitar when I bought it - I'm now over the moon giving how it sits in my band.

==EDIT==

This is me playing it.


Mark de Manbey

Trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/72424/
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • Great vid! Interesting review too. Quite like the look of these RevStar guitars.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    How long have you had the guitar Mark?
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • MrBumpMrBump Frets: 1244
    Roland said:
    How long have you had the guitar Mark?
    It arrived on Monday.

    :)

    Monday was a great day - this rocked up, as did my Fender Rumble 500 bass amp, which is what I'm using for the bass track on that clip.  Stunning amp!
    Mark de Manbey

    Trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/72424/
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    Good review, Sir. I played a 620 at the Guitar Show, and didn't make as detailed an assessment as you have (I didn't notice things like nuts & frets for example), but my take on the Dry Switch was:

    First usage - wow this is different ... go on playing for a bit, get used to it being that way, then press it again to reset it, and - wow this is different ... go on playing for a bit, get used to it being that way, then press it again and ... loop until cows come home. I couldn't work out which way you were supposed to have it for comping and which way you were supposed to have it for soloing. It was just nicely different each time I used it.

    You'd probably notice which way round it should be if you were playing with a rhythm section though.
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ewalewal Frets: 2558
    The Dry Switch is the Yamaha take on the Reverend Bass Contour control which really does extend the versatility of their guitars.
    The Scrambler-EE Walk soundcloud experience
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Bit of necromancy.

    @MrBump do you still have this and if so how's it going? 

    Ta  
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • MrBumpMrBump Frets: 1244
    Yep, still have it, going great.

    Still fulfils my Gibson-y urges, more SG than LP.  I'm much more of a single coil person, but when I need that thick HB sound it's a great guitar to reach for.

    Been completely stable, no finish issues, still dead comfortable to play. 

    Cracking workhorse of a guitar.
    Mark de Manbey

    Trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/72424/
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Cheers. 
    I have a black LTD which in theory is my humbucker guitar but I never get on with the single cut shape and it’s essential cheapness shines through. The dry switch should make this a bit more versatile to boot.
    I’m not really sure where I can even try one locally but it’s very much on my mental shopping list. Ta. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.