Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20 Chambered Electric Guitar Black
A modern take on the Les Paul formula. Chambered mahogany body, maple top, and Yamaha's proprietary VH5 pickups with a 'focus' switch that shifts your tone's resonant frequency.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Yamaha's focus switch actually works—shifts your tone's resonant frequency and supercharges pickup power for dramatic tonal shifts
- +Three-piece mahogany neck with carbon fiber reinforcement feels road-tough and stays stable
- +Five-way selector provides surprising versatility, including phase-shifted sounds in positions 2 and 4
Cons
- −Larger body size takes adjustment if you're coming from smaller guitars
- −Single volume/tone per pickup configuration differs from traditional Les Paul layout
The Verdict
The Revstar RSS20 is Yamaha proving they understand what makes a modern rock guitar work. If you’ve spent years saying ‘almost a Les Paul’ about other guitars, stop. This is as close as you’ll get without paying what a real Les Paul costs.
The chambered mahogany body with maple cap isn’t just prettier—it resonates differently than a solid slab. You get that lively, resonant tone with punch that cuts in a band mix. The VH5 pickups are bright and clear, delivering strong fundamental tones that excel in almost any sonic application from clean to crunchy overdrive. Pair that with the focus switch and you’ve got dramatic tonal range from a single instrument.
Café racer DNA might sound like marketing, but it translates to a guitar that feels more like an instrument than a showpiece. The carbon fiber-reinforced neck handles tour demands, and the rolled fingerboard edges make extended playing sessions comfortable. At $930, you’re getting set-neck construction and pickup quality that justifies the price. Rock and alternative players specifically will appreciate how this screams. It’s not a Legendary score because it lacks some of the vintage warmth of actual Les Pauls, but it’s genuinely the best modern alternative in its price range.
