If you are in the market for an electric guitar, you can never go wrong with a Yamaha, especially if it is the Yamaha Revstar RS502T. This guitar series has been popular from the get-go, with a style inspired by the UJM and Norton/Triumph Cafe Racer motorcycles, popularized in the 1960s in London and Tokyo.
Any guitar player who is a fan of these motorcycles will love the look of the Yamaha Revstar RS502T, and not just because it looks fantastic. This guitar has plenty of features that any discerning guitar player would want in a great electric guitar. The best part is getting one of these guitars for well under $1,000.
Keep reading if you want to learn more about the Yamaha Revstar RS502T.
Yamaha Revstar RS502T
The Yamaha Revstar RS502T is a guitar with a unique personality, appearance, sound, and playability. It has beautiful curves and contours and is comfortable to play standing or sitting.
As mentioned in the introduction, this guitar series was inspired by the popular UJM and Norton/Triumph street-racing bikes, and it has a look that is uniquely its own. The Yamaha Revstar RS502T is available in Shop Black, Billet Green, Ash Grey, and Vintage Japanese Denim.
Between the long-standing tradition of engineering excellence in Japan and 50 years of guitar craftsmanship from Yamaha, you know you will be getting a quality guitar for a much lower price than similar guitars from other brands. We say similar because nothing out there quite matches the Yamaha Revstar RS502T.
Who Is This Meant For?
Whether you are a beginner who is just learning how to play the electric guitar or a seasoned musician, you will love playing the Yamaha Revstar RS502T. Once you pick it up, it will feel like an extension of your body. It is loaded with character, and it has all the features you would expect to find on any quality guitar and any great Yamaha guitar.
You are unique, so why settle for anything less than a guitar that is as unique as you are? This distinctive guitar has plenty of power, and the performance is second to none. It has a great tone and is made with only the best materials and parts.
What’s Included?
There aren’t many package deals, so you will likely get only the guitar when purchasing the Yamaha Revstar RS502T. Of course, depending on where you shop, there is always the chance that you can score a deal and get them to throw in a few extras, such as strings, a strap, etc. However, even without the extras, this guitar is worth the price.
Overview of Features
Suppose you are looking for a quality electric guitar that offers exceptional playability, a great sound, incredible tones, and cool looks. In that case, the Yamaha Revstar RS502T may just be the guitar for you.
It is loaded with features that make other more expensive guitars look like beginner models, and it costs a lot less. It has an Alnico V magnet, a German silver baseplate, and plain enamel wire, which gives this guitar a vintage tone with a bit of kick.
Before we talk about the features of this guitar, let’s take a quick look at the specs.
- Scale Length – 24 3/4”
- Neck – Mahogany
- Fingerboard – Rosewood
- Construction – Set-in
- Radius – 13 3/4”
- Frets – 22 Jumbo
- Body – Maple top, mahogany
- Tuners – Die-cast
- Bridge – Tune-o-Matic, aluminum original tailpiece
- Pickups – VP5, vintage output P-90
- Pickup Switch – 3 Position Lever
- Controls – Master volume, master tone (push-pull, dry switch)
Contoured Body
If you are looking for a guitar that will be really comfortable to play, even for several hours at a time, the Yamaha Revstar RS502T may be just the guitar for you. The contours are designed to not only look fantastic but feel amazing. There is a deep belly cut and a hidden forearm contour.
The double-cutaway body is reminiscent of the Gibson SG body shape but with a broader base. The contours for the belly and rib cage make this guitar quite comfortable. In addition, the Yamaha Revstar RS502T has a new neck design that gives you more access to the upper frets.
The tonewood is mahogany, and the top is maple with a gloss polyurethane finish.
Neck
The set-in mahogany neck, with a high gloss finish and medium profile, lets you get some pretty amazing sustains, not to mention comfort and excellent playability. It is a 24.75” scale length, with a rosewood fretboard and white inlays. There are 22 jumbo frets and a 13.77” radius.
Hardware
Like the motorcycles that are the inspiration for the Yamaha Revstar RS502T, you will find some pretty excellent hardware that gives you plenty of performance. The hardware is unique and customized specifically for this guitar. The pickup covers are pretty impressive, and there is a custom floating aluminum tailpiece.
The hardware ensures that you get a great playing guitar; it looks incredible with that race bike aesthetic many people love. The Tune-o-Matic fixed bridge and die-cast tuning machine heads are the ideal finishing touch to this soon-to-be classic guitar.
Pickups
When it comes to pickups, nothing beats the YGD pickups, which are specially wound and made for each individual guitar. When designing this guitar, the luthiers at Yamaha tried over 50 prototype pickups before coming up with just the right combination of base plates, magnets, windings, and wire.
Once these pickups were created, there was no turning back, and the Revstar series came alive.
The Yamaha Revstar RS502T has two P90 VP5 pickups. In addition, there are Alnico V magnets, which give an incredible balance between single-coil and humbucker tones. You get the best of all worlds with these pickups.
Dry Switch
The Yamaha dry switch was explicitly designed for the Revstar series, and it is one of the most versatile switches yet. It lets you have all of the versatility of a coil-split, but the tone is something else.
The dry switch helps to eliminate low frequencies, so you get the clearness of single-coil pickups, but you don’t end up getting the hum and hollowness that split humbuckers are known for. Since the dry switch works for humbuckers and P90 pickups, the tone from this guitar is like no other.
Controls
The Yamaha Revstar RS502T has advanced controls, including a master tone knob with a push/pull function. This will create great tonal shaping, so you will have better clarity and a lot of kick. There is also a master volume knob and a three-way pickup selector switch.
Pros
- Comfortable, contoured body
- The dry switch offers versatility and superb tonal quality
- Priced below $1,000
- Specially designed pickups give a balance between single-coil and humbuckers
- Unique pickup covers and custom floating tailpiece
Cons
- A bit pricey
Conclusion
Buying a guitar is an investment, and when you are making such an investment, you need to know that you are getting the best deal for your dollar. We think that deal is in the Yamaha Revstar RS502T.
It has so many excellent features, and it is the perfect guitar for players of all levels, from beginner to professional. But don’t just take our word for it. Instead, go to your nearest music store and ask to try the Yamaha Revstar RS502T.
