Yamaha Revstar RS320 review

Many lower-end electrics seem to pile on features to make their spec sheets sound that bit more impressive, but the entry-level Revstar keeps things beautifully simple, concentrating on quality. 

Along with the following model, the 420, but unlike the upper 500, 600, 700 and 800 guitars, it’s made entirely from nato, a pretty close cousin of mahogany, found in Indonesia. The slab body doesn’t have any ‘comfort’ contours and there’s no fingerboard or headstock binding, either. 

Like all the Revstars, it’s a Gibson-esque set-neck design; those offset SG- inspired horns and a rounded heel make access to the top 22nd fret a doddle, while the dark rosewood ’board features a slightly flatter-than-Gibson 350mm (13.75-inch) radius and medium-gauge, finely honed frets. 

Like the 420, the 320 features a slightly thinner-depthed neck, which fills out as you get up the dusty end, and retains quite a classic feel as opposed to an ultra-thin ‘speed’ design. 

Hardware is fairly generic but certainly functional, while the pickups, designed by Yamaha and made by Korean giant G&B, aim for a high, but not daft, output with powerful ceramic magnets. 

Consequently, the 320 excels at balls-to-the-wall rock ’n’ roll. It feels meaty and sounds it, too, from the mid- focused crunch of the bridge to a high- octane saturated neck lead voice. It’s not the most versatile guitar out there, but it’s a lot of fun.