left – FG9R | Proper – Revstar
Yamaha has new fashions of acoustic and electrical guitars which can be Made in Japan. Is it time to purchase one? Let’s discover.
Yamaha is called a frontrunner in inexpensive high quality devices. However they often launch guitars which can be made in Japan with a better degree of high quality assurance and higher-end elements. Yamaha’s workforce supplied me two of those high-end ‘Made In Japan’ guitar fashions to overview: the FG9R (‘R’ for rosewood, additionally obtainable in mahogany), and the Revstar RSP02T (the P90 mannequin). Each guitars supplied for this overview needed to be despatched again to Yamaha.
TLDR model:
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- The acoustic guitar is promoting for $4,100, which places it within the higher-end worth vary of acoustic guitars. Does it maintain as much as opponents in that class? The reply is sure.
- The Revstar is presently obtainable for a little bit over $2,000 on Sweetwater. Whereas that’s nonetheless in a premium pricing class, it’s extra inexpensive than most Gibson fashions in its class. Do you have to purchase this guitar? I don’t assume it will be a foul buy, however I’m much less keen about suggesting it.
Each fashions include premium arduous instances. They’re brown leather-based (or fake leather-based), comparable in type to the instances that Gibson sells with their premium guitars (electrical and acoustic).
The FG9R is a surprisingly loud guitar with a deep, punchy, and bassy sound. The highly effective and booming low-end jogged my memory of a Martin D-28, however it has noticeably extra punch and notice readability than the softer tones of the D28. One other punchy guitar tonally to match the FG9R could be a Taylor acoustic however in a reverse method. The FG9R has readability and energy like a Taylor. The excessive notes are additionally pronounced, however the mid-range is underwhelming whereas that’s the place a Taylor can typically thrive. The mahogany mannequin could also be extra pronounced within the midrange if it’s something just like the Gibson Hummingbird (which can also be mahogany). However, I total just like the FG9R and I believe that anybody who buys it will likely be pleased with it.
The one large draw back of the FG9R is that the tones conflict with each other. Your mileage could differ. I could be heavy-handed once I play sure chord progressions. However in the event you’re not strumming arduous, I don’t assume you’ll ever expertise this.
Some folks could also be reluctant to spend this quantity on a Yamaha, and so they have a motive to really feel this manner. For a very long time, Yamaha has been seen as an inexpensive choice with decrease high quality. This supplies a hidden benefit: touring artists can carry a pleasant guitar on the street with out it being an enormous goal for thieves.
Each fashions really feel value their price ticket, however it’s simpler to suggest the acoustic. The FG9R’s tone appears extra distinctive to me in comparison with the Revstar. The Revstar, whereas sounding and feeling nice, remains to be only a well-made electrical guitar with P90s and could possibly be extra simply replicated by a extra inexpensive mannequin.