Yamaha Chris Buck RS02CB review: one of the most compelling P-90-loaded electrics on the market
$1,299/£1,199, yamaha.com
When you’re a young guitar player trying to forge their own path, sometimes the weight of 60-plus years of history and baggage tied into classic instruments can weigh you down a little bit.
READ MORE: Yamaha Pacifica SC Professional review – the ultimate in solidbody sophistication?
It was partly for this reason that Welsh guitar phenom and Cardinal Black member Chris Buck decided to swerve the usual suspects and opt for Yamaha’s Revstar guitar when he first burst onto the scene. “I feel like I’m stepping out of their shadows just by virtue of picking up a different guitar,” was Buck’s reasoning at the time.
It’s easy to forget that the Revstar itself is barely a decade old. Despite having carved itself out a niche as something of an underground modern classic thanks to its blend of high quality, affordability and timeless but unique looks, it’s still very much a new kid on the block compared to much of its competition.
It’s high time, then, for the first true Revstar signature model. And with Buck having established himself as the Revstar’s most consistent and beloved champion – having picked his first one up not long after they launched in 2015, and having since graduated to a premium guitar made by the Yamaha Artist Services (YASLA) custom shop in California – what better choice to be the debut honoree?
Image: Adam Gasson
Yamaha Chris Buck Revstar RS02CB – what is it?
The launch of Buck’s signature Revstar was one of the biggest announcements of this year’s NAMM Show – and also one of the most intriguing new electrics of the year. This is because the RS02CB is a pretty faithful recreation of the YASLA guitar he’s been playing since 2020.
Ever since, this pro-ready instrument has accompanied Buck all around the world, playing countless shows, sessions, clinics and everything in between – this is a workhorse guitar for one of the hardest-working and most respected young players in the business. And if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for you… in theory.
Over the last year or two we’ve become used to seeing Yamaha electric guitars pushing the envelope price-wise. While traditionally Yamaha electrics have been priced at the beginner end of the market, there’s little doubt that the brand has some of the finest brains in the business, and are more than capable of turning that skill to making pro-spec guitars for higher-level musicians.
We saw this first with the reimagined Pacifica range that launched at NAMM – guitars that brought every bit of the company’s innovation and know-how to the party but with a four-figure price tag to match.
Image: Adam Gasson
Given that the similarly ballpark Revstar Professional guitars are made in Yamaha’s Japan HQ, you might expect that the Buck version would do likewise, but instead it’s made in Indonesia, just like the Pacifica Standard Plus guitars are.
A little disappointing? Maybe, but we should all know by now that the flag flying over the shop where a guitar is made doesn’t really matter if the craftspeople inside know what they’re doing and are working with great designs and quality materials.
And that’s certainly what you’ll find with the RS02CB. The guitar is built around a set of brand new custom-designed P-90 pickups with Alnico III magnets, which replicate the sound of that YASLA guitar he’s come to rely on so much. These pickups are wired for slightly lower output, meaning greater clarity when played at lower volumes – something that Chris requested himself.
The guitar also features a new one for a production Yamaha guitar, in the shape of an intonatable wrapover tailpiece – as opposed to the various tune-o-matics you usually see on Revstar guitars.
Otherwise it’s very much a case of sticking with the familiar mojo of a Revstar guitar – a chambered mahogany body and neck with carbon reinforcement. The maple top is finished in a classic goldtop shade, and it’s given an extra touch of the classic with a pair of retro-style witch-hat knobs, and split block inlays.
Image: Adam Gasson
Yamaha Chris Buck Revstar RS02CB – build quality and playability
It’s no secret that Yamaha makes some of the most reliable guitars in the business, and the RS02CB is no exception to that rule. Removing the guitar from its gigbag and giving it a very thorough going over, it’s hard to find fault anywhere, to be honest; every seam, every surface is entirely free of marks or other cosmetic quality control issues.
A goldtop with a dark back is a classic for a reason, and in Revstar clothes here it remains utterly stunning in the flesh – striking just the right balance between flair and restrained, classic refinement.
The worst thing about a signature guitar is when it won’t stop shouting about it, thus negating the potential market outside of that artist’s fanbase. The Buck has no such worries on the cosmetic front – the only hint that this is anyone’s signature guitar is a tiny ‘CB’ signature on the back of the headstock.
And that’s very good news, because there’s plenty for any guitarist to enjoy here, even if you’ve never heard a note of Chris Buck’s music. A big part of this is down to the impressively luxurious playing experience that invites you in from the very first strum.
The satin-finished neck feels truly effortless from the bottom of the fingerboard all the way up to the top, while the TonePros AVT2 wraparound bridge sets the strings up for a gloriously low action throughout. The fretwork also deserves special mention here – each of the frets is wonderfully set, beautifully polished and butter smooth. Not something that you can say for every manufacturer at this price point and beyond.
Add to this a relatively flat 12” fretboard radius, and you’ve got a real playground for your fingers – especially if like Buck you’re someone who doesn’t mind busting out a searing lead or two. Unlike a lot of mahogany-maple guitars, the chambering of the body means that this Revstar isn’t too heavy either – around 7lbs – meaning practice sessions are comfortable. Even long ones.
The combination of that wraparound bridge and the silky smooth tuning machines (with Kluson-style green buttons) mean that this guitar stays in tune very well, and any adjustments can be made easily and precisely.
This is a very well-sorted guitar that bypasses any of the adjustment period you normally expect when picking up a new instrument. It’s effortless to pick up, play and slide into the zone with.
Image: Adam Gasson
Yamaha Chris Buck Revstar RS02CB – sounds
As you’d expect from any guitar with a pair of P-90s, the RS02CB comes with all the midrange bite you’ll need for blues and rock riffs. But flip to the neck pickup and your amp’s clean channel and softer styles like jazz are a real treat to play, too.
Part of the reason that Buck and scores of players before him have been drawn to the P-90 is their ability to remain impressively versatile within a seemingly limited framework.
Like other Revstars, the Buck signature has a three-way selector switch, with singular volume and tone knobs, with no push-pull functionality for series wiring, for example. This puts a lot of pressure on the controls here to offer that versatility, and the tone pot especially has an impressive spread that allows you to dial in a broad range of sounds.
But as you’d expect from a player like Buck, the guitar really feels like it’s been designed to ensure that the tonal possibilities come primarily from the player and their picking dynamics. As a result, the pickups are highly responsive to dynamic passages feel truly expressive.
That doesn’t mean this thing isn’t ready to rock, and piling on the gain doesn’t seem to phase these pickups in the slightest.
Image: Adam Gasson
Yamaha Chris Buck Revstar RS02CB – should I buy one?
There’s no escaping the fact that $1,200 is a lot of money for a Revstar – it’s a curse of Yamaha’s own making that you can get a guitar that on first glance looks very similar to this for less than half the price, and that mental leap is something the company is clearly also grappling with in the Pacifica realm too.
But the magic is in the details, and while there’s undoubtedly a lot of competition for this guitar in this price bracket, you’re still getting an awful lot of guitar for the money here. It plays superbly, sounds fantastic and has killer looks that aren’t, as Buck points out, burdened by 70-odd years of history. A fitting milestone for a modern classic.
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Yamaha Chris Buck Revstar RS02CB – alternatives
A lot of the competition for the RE02CB comes from Yamaha’s own line, and if you’re not too wedded to the unique features of the Buck model, you can save yourself over $300 and grab a P-90-loaded Revstar Standard RSS02T ($829.99 / £649). If you’ve got a little more room in your budget, the Gibson SG Special ($1,599 / £1,399) is a tried and true twin P-90 classic, while the Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Double Cut Special ($999 / £999) is another timelessly cool option.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
