Design Insights REVSTAR

2015 / ELECTRIC GUITAR

GOOD DESIGN AWARD
Red Dot Award
iF Design Award
German Design Award

An inspirational tool for guitarists.

The culmination of 50 years of crafting Yamaha guitars, the lineup offers plenty of color
and finish variations to fit the preferences of different guitarists.

The aim was to make a guitar with a custom feel that is at the same time classic and modern.
Taking design cues from the contemporary café racer motorbikes, the Revstar is stripped of any unnecessary parts
and built with carefully selected hardware, an original tailpiece (RS502T), custom pickups and unique knobs.

The iconic design of the headstock with a tuning fork mark on a metal badge encapsulates the concept of Yamaha heritage.
The symbolic of Japan’s detail-oriented manufacturing ethic is expressed with a precise and refined finish.

The steel wool satin finish of RSP20CR body cap features glossy stripes running lengthwise that together
with a raw copper pickguard and distressed pickup covers contribute to a sophisticated and warm industrial appearance.
The effect propels the guitarist’s confidence with a unique interplay of looks and the feeling of playing a carefully crafted, unique instrument.

Piotr Stolarski: Designer; Yamaha Design Laboratory

Toshihide Suzuki: Designer; Yamaha Design Laboratory

Café racer style and Japanese craftsmanship.

Revstar is the culmination of 50 years of Yamaha's experience and know-how that resulted in a broad lineup of 8 models.
The process of designing the Revstar started by taking a look back at Yamaha's history and extracting the most appealing elements of the brand’s identity. We sought input from a diverse set of minds from around the world—including American artists and British design offices—to help devise a next-generation electric guitar that captures the qualities that we call "Yamaha-ness" and "Japanese-ness."

Special inspiration came from the "café racer" motorcycle that appeared in London in the 1960s as part of the biker culture—seeking faster, cooler custom rides. Outside Japan, motorbikes stand alongside musical instruments as symbols of Yamaha. Just like the modern-looking café racers stripped of unnecessary parts to increase performance, we designed a simple, beautiful guitar with a similar custom-made feel. One of these touches is the shape of the pickguard, which is cut off at the bridge in a way reminiscent of café racer’s cropped fenders.

Careful attention has been paid to every detail, in addition to emphasizing quality and finish that give a sense of Japanese craftsmanship. The "warm industry" colors concept uses fine shades of the quintessentially Japanese rusty gray and rusty red tones for a high quality look. The goal was to achieve both "Yamaha-ness" and "Japanese-ness" in a guitar with great technical specs, as well as a warm feel and finish. We can't wait for artists to pick up a Revstar and enjoy the great sensation of playing this wonderful instrument.