“It plays like something that’s well above some custom shop models”: The Yamaha Revstar is favored by everyone from Matteo Mancuso to Chris Buck – and the affordable Element RSE is a fired-up contender for the best budget guitar on the market

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Black Yamaha R20



(Image credit: Yamaha)

Yamaha has near-unrivaled form in taking its high-end builds to lower price points without sacrificing quality. It’s perhaps best encapsulated by the success of the company’s perennially popular Pacifica builds, which started out as a custom shop design and became one of the world’s leading affordable guitars.

Yamaha Revstar Element RSE20
(Image credit: Yamaha)

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