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D'Angelico Premier Mini DC
Yamaha RSS02T
VS
Playability
70
Sound
62
Build
62
Value
70
Score
65
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Playability
80
Sound
74
Build
65
Value
78
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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D'Angelico Premier Mini DC vs Yamaha RSS02T

Reasons to Get
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC over Yamaha RSS02T

Type of Frets
Medium vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs P90P90
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
14'' (355.6mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Yamaha RSS02T over D'Angelico Premier Mini DC

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2022 vs 2021
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickups Brand
Yamaha vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickup Mods
Boost vs None
Increases the output of the pickup
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
P90P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 14'' (355.6mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
78 vs 70
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC vs Yamaha RSS02T

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Designed HB-101B Humbucker vs VP5b
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Designed HB-102N Humbucker vs VP5n
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ovangkol vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC vs Yamaha RSS02T

Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Frets

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Yamaha RSS02T is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's 65 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha RSS02T wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC in every aspect.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Yamaha RSS02T is the better choice.

The Yamaha RSS02T meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha RSS02T
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC Overview

  • From D'Angelico's 2021 Premier series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 14" Fretboard Radius
  • Laminated Maple body
  • Maple neck
  • Ovangkol fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Designed HB-101B Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Designed HB-102N Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Chrome Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • C-Shape Set neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Grover 109 Super Rotomatic tuners
  • Weight between 7lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.5lbs (3.4kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha RSS02T Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2022 REVSTAR series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Top: Maple / Back: Chambered Mahogany body
  • 3-Piece Mahogany, Carbon Reinforcement neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: VP5b (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Revstar C Set neck
  • 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Die-Cast tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ovangkol wood pattern used for guitar building
Ovangkol

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Ovangkol is a beautiful wood that's popular for acoustic guitars. Its tone sits somewhere between rosewood and mahogany, meaning it has a punchy low-end and nice mid-range. Find out more about Ovangkol.

Woods Used in the Yamaha RSS02T

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Yamaha RSS02T.

Pickup Configuration

The D'Angelico Premier Mini DC has an HH configuration while the Yamaha RSS02T has P90P90 pickups.

Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

On the other hand, P90P90 gives you two P90s for a crunchy vintage tone. The tone sits somewhere in the middle between typical single-coils and humbuckers. They also produce less hum than single-coils, but they don't cancel it completely like humbuckers.

Pickups Quality

The Yamaha RSS02T pickups from a more specialized brand than the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Blues and similar genres.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Yamaha RSS02T.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Yamaha RSS02T gives you 5 switch options while the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC gives you 3. This means that the Yamaha RSS02T gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Yamaha RSS02T comes with some kind of pickup modification: Boost.

A Boost will give your pickups more output, similar to an active pickup. It's great if you like to use a lot of output for heavy genres, but also like to use a cleaner tone often.

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC pickups switch and push knobs diagram
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's switch options
Yamaha RSS02T pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Yamaha RSS02T's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: D'Angelico Premier Mini DC.

Final Sound Quality Scores

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC
Pickups 60
Sustain 65
Versatility 63
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 62
Yamaha RSS02T
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 74

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC compares to the Yamaha RSS02T.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Plastic nuts. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

In this comparison, the Yamaha RSS02T is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Yamaha RSS02T.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

On the other hand, the Yamaha RSS02T's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's are Grover 109 Super Rotomatic while the Yamaha RSS02T's are Die-Cast

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha RSS02T
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Boost Pickups
  • Weight Relief
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC
Quality of materials 56
Features 60
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 62
Yamaha RSS02T
Quality of materials 66
Features 60
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 65

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC Nut Width
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC Nut Width
Yamaha RSS02T Nut Width
Yamaha RSS02T Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 1mm (0.038'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's Scale Length
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's Scale Length
Yamaha RSS02T's Scale Length
Yamaha RSS02T's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The D'Angelico Premier Mini DC has the longest scale: 25". The Yamaha RSS02T is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.25'' (6.4mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC Neck Profile
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's neck profile
Yamaha RSS02T Neck Profile
Yamaha RSS02T's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC and the Yamaha RSS02T have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC Fingerboard Radius
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha RSS02T Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha RSS02T's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Yamaha RSS02T's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha RSS02T:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC Frets Size
D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's Frets Size
Yamaha RSS02T Frets Size
Yamaha RSS02T's Frets Size

The Yamaha RSS02T has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the D'Angelico Premier Mini DC's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Yamaha RSS02T
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 80

Specs Side-by-Side

D'Angelico Premier Mini DC vs Yamaha RSS02T
General D'Angelico Premier Mini DC Yamaha RSS02T
Brand: D'Angelico Yamaha
Year: 2021 2022
Configuration: HH P90P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Premier REVSTAR
Colors: Black Black, Blue, Red, Yellow Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Laminated Maple Top: Maple / Back: Chambered Mahogany
Bridge: Chrome Tune-O-Matic Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover 109 Super Rotomatic Die-Cast
Fretboard: Ovangkol Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple 3-Piece Mahogany, Carbon Reinforcement
Decoration: White Pearloid Block Lines
Scale Size: 25" 24.75"
Shape: C-Shape Revstar C
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 14" 12"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan Designed HB-101B Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) VP5b (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Designed HB-102N Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) VP5n (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: None Boost
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1