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Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic
Yamaha RSE20
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Playability
67
Sound
72
Build
70
Value
55
Score
70
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Playability
80
Sound
66
Build
54
Value
77
Score
67
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic vs Yamaha RSE20

Reasons to Get
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic over Yamaha RSE20

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Type of Frets
Medium vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickups Brand
Fender Custom vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Good quality nut with rich tone
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Pickups
P90P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Paint Finish
Aged vs Poly
Paint has been artificially aged
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Yamaha RSE20 over Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic

Weight Relief
Yes vs None
Lighter Body
Release Year
2022 vs 2018
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
Pickup Mods
High-Pass Filter vs None
Attenuates the bass for a less muddy tone
Pickups
HH vs P90P90
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Paint Finish
Poly vs Aged
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
77 vs 55
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic vs Yamaha RSE20

Bridge Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Jazzmaster vs VH3b
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Jazzmaster vs VH3n
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic vs Yamaha RSE20

Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people

Common Strengths

  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic is probably the better product overall with its final score of 70 compared to the Yamaha RSE20's 67 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Yamaha RSE20 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

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 Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic is the better choice.

The Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Yamaha RSE20 meets only 5. 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

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha RSE20
  • 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.

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic Overview

  • From Fender Custom's 2018 Time Machine series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • 2-Piece Select Alder body
  • Rift Sawn Maple neck
  • Round-Laminated Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Jazzmaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • RSD Jaguar/Jazzmaster bridge
  • 1962 Jazzmaster Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium frets
  • Vintage Style tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha RSE20 Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2022 REVSTAR series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Chambered Mahogany body
  • 3-Piece Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: VH3b (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: VH3n (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Revstar C Set neck
  • 22 Jumbo 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 Both

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

Woods Used in the Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Yamaha RSE20

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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.

Winner: Yamaha RSE20.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic has an P90P90 configuration while the Yamaha RSE20 has HH pickups.

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.

On the other hand, 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.

Pickups Quality

The Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Yamaha RSE20. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Jazz 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: Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic.

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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Yamaha RSE20 comes with some kind of pickup modification: High-Pass Filter.

You can use a High-Pass Filter to attenuate the low frequencies and get a less less muddy tone with more clarity. This can be useful when playing in a band, as it helps separate your guitar from the rest of the instruments.

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's switch options
Yamaha RSE20 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Yamaha RSE20'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: Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72
Yamaha RSE20
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 66

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 Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic compares to the Yamaha RSE20.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic is built in United States while the Yamaha RSE20 is made in China.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Winner: Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic

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.

The Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Yamaha RSE20 comes with a Plastic nut. 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.

Winner: Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic.

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.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

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 Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic'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 RSE20'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 Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's are Vintage Style while the Yamaha RSE20'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.

The Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

On the other hand, the Yamaha RSE20 comes with 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: Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha RSE20
  • Expensive Wood
  • High-Pass Filter Pickups
  • Weight Relief
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • 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

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 70
Yamaha RSE20
Quality of materials 46
Features 60
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 54

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

Fender Custom
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 41.9mm (1.65'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's Scale Length
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's Scale Length
Yamaha RSE20's Scale Length
Yamaha RSE20'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 Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic has the longest scale: 25.5". The Yamaha RSE20 is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) 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

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic Neck Profile
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's neck profile
Yamaha RSE20 Neck Profile
Yamaha RSE20'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 Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic and the Yamaha RSE20 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

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic Fingerboard Radius
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha RSE20 Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha RSE20'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 Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha RSE20'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 Yamaha RSE20.

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 .

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha RSE20:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic Frets Size
Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic's Frets Size
Yamaha RSE20 Frets Size
Yamaha RSE20's Frets Size

The Yamaha RSE20 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic'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

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 60
Playability 67
Yamaha RSE20
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 80

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic vs Yamaha RSE20
General Fender Custom '62 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic Yamaha RSE20
Brand: Fender Custom Yamaha
Year: 2018 2022
Configuration: P90P90 HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States China
Series: Time Machine REVSTAR
Colors: Sunburst, Blue, Red White, Black, Blue, Yellow
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: 2-Piece Select Alder Chambered Mahogany
Bridge: RSD Jaguar/Jazzmaster Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Vintage Style Die-Cast
Fretboard: Round-Laminated Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Rift Sawn Maple 3-Piece Mahogany
Decoration: Vintage Clay Dot Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: 1962 Jazzmaster Revstar C
Frets: 21 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 12"
Nut: Bone Plastic
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive) VH3b (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive) VH3n (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None High-Pass Filter
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1