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Reverend Club King 290
Yamaha SA2200
VS
Playability
70
Sound
77
Build
67
Value
71
Score
71
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
73
Value
63
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Reverend Club King 290 vs Yamaha SA2200

Reasons to Get
Reverend Club King 290 over Yamaha SA2200

Release Year
2021 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Hollowbody
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Pickups
P90P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.85'' (21.6mm) vs 0.807'' (20.5mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.9'' (22.9mm) vs 0.874'' (22.2mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Bridge
Bigsby Tremolo vs Fixed
Intense vibrato with a solid arm
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
71 vs 63
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Yamaha SA2200 over Reverend Club King 290

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs South Korea
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
Flame Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Body Type
Hollowbody vs Semi-Hollow
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs P90P90
High output without hum
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.807'' (20.5mm) vs 0.85'' (21.6mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.874'' (22.2mm) vs 0.9'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Bridge
Fixed vs Bigsby 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
13.78'' (350mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Reverend Club King 290 vs Yamaha SA2200

Bridge Pickup
9A5 Bridge vs Yamaha Humbucker/Alnico V
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
9A5 Neck vs Yamaha Humbucker/Alnico V
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Limba vs Maple
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Roasted Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Boneite vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Reverend Club King 290 vs Yamaha SA2200

Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • 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

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Yamaha SA2200 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Reverend Club King 290's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha SA2200 wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Reverend Club King 290 has the upper hand when it comes to sound, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Yamaha SA2200.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Reverend Club King 290
  • Comfortable shape
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha SA2200
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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.

Reverend Club King 290 Overview

  • From Reverend's 2021 Bolt-On series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Korina, Solid Spruce Top body
  • Roasted Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: 9A5 Bridge (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Bigsby B-50 with Roller Bridge bridge
  • Medium Oval Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Reverend Pin-Lock tuners
  • Weight between 7.65lbs (3.5kgs) and 8.35lbs (3.8kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha SA2200 Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2019 Hollow series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Flame Maple top
  • Laminated Sycamore / Soft Maple Center Block body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Yamaha Humbucker/Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Yamaha Humbucker/Alnico V (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Gotoh GE103B bridge
  • SA Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Gotoh SG30 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 Reverend Club King 290

Roasted Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Roasted Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Limba wood pattern used for guitar building
Limba

Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.

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.

Limba is a relatively rare wood that shows exotic tight dark grain stripes. It comes in white or black. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Mahogany but with richer mids. Find out more about Limba.

Woods Used in the Yamaha SA2200

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

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.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

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.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Reverend Club King 290 has an P90P90 configuration while the Yamaha SA2200 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

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Reverend Club King 290 has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

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: Reverend Club King 290.

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.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

Reverend Club King 290 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Reverend Club King 290's switch options
Yamaha SA2200 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Yamaha SA2200'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: Reverend Club King 290.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Reverend Club King 290
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 61
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 77
Yamaha SA2200
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

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 Reverend Club King 290 compares to the Yamaha SA2200.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Reverend Club King 290 is built in South Korea while the Yamaha SA2200 is made in Japan.

South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

Winner: Yamaha SA2200

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 Reverend Club King 290 has a Boneite nut. This is an artificial material made to imitate the favored type of nut: bone. This allows it to sound and feel pretty much like bone, but without the inconsistency of natural materials.

On the other hand, the Yamaha SA2200 comes with 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.

Winner: Tie.

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 Reverend Club King 290's brige is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.

On the other hand, the Yamaha SA2200'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: Reverend Club King 290.

Tuners

The Reverend Club King 290 has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Reverend Club King 290.

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 Reverend Club King 290 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 SA2200 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: Reverend Club King 290.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Reverend Club King 290
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Boneite Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in South Korea
  • 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 SA2200
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Reverend Club King 290
Quality of materials 56
Features 70
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 67
Yamaha SA2200
Quality of materials 70
Features 55
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 73

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

Reverend Club King 290 Nut Width
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 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Reverend Club King 290's Scale Length
Reverend Club King 290's Scale Length
Yamaha SA2200's Scale Length
Yamaha SA2200'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 Reverend Club King 290 has the longest scale: 25.5". The Yamaha SA2200 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

Reverend Club King 290 Neck Profile
Reverend Club King 290's neck profile
Yamaha SA2200 Neck Profile
Yamaha SA2200'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 Reverend Club King 290 and the Yamaha SA2200 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

Reverend Club King 290 Fingerboard Radius
Reverend Club King 290's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha SA2200 Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha SA2200'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 Reverend Club King 290's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha SA2200'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 SA2200.

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.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Reverend Club King 290 favors large hands more than the Yamaha SA2200.

Reverend Club King 290:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha SA2200:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Reverend Club King 290 Frets Size
Reverend Club King 290's Frets Size
Yamaha SA2200 Frets Size
Yamaha SA2200's Frets Size

The Reverend Club King 290 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Yamaha SA2200's Medium Jumbo 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

Reverend Club King 290
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 80
Playability 70
Yamaha SA2200
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Reverend Club King 290 vs Yamaha SA2200
General Reverend Club King 290 Yamaha SA2200
Brand: Reverend Yamaha
Year: 2021 2019
Configuration: P90P90 HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: South Korea Japan
Series: Bolt-On Hollow
Colors: Black, Blue, Sunburst Burst Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Hollowbody
Body Material: Korina, Solid Spruce Top Laminated Sycamore / Soft Maple Center Block
Bridge: Bigsby B-50 with Roller Bridge Gotoh GE103B
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Reverend Pin-Lock Gotoh SG30
Fretboard: Rosewood Ebony
Neck Material: Roasted Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Dots Mother of Pearl Blocks
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Medium Oval SA
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) 1st Fret: 0.807'' (20.5mm) - 12th Fret: 0.874'' (22.2mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 13.78"
Nut: Boneite Bone
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: 9A5 Bridge (Single Coil / Passive) Yamaha Humbucker/Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: 9A5 Neck (Single Coil / Passive) Yamaha Humbucker/Alnico V (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 2 2