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Yamaha RSE20
Yamaha RSS02T
VS
Playability
80
Sound
66
Build
54
Value
77
Score
67
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Playability
80
Sound
74
Build
65
Value
78
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Yamaha RSE20 vs RSS02T

Reasons to Get
Yamaha RSE20 over RSS02T

Pickup Mods
High-Pass Filter vs Boost
Attenuates the bass for a less muddy tone
Pickups
HH vs P90P90
High output without hum

Reasons to Get
Yamaha RSS02T over RSE20

Country of Manufacturing
Indonesia vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Pickups Brand
Yamaha vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickup Mods
Boost vs High-Pass Filter
Increases the output of the pickup
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
P90P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Value Score
78 vs 77
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Yamaha RSE20 vs RSS02T

Bridge Pickup
VH3b vs VP5b
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
VH3n vs VP5n
Different Neck Pickup

Shared Features
Yamaha RSE20 vs RSS02T

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.827'' (21mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.941'' (23.9mm)
Same neck comfortability
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
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
Type of Frets
Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Weight Relief
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Nut
  • 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 RSS02T is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Yamaha RSE20's 67 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha RSS02T wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Yamaha RSE20 has the upper hand when it comes to.

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?

Both meet 5 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

Yamaha RSE20
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • 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.

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 >

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 Both

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: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Yamaha RSE20 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 Yamaha RSE20. 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 Yamaha RSE20 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

Both give you different pickup mod options.

The Yamaha RSE20 offers 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.

On the other hand, the Yamaha RSS02T comes with the following: 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.

Yamaha RSE20 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Yamaha RSE20'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: Yamaha RSS02T.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Yamaha RSE20
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 66
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 Yamaha RSE20 compares to the Yamaha RSS02T.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Yamaha RSE20 is built in China while the Yamaha RSS02T is made in Indonesia.

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.

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: Yamaha RSS02T

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: 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. Both come with 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
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
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

Yamaha RSE20
Quality of materials 46
Features 60
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 54
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

Yamaha RSE20 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 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

Yamaha RSE20 and Yamaha RSS02T's Scale Length
Both have the same 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.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

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

Yamaha RSE20 Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same 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 Yamaha RSE20 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

Yamaha RSE20 Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Yamaha RSE20 and the Yamaha RSS02T have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

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 .

Yamaha RSE20:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha RSS02T:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Yamaha RSE20 and Yamaha RSS02T Frets Size
Both have a similar Jumbo fret size

Both have a Jumbo fret size. This is one of the tallest frets you can get. You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. It will give you the best sustain and all types of chords will be easier to play. However, you can end up changing the pitch of your notes if you press too hard, which is something people used to feeling the fretboard do when trying Jumbo frets for the first time.

Final Playability Scores

Yamaha RSE20
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 80
Yamaha RSS02T
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 80

Specs Side-by-Side

Yamaha RSE20 vs RSS02T
General Yamaha RSE20 RSS02T
Brand: Yamaha Yamaha
Year: 2022 2022
Configuration: HH P90P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China Indonesia
Series: REVSTAR REVSTAR
Colors: White, Black, Blue, Yellow Black, Blue, Red, Yellow Burst
Left-Handed Version: Yes No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Chambered Mahogany Top: Maple / Back: Chambered Mahogany
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Die-Cast Die-Cast
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: 3-Piece Mahogany 3-Piece Mahogany, Carbon Reinforcement
Decoration: Dots Lines
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Revstar C Revstar C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.827'' (21mm) - 12th Fret: 0.941'' (23.9mm) 1st Fret: 0.827'' (21mm) - 12th Fret: 0.941'' (23.9mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: VH3b (Humbucker / Passive) VP5b (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: VH3n (Humbucker / Passive) VP5n (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: High-Pass Filter Boost
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1