Yamaha Revstar RSE20 Swift Blue
The Yamaha Revstar RSE20 offers strong value, comfortable playability, and usable clean-to-gritty tones. Its dry switch and neck pickup are less convincing than the rest of the package.
★★★★★ 5/5 · 3 buyer reviews · 6 min read · updated 2026-10-07 · Tested by Cal Whitaker
Yamaha Revstar RSE20 Swift Blue review
The Yamaha Revstar RSE20 Swift Blue pairs a chambered mahogany body with a set-in mahogany neck and two Alnico 5 humbuckers. Its specifications are straightforward, but owner feedback points to a guitar that feels well finished and arrives ready to play. At a listed price of 442, it draws attention from players looking for a versatile electric guitar without moving into a much higher price bracket.
The Swift Blue finish gives the guitar a distinctive look, complemented by a three-ply cream pickguard and chrome hardware. The body has no separate top, and its internal chambers distinguish its construction from a solid, unchambered mahogany body. Owners describe the finish as attractive and the overall workmanship as good for the price. One particularly positive detail is the satin-feeling back of the neck, which a player found comfortable under the hand.
Construction and playability
The three-piece mahogany neck is set into the body rather than bolted on. It carries a rosewood fingerboard with white dot markers and 22 jumbo frets. The scale length is 629 mm, or 24.76 inches, while the fingerboard radius measures 305 mm, or 12 inches. Nut width is 41.9 mm, and the listed neck thickness is 21 mm at the first fret and 24 mm at the twelfth.
Those measurements describe a compact scale and a neck that grows thicker toward the body. In practical terms, the instrument should be worth trying in person if neck profile is a major factor in a purchase. The available player feedback is more decisive about the finish and setup: one owner said the guitar arrived perfectly set up, while another found it nearly in tune straight out of the box. That is encouraging, though setup can vary between individual instruments and retailers.
The bridge is a Tune-O-Matic design with a stopbar tailpiece, and the machine heads are die-cast. There is no tremolo system. The supplied strings are Elixir Nanoweb Light, gauged.010 to.046. Neither a case nor a gig bag is included, so buyers who need storage or transport protection should account for that separately.
Pickups and controls
The RSE20 uses two humbuckers, a VH3b Alnico 5 unit at the bridge and a VH3n Alnico 5 unit at the neck. A three-way switch selects the bridge pickup, the combined position, or the neck pickup. The master volume is joined by a master tone control with a push-pull function. Pulling the tone control engages a dry switch high-pass filter.
One owner described the pickups as somewhat neutral, while still finding the guitar capable of both clean and grungier sounds. Another reported getting useful results across the settings, but felt the neck pickup did not improve on the middle position in their playing. That is a subjective preference, not a universal limitation, but it identifies the neck setting as the one to check carefully during a trial.
The dry switch is another point to consider. It changes the tone through a high-pass filter, but one player found the effect of limited practical use and would have preferred a true coil split. The RSE20 does not have a coil-split control, so players specifically seeking that option should look elsewhere or audition this model before buying.
Verdict
The Yamaha Revstar RSE20 Swift Blue has a clear set of strengths: a chambered mahogany body, set-in neck construction, two humbuckers, and a finish that owners praise. Reports of comfortable neck feel and a good out-of-box setup add to its appeal. The tonal range appears broad enough for clean and heavier sounds, although the pickup character may strike some players as neutral.
Its main compromises are specific rather than severe. The neck pickup may not stand out against the middle position for every player, and the push-pull dry switch is not a substitute for a coil split. With no case or gig bag included, protection is an additional purchase. Still, the feedback supplied is strongly positive overall, with multiple owners recommending the guitar and one saying it plays like an instrument costing considerably more. For players drawn to its feel, look, and straightforward humbucker layout, the RSE20 makes a convincing case at its listed price.
Shipping and duties
The retailer ships from its warehouse in Germany. Prices are shown in US dollars and do not include import duties. Orders under roughly $800 usually clear US customs without duty; above that, a duty of a few percent may be collected on delivery. 30-day money-back and a 3-year warranty apply.
Scores by area
Where it shines, where it stumbles
What convinced me
- Chambered mahogany body and set-in mahogany neck feel well finished for the price.
- VH3 Alnico 5 humbuckers cover clean and gritty sounds, with useful results across the three pickup positions.
- Reviewers praise its out-of-the-box setup, satin neck finish, and overall value.
What bugged me
- The push-pull dry switch is viewed by one reviewer as less useful than a pickup-splitting option.
- One reviewer preferred the middle position to the neck pickup.
Is it the right one for you?
Good pick if
A good fit for players seeking an affordable, well-finished electric guitar with a comfortable mahogany neck and versatile humbucker sounds. Also worth considering for players who want a guitar reported to arrive well set up.Look elsewhere if
Less suitable for players who specifically want a true coil-split feature. Players who rely on a strong, distinctive neck-pickup sound may want to compare alternatives first.Suggested level: Intermediate
Specifications
- Color
- Blue
- Body
- Mahogany
- Top
- None
- Neck
- Mahogany
- Fretboard
- Rosewood
- Frets
- 22
- Scale
- 629 mm
- Pickup system
- HH
- Tremolo
- No
- Including case
- No
- Incl. gigbag
- No
What other players say
The available customer comments are strongly positive about the guitar's value, appearance, finish, feel, and setup. Reviewers report that it produces usable clean and gritty sounds, while noting that the pickups can seem neutral and that the dry switch is less appealing than a pickup split. One reviewer also preferred the middle position to the neck pickup.
This guitar is unbelievable for the price, it feels and plays like a guitar that costs twice as much.
Set up perfectly out of the box.
Capable of clean and grungy sounds.
Up close
Watch and listen
Before you decide
Questions players ask
Does the Yamaha Revstar RSE20 arrive ready to play?
Reviewers describe the guitar as arriving well set up and nearly in tune, though individual setup needs can vary.
What sounds can its pickups produce?
The two Alnico 5 humbuckers were reported to handle clean and gritty sounds, with useful results across the available pickup positions.
Does the push-pull control split the humbuckers?
No. The push-pull tone control activates a dry switch high-pass filter. A reviewer would have preferred a true pickup split.
Is a case or gig bag included?
No. The listed specifications say that neither a case nor a gig bag is included.
What is the scale length?
The scale length is 629 mm, or 24.76 inches.
The last word from the bench
At its listed price, the RSE20 makes a strong case with a chambered mahogany body, a well-finished neck, and a setup that reviewers found ready to play. Its two humbuckers deliver useful clean and gritty sounds, though one reviewer found the neck pickup less appealing than the middle position. The push-pull dry switch adds a high-pass filter rather than a pickup split, which may disappoint players seeking a more dramatic tonal change. It is a solid choice for players who value finish, feel, and broad everyday usability at this price.
Hanging next to it
Yamaha Revstar RSE20 Swift Blue
Today's price and delivery time are shown at the retailer.
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