What actually goes into the design and making of a brand new guitar design? When it’s a large company who produces a high number of guitars, the work involved must increase accordingly. All-new guitar designs are not easy things to break onto the international market, as many manufacturers will attest. We guitarists are a contrary bunch: we always ask for newness and innovation, but routinely return to the same classic designs. We are not easy people to please!
Those were my thoughts and assumptions as I considered Yamaha’s Revstar guitar range. They are a rare case of those contradictions - new and somehow familiar - working out and succeeding. Afterall, the Revstar celebrates its 10th birthday in 2025, and that’s not an age that every guitar design reaches!
It’s obviously resonating with guitarists, and so I wanted to see if I could find out more. I wanted the lowdown of how Yamaha actually go about designing a guitar, about how inspiration meets material reality, and then how that is refined into an object that you pick up in a guitar store and play. It’s a pretty big journey, once you begin to think, and not one we often hear about.
I’m glad to report that Yamaha were happy to help me here, and Yusuke Ota and Dan Stock - both of whom were involved in the Revstar creation process - agreed to answer my questions. Here’s the whole story, along with several exclusive pictures from Yamaha’s archives, detailing the genesis of the Revstar.
Q&A with Yusuke Ota and Dan Stock
guitarguitar: What prompted the notion to design a new guitar in the first place?
Yusuke Ota and Dan Stock: In 2016, Yamaha Guitars was approaching its 50th anniversary, and we felt it was the perfect moment to create an entirely new electric guitar - one that would inspire more players to pick up a Yamaha. That milestone encouraged us to begin the planning and development that would eventually become Revstar.
What is the general process at Yamaha when a new range is commissioned? From inception to final delivery, what are the steps?
We start with extensive market and customer research to understand what guitarists want and what challenges they face. Using these insights, we establish a concept that reflects both the needs of players and Yamaha’s strengths and identity.
From there, we design the instrument: the overall concept, structure, and detailed specifications. We then build prototypes and have them evaluated by professional guitarists and industry experts. These evaluations often lead to refinements - and in some cases, a reconsideration of the concept itself.
This cycle of objective feedback and iterative improvement is one of the most important parts of our process. Once the ideal specifications take shape, we translate the design into a manufacturable form and produce mass-production prototypes to verify quality at the factory. Full production follows, leading to the product’s release.
Depending on the project, this entire process - from initial research to market launch - can take several years.
What was the initial ‘goal’ of the Revstar range?
Our goal with Revstar was to respect classic electric guitar design while offering something with a stronger sense of individuality and lifestyle appeal - something that didn’t exist in our lineup at the time.
We wanted to combine Yamaha’s long-standing innovation, quality, and reliability with design cues inspired by motorcycles, paired with the engineering expertise we’ve built over decades. The aim wasn’t to replace existing guitars, but to present a bold new Yamaha identity for electric guitar players.
Why was the 1960s Café Racer culture so influential in the Revstar design? How did that inspiration manifest in the product?
During our market research, many users associated Yamaha not only with innovation and quality but also strongly with motorcycles. Drawing from motorcycle culture felt like a natural direction for the design.
Among the many styles we explored, the 1960s London café racer scene resonated most. Its stripped-down style, sense of speed, and culture of customisation aligned closely with the individuality and self-expression players seek in a guitar.
This inspiration appears throughout Revstar: the body and headstock shapes, the racing-inspired tailpiece, hardware details, two-tone stripe finishes, and even the tuning-fork badge on the headstock. For us, café racer culture wasn’t just a visual reference-it provided a meaningful design language that helped shape the guitar’s identity and purpose.
Was there a particular type of guitarist or genre in mind for this range?
Revstar was designed for players who see the guitar not only as a musical instrument but also as a form of self-expression - much like a favourite piece of clothing that becomes part of who you are.
It’s aimed at musicians who don’t want to be confined by genre or convention, and who want a guitar that supports a wide range of sounds and personal styles.
Does the name “Revstar” have a specific origin beyond referencing motorcycle revs?
The name does relate to the “rev” of an engine, but during development we were also inspired by the word “Revolution.”
The Revstars were released ten years ago, in 2015. Are there plans to celebrate that with an anniversary model or new designs?
As you mentioned, 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Revstar, and 2026 will be the 60th anniversary of Yamaha Guitars. There may be some exciting news to share regarding Revstar in the future. What we can say for now is that we will continue to evolve the line so that more players around the world can enjoy it for many years to come.
There you have it: from initial inspiration to a guitar line with ten years of success - and counting! As Yusuke and Ota mentioned, there are some developments and celebrations afoot at Yamaha, and we’ll hopefully get the scoop on those when they are revealed. Until then, check out the Yamaha Revstar lineup by clicking the link below, and enjoy one of the most successful new guitar designs of recent years!
