“The Revstar is doing really well right now. I think that’s because it’s so different to what other major brands like Gibson and Fender are putting out”: Inside 60 years of Yamaha guitars – how the Japanese firm forged its own six-string path

Yamaha 60th Anniversary RSP20B and RS02CB Chris Buck.

Yamaha is a bit of an anomaly compared to all the other gear brands you’ll read about in Guitar World. The company’s history stretches all the way back to 1887, when reed organ manufacturer Nippon Gakki Co. was established by Torakusu Yamaha.

At the turn of the century, they were responsible for the very first pianos made in Japan. By the mid-’50s they were at the cutting edge of motorcycle design, which led to their expansion into a number of motor-related industries, including boats, generators and robots.