There’s a possibility that Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh has become infatuated with the virtuosity of Matteo Mancuso of late, because he’s been seen playing a Yamaha Revstar at a recent show.
The Eagles icon used the underdog guitar – and a mainstay for the Sicilian shred whiz – for a performance of his 1979 solo track, In The City, at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on May 2.
Walsh looks to have opted for the RSP20 model, which has a chambered maple-and-mahogany body, twin humbuckers, and a Passive Focus Switch. Not to mention its sunset-to-dusk styled finish.
He's given it a test drive in front of a massive crowd, with the guitar's cut and warmth particularly heard on the song's wah-laden guitar solo.
Reflecting on the show on Instagram, Walsh later wrote: “I am still a 14-year-old kid from Wichita by way of Columbus and Montclair in the body of a 78-year-old who still can’t believe that I stumbled my way into the greatest job on Earth. This never stops taking my breath away.”
Granted, Walsh has a history of collecting oddball instruments, so Mancuso may not be wholly, if at all, to blame for Walsh’s latest fling.
Late last year, a huge charity auction of his gear raised some mad figures, including $22,400 for a Zakk Wylde Epiphone Les Paul. With it, his penchant for left-of-center axes was resolutely on display; just one look at the Chrysler Building-esque Buzz Feiten Bo Diddley Tribute Gretsch, and a guitar with a Morse code fretboard, tells you all you need to know about what instruments tickle his proverbial pickle.
So, the Revstar’s surprise appearance at the Eagles' latest showing in New Orleans might just be Walsh being Walsh and adding a new toy to his collection. Either way, it’s a big win for Yamaha.
The Revstar was first introduced in 2015, then revamped seven years later. It has found great use in the hands of British blues rocker Chris Buck, who has his loaded with P-90 pickups, and he became the first player to get a signature version earlier this year.
It's no surprise that Mancuso is now the subject of speculation about a signature model, and who knows, maybe Walsh will wind up with one, too…
