Final verdict
Which retro rocker is the right one for you?
It’s bloody marvellous just what you can get for under a grand these days. In fact, it’s getting harder to find a true dud in the sub-£1,000 market. So, yeah, no dogs here then but we do have our pick of the litter.
There’s no getting away from it. The Yamaha Revstar RS720B is a truly astonishing guitar. In what promises to be a barrage of superlatives, we have to tell you that the build quality is superb, the playability outstanding and those pickups are exceptional. It was such a smart move for Yamaha to, er, buck the trend for overwound ’buckers and instead concentrate on lower output in exchange for increased warmth and clarity. The result is a guitar that excels at blues and classic rock tones. The Bigsby just sweetens the pot.
While we like its powerful humbucker sounds and approachable body dimensions, the Mod-friendly looks of the Höfner Verythin are obviously – pardon the pun – targeting a very specific audience. The 60s pawnshop prize style of the Italia might divide opinion, too, yet we love the tone and playability on tap. It really is a good alternative to the ubiquitous Strat and its countless variants. And then there’s the Gretsch. These Korean-made models are so good it’s getting harder to tell them apart from the much more expensive Japanese Professional Series models. Of course, history tells us that a Bigsby is never happier than when it’s bolted to a Gretsch but as all the contenders here can testify, this old timer can take any great guitar and make it even better.