A comparison of The Yamaha RGX and RGZ Custom and Standard

A Yamaha collector from Belgium Thiery Vercammen has written to me about the striking similarity between the RGX and RGZ Custom and Standard models. This resulted in an exchange of emails and some investigations. It would seem that these are almost the same guitar so I have done comparisons see below. These RGZ models appear in the 1990 western catalogue but not the Japanese catalogues. These RGX models are in no catalogues that I can find. None of these appear in the Yamaha Archives. I do know that these models were produced at around the same time 1988 to 1990. I know the RGZ to be export models and suspect, but have no proof that the RGX models are domestic.

Yamaha RGX and RGZ Standards

These guitars were both made in Taiwan.

In all cases the X is the first picture.







Hard to read but both say Made in Taiwan

The obvious differences are the matching headstock, the colours, the slightly different 12th fret markers and the pickups but it may be just a different way of describing the same or very similar pickups.

The RGX and RGZ Customs

Both of these are made in Japan


Update December 2022
Dan Meyer from California has sent me some pictures of his RGX Custom, which he bought new around 1989. It has Made in Taiwan stamped on it, so once again we have Yamaha Models made both in Japan and Taiwan. The serial number dates it to January 1989. So at the same time as they were being made in Japan. Thanks Dan

Both these say Made in Japan

Here the differences seem to be completely different pickups and controls, different 12 Fret Markers. So cosmetically similar but not electronically.