The RGX 600 range page 1

This is a huge range there being at least 25 different models and deciding how to split them is difficult so this may be a bit arbitrary. There are 2 sets of guitars with pickup configurations that appear only on a few models the 603 has only two models and the 610 three so we can treat those as two groups. There were a number of models appeared in Japan only from 1986 to 1989 or so and again they can be grouped together. The rest I will just see what happens.

The RGX603

There were 2 of these both Made in Taiwan and appearing in Western Catalogues in 1987 and 1988 they were discontinued in 1989.

603S


603A

The 603S was launched in 1987 and appears in the 1987 western catalogue but not in any Japanese ones I can find. The 603A is in the 1988 western catalogue and again I can't find it in the Japanese catalogues. Both guitars did not continue beyond 1990. They were probably not sold in Japan. The 603A has the Spectrum Drive active control system see the 1200 export page for more detail

The headstock they are both the same except obviously for the model name

The RGX single pickup models

There are three of these documented the 610S (plus the SM just a Maple neck), the 610M and the 610R. However I have seen a guitar that appears to be a 610M with just 610 on the headstock, this was in a Japanese auction. The 610M is made in Taiwan and appears in Western catalogues, the other two are made in Japan and don't appear in western catalogues. They were all released in 1987 and were only made in that year. The M and R are both described as limited editions, this is a bit strange because the M is a lot more common than the other two. It could be the M was domestic and export and the other two domestic only. With the usual Yamaha consistency the headstock on the S says special edition the M doesn't.

Comparison of the three headstocks

From the top an M, an R and an S

Update November 2021
Sergei from Russia has sent me some pictures from a Japanese Auction. This shows an RGX610Z for sale. A model not documented anywhere I can find. The headstock is the same as the 610R except for the model designation. The only other models I can find with a Z designation are export models, but if this were the case I would have thought I would have seen one before. I imagine the specs are the same or similar to the 610R but have no solid information other than the pictures. If anyone has any info I would appreciate it. The serial number reveals it is made in Japan in the late 80s so same era as the other 610 models.

The Pictures

RGX 611S 612D 612R

These three quite similar guitars were all launched in 1987 and produced for less than a year, obviously the 611 has a different pickup configuration that the other two but is otherwise similar. I can see virtually no difference between the 612D and 612R except for the headstock design and an extra colour on the D.

The RGX612A, 612S 612A V2 612S V2

The first two guitars were available from 1987 to 1989 the S being released a few months before the A. These appear in the Western Catalogues of the time but not the Japanese leading to the conclusion that they are export models. They also don't feature in the archives which is another sign that they are for export. The 612S V2 and 612A V2 only appear in the 1990 catalogue. Both the A models have the Drive Spectrum Control System. The 612J should have been included here but having omitted it I have covered it on 600 page 3

The headstocks both versions of each guitar have the same headstock.




From the top 612A, 612A V2 note the 12th fret differences nad the 612S