VIDEO SECTIONS: 1. What is this guitar made of? (specs and features) 1:20 2. Let's check out some tones! - 5:25 3. The teardown! - 9:16 Considering Cor-Tek (Cort) has probably built half the guitars on the planet (they make guitar models for almost all major brands) I shouldn't be surprised how good this is!
Amazing review as usual! i always enjoy the demo and in depth look you give to guitars. another Guitar that i feel may fly under the radar is the Swope Geronimo. id suggest checking it out if you want!
cort makes prs se guitars and a lot of guitars from ibanez to fender they are actually the largest guitar manufacturer i've been using cort guitar since 2013
Let's clear this up: Cort makes guitars for many brand: PRS, Ibanez, Squier, G&L, Fender acoustic, some Greco's, Tokai's, MusicMan basses. List is long. So for me, it's not a surprise that Cort guitars are really good. I think some parts of Cort guitars you can easily find in other brands, but the name is diiferent. Pickups, tremolos, tuners etc. I noticed that few years ago. The question is: Is it worth overpaying for a logo?
2 years ago I watched a video from you and I decided to start a youtube channel. Now I am about to reach 20.000 subs. Thank you Darrell for the motivation. Keep up the good work! If you ever come to Chile, dinner´s on me :)
As a Cort player myself, I really appreciate when someone reviews any Cort. Most people have a misconception that Corts are cheap, so is their quality. But I find this hard to accept. The hardware, the electronics everything is at par with other brands' expensive stuffs. Sometimes I feel sorry for Cort. TYSM ❤️ for your great review. And for your justice to Corts. Happy Strumming!
Newer players or hardcore brand fanboys tend to favor famous brands. BUT those who are looking for good specs within a budget would find Cort a real bargain. But it don't hold value well, if you are looking for an upgrade in near future and resell it, it's not a good choice. Then again, why would someone on a budget would resell it that fast, it will last for a long time for sure if you chose to hold into it.
I own a cort X1. Its been here for 3 years. Its not much of a guitar, the build is ehh and humbuckers are barely good enough, but their neck, fretboard and machine heads are very solid, i rarely drop in tunings and can hold the tuning for up to a week, and the fretboard doesnt crack despite big humidity changes and are well built. Everything else is okay, its a 150 dollar guitar and for that its a pretty good pick.
@@homemadelemonade976 yeah, those X1, X2, CR100, G100, etc are designed for absolute beginners. But they are priced lower than other beginner LTDs, SGRs and *a few* Ibanez GIOs. As soon as you move up to intermediate level guitars, Ibanez and Cort do the right job. Ibanez starts incorporating IBZs (DiMarzio made) & Quantum pickups in some of their guitars (others have Infinity pickups) and Cort starts EMGs (Retroactives or HZ) in almost all of the guitars, good (great in case of Ibanez) tuning stability, etc. At the same time, you get LTDs and SGRs with stock pickups, 'not too stable' tuning, a pathetic Floyd Rose which is a royal pain in the ass. So Ibanez and Cort are the best bargains, imo. That's where I say, why pay for the brand value.
I'm owner of two cort guitars. A les paul (Cort CR 280) and a super strat (Cort Viva Gold II) and in my opinion they're the best intruments on the market for their price. When i bought my les paul, i compared it directly against a Epiphone Les Paul Standard in black. Not only the Epiphone was boring looking, but it also sounded much darker, muddier compared to the Cort, and it was 2 times more expensive. I bought the Cort without hesitation and one day after opening up the cavities and taking off the pickups to check underneath, i saw that it has a real and very thick maple cap. Though i'm not sure if the flame is a veneer or not, however im sure that it dances along with the light and it looks amazingly beautiful. The Viva Gold i bought used recently for a quite cheap price. The bridge has some issues since its made of cheap materials and the knife edges had been worn out, however once i sharpened them, the guitar was perfectly stable. The finish is decent but satin isnt my favorite one, as its used, has gotten glossy in some areas. The neck took me by surprise, as i expected some kind of thin wizard type neck, but it's a thick as strats, quite comfortable for me since i'm used to them. Tone wise both of them are amazing, the CR280 sounds incredible and when you play classic rock stuff with it, it shines. While the Viva Gold is a versatility machine, handling metal to clean tones like a champ. For the price that they go for, there's no better alternative. Cort makes amazing instruments.
Cort really has turned that ugly duckling (from the 90's and 2000's) into a gorgeous swan. Good On Them....it's great for competition...and i would happily own one at that price.
Abu Narine took me a minute to realize my ears weren't playing tricks and he was actually saying Cort. It really is on a whole different level for their house brand.
last time i saw a Cort guitar was about 30 years ago in a neighborhood music store and they were really just, unplayable junk...3 decades later and i don't recognise them at all, that unit looks and sounds just as good as an Indonesian Ibanez at half the price....amazing and massive congrats to Cort.
It has been for a while, but people keep on not paying attention. I owned a gb94 like 15 years ago and it was just worthy of a two/three time more money bass
My first new, electric guitar was a Cort it had built in effects, this was back in the mid 80's, that guitar was a mailorder thru Sears, it also had highly impressive sound ability,🎸🎼🎶 especially for metal/rock tones.
Come on Darrel, Cort has really good guitars. I had 6 different Cort guitars and basses over the years. Now i have 2 and they are amazing. They produce cheap, affordable and high end instruments. G290 is one of my favorite since it's first release 💜
I'm shocked that you're shocked! :D Cort is an excellent brand that does things that more reputable brands should offer long time ago. I own their bass guitar and I can tell you it's excellently constructed. 3 piece walnut and some African wood neck, Hipshot tuners, Ash open pore body, rock solid bridge, Bartolini pickups, active passive switch, B/M/T. And on top of it, almost all of their models come in left or right-handed orientation which is the most important to me since I'm left-handed.
I’ve owned 2 of these. (I currently own the Bright Blue Burst.) It is pretty much my go-to guitar. Plays great. Versatile sound. And good looking. All I could ask for. And amazing at this price!
Jim And Dee Patton How would you compare the blue burst to the antique burst in appearance? Blue is my preferred colour, but the picks seem pretty lack lustre compared to the antique burst.
James It’s all up to your taste. I had an antique burst and traded it in because I really like blue better, too. And like all guitars that are the same model, some have better tops than others. This is a veneer and so its not going to be “4A”, absolute best possible top. But it is still an amazing value to me.
Man, Cort's house brand stuff has some serious flair to it these days. Their stuff has always been respectable quality, but this is just nice and unique in a lot of little thoughtful ways.
Got myself a second hand Cort, 2 years ago, for 150$CAD, I had Gibson SG, Fender Strat USA, and honestly preferred the feel, action and tone of EMG Hz of my cheap Cort. So definitely, it's not about brand, it's about a guitar.
Cort is the factory where PRS SE editions are made since a PRS SE Santana can be had for $649 pretty easily, and since the SE "Paul's Guitar" is $999 suggested list, your statement is bogus.
@@britishblack PRS moved their overseas manufacturing a couple years ago from Korea to Indonesia. From World Music factory to Cort. Easy to miss if you didn't see their announcement.
Never played one, but my cort bass will be with me forever. I love everything about the build quality, the tone, tge way it plays. This very well may be my next purchase.
Hello Darrel from Spain. I have a Cort-Strat model since 1997 and it's a fantastic guitar and well made (two pieces body): woods (ash, maple, rosewood...), good electronics, nice hardware... Sometimes I thought on a pickups change... but they sound so good.., even it has two ceramic singles, they are built like p90's, bridge one is a Gotoh humbucker (with single/double switch)...., definitively I didn't change nothing... I bought instead a Mexican-Stratocaster..., and I've never regretted. * Cort is working hard on guitars for decades... ->> Nice Channel Darrell
Nice to see you review Cort guitars, they don't invest in advertising but they usually make a good quality/price product, my fav non USA guitar is actually a Korean Cort m600t that I bought as a beginner, turned out to be a great guitar.
The cort g290 2001-2010 were the best !! They were specd like crazy.. I own one 2002 g290: ash bodytop quilted maple, Fretboard roswood with ebolony dots Wilkenson vs50 trem bridge Wilkenson roller nut Seymour duncan usa pickups With push pull to the humbacker Bird eye maple neck .
I own two Cort acoustics. A GA10F and MR600F. Will not trade them for any other guitars. Really nice to see Cort getting good reviews. They make good quality guitars at affordable prices.
I have two acustics from Cort and I love them. An SFX-CED (solid cedar top and solid mahogany back) and a Gold D6 (all solid, sitka ATV top, mahogany back and sides - amazing sound!!). Love them.
The high end models of Cort are really good. I have a top of the line bass with Seymour Duncan pickups & active preamp, Hipshot bridge & turners in an unbelievable price.
Because of your video, I just bought this same guitar from GC. Interestingly they only had two used G290 Fats in the entire country. I found one in Oxnard. There were actually two there, one not listed online that had Seymour Duncan upgraded pickups. Extremely excited for it to arrive. I'll leave another comment about its design as you recommended and the upgrades it magically comes with that I have not even seen yet. I really like your videos. I like to look at lower price level guitars because of affordability for me plus when performing, if stollen or damaged I won't be devastated.
My first ever electric guitar was a second hand Cort G110 HSS, and my only complaint is the wobble in the whammy bar. Otherwise it was great value for money. I have a lot of respect for their acoustic guitars as well.
I have a custom built handmade cort guitar and it's amazing! When people play it they can't belive it's a cort. I payed $750 for it and it can definitely take a round with the high end guitars. It's so easy to play, well built, it's beautiful and it sounds amazing. Which other manufacturers can offer that for $750?
@@J_Abad I bought my guitar about 17 years ago so maybe they don't provide those services anymore? It's the only guitar I've bought from them and it's still a blessing to play so I've never have looked for another guitar. Sorry for not being able to give you better info than that. ☹️
I just ordered this guitar based mainly on this review. It's a stunning guitar. It will be my second Cort. I have some other high end guitars (PRS and a Custom Shop Fender) and I can say Cort does a great job and the value is outstanding.
Large companies contract Cort to build lower-priced guitars that have that company's brand on them. Ibanez, Parkwood, Squier, G&L Tribute series line of guitars are among the most well-known brands that Cort produces.
I've been a fan of Cort for over 12 yrs! I LOVE THEM! My #1 guitar is a 2008 Cort Yorktown in vintage burst, gold hardware. My go-to solidbody is a TS250 back when it first came out (now the CR250) in transparent amber. Not much of an acoustic player, but I have the L100F parlor acoustic w/Fishman preamp, and MR500e dreadnought cutaway. (Yeah, I guess I really DO like the quality of the brand!) I don't own one, but I sold many KX1q's at a music store, too...KILLER! Love the channel!!!!
Electrically and mechanically speaking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with dime-size pots. They work identically to larger pots. Literally the only difference is the size. The only reason people still mistakenly assume they're less desirable is because when cheap import guitars became common in the 80's, the cheap pots inside often just happened to be dime-sized. But the size means nothing with regards to quality, and these days even most cheap imports tend to come with decent pots. It's a complete myth that small pots = lower quality.
After watching this review i managed to pick one up (pre loved) for £300!!!! and i've got to say i agree with Darrell. The guitar is awesome, looks awesome, sounds awesome, plays awesome and i got an absolute bargain. I'm relearning to play again after nearly 3 decades in the wilderness and i haven't put my G290 down yet. It's fantastic. Cheers Darrell for the inspiration.
A really good guitar for under 400 USD guitar. But I'm still divided between this and Pacifica 612, about 50 USD difference. The Pacifica has Duncans and graptech parts. Unfortunately none is available in my town to try it out.
Cort has never been “out of my radar”. I have many demos and comparisons of Cort guitars on my channel. They are getting some much deserved attention. I just hope they keep their prices reasonable after all this great press!🐰🎸🎶🤝✌️
I've had a Cort Flying V since 1986 (the Night Ranger one, lol), played it professionally for many years, I still use it today. They're well made instruments.
@@dbmabe - same here!!! First seconds of the video I was going....finish looks like Eddie's (Van Halen) old Ernie Ball single horn E.B. guitar - freaky! 👍
A guitar tech told me once... "Since Cort manufacturers an enormous percentage of other guitar manufacturers' guitars, you cut out the middle man when buying a Cort branded guitar directly and get the best bang for your buck." He too said Cort guitars are undervalued, and would be twice as much if they had a "name brand" on it. Not sure as to what degree of truth there is to that, but there does appear to be some...
it’s the truth. Cort does make guitars for lots of other companies. I’ve got one and it’s a beautiful, well built and well playing guitar for under 600$.
I saw a g290fat in my local shop when buying strings and said I will take that too! That same guitar in your video the violin burst! It's 1 of those guitars, it looks amazing, it feels great too play! Sounds great! And it could be double the price and still be a great buy!!!
I have been stocking this model for a little over a year now. It is one of my best sellers. Also available in blue. I even have one in my personal collection. Great guitar no matter the price range. Tops can fluctuate a lot though. Some have a lot of flame and some very little.
So I can tell from this guitar’s overall design, Yamaha used to have a guitar in 2002 called the RGX420S that Cort ghost built for them that looks just like this one in terms of design. Same headstock shape, same double cut body, everything. I got it when I graduated high school and it’s still my main go-to, competing against my two Gibsons. I bet this guitar is solid.
The blue one on their site is gorgeous! I'm telling ya... when Schecter, Godin, Yamaha, and companies like Cort and others can put out such quality and so many features are such a great price point, the big boys need to watch out. This will become more and more true as a lot of us nostalgic 40+ people age out. :)
The price tag on a Gibson or Fender makes me say forget it. This Cort looks amazing. $400-800 is the sweet spot for electric guitars I think. My Epiphone Les Paul is pretty damned nice. I can't justify a $3000 guitar. I'd be too afraid to scratch it anyways.
Cort guitars have been quite popular around where I live in Hungary. I have an EVL X6 which I love, but even cheaper models sound and feel great and the price is very-very friendly for the quality.
I had a Cortez Les Paul copy in the 80's and that guitar was kick ass. The body was chambered. the top was bevels up just a bit and I believe it was chambered. The guitar had great sustain.
Biggest take away for me was the superior tremolo design over the strat. How many have you have monkeyed around with the strat tremolo to eliminate it's looseness? With this tight tremolo, one doesn't need to reach for it and there is little to no mechanical play.
I just picked one up today. Looks just like it. Played it for 2 minutes thats it. 👌 bought it immediately didn't even question it. Looks awesome Plays and feels amazing. My new favorite guitar. Easily holds up if not plays better then "high end" guitars I've played in the past
I had always thought Cort made entry level instruments seeing as they're Cor-Tek's own line. The few I have seen were frankly unimpressive. Although I don't like seeing holes around pickups and I'm pretty sure no one was surprised about the top being a veneer, the overall quality made me interested in seeing the rest of their lineup. Great video!
Once again top shelf review - you make the best videos Darrell - now I need one of these Corts and since I am single do not have to ask anybody for permision.. building my collection slowly and you have helped me a lot with that - thanks bud !!! I also am a Canuck !!
I have a Cort CR100 Les Paul, Cort AD880 dreadnought and a Cort G200DX Stratocaster Swamp Ash. For me, the latter (strat, only costs $240) beats the Yamaha Pacifica, and it competes against the middle range Fender guitars. For me it has better twang then Fender, which is 4x the cost.
I bought the GT-290 Fat about a year ago, I got the blue one just to be different, and paid £549 GB which is about $700 US at todays rate and I consider it a real bargain. The dealership threw in a really nice padded case and a few other accessories. As you have said the quality of workmanship is outstanding and I couldn't be happier with it. BTW, you forgot to mention that the saddles are stainless steel. Loved the video so keep it up. Thanks
I noticed there was a dowel in the neck pocket. I also recently restored a Laguna LE400 which also had a dowel in the neck pocket. I imagine it stabilizes the joint between the two body halves and/or stops any crack that may develop in that area? Any thoughts? Thanks
I'd say that about sums it up. When you "plate join" wood, there is usually a biscuit or dowel pins used. But I think what you are looking at may simply be a plug they inserted from drilling all the way through for pickup wiring....If that were a true dowel it would mean that it is running parallel with joint. I've never seen or heard of a plate joining with half rounds cut in each piece intended to be joined. Dowels aren't used that way,..typically they are at a 90 degree location relative to the joint. The biscuits or dowels are probably located strategically. Perhaps there is one between the joint between the bottom of the neck pocket and the back side of the guitar. Who knows.
Wow Darrell thank you so much fo the review and teardown. I was considering to get this guitar (the blue one to be exact) last year, since the price is good. It is around IDR 5,600,000.00 (USD. 385) here in Indonesia. Btw, for those who don't know. CORT is a big brand/factory, it has factories in Indonesia and China. PRS SE, Ibanez, Squier, G&L, etc are some brands made by the Cort factories.
Man! What is it with brand names anyways? I find myself doing it even though my collection would state the opposite. I own a squier classic vibe 50s p bass, a partscaster strat with a homemade ash body (we named our brand “Shaky Hand Guitars (our logo is a jittery hand holding a coffee cup lol)), a fender classic player jag (refinished by me!) and a Japanese lawsuit SG made in the 90s by El Degas. The jag is the only “elite brand” one and even then, it’s just a Mexican mid-tier fender. And yet, I tend to feel a scoff come on every time we see these lower priced brands. It’s awful. I never thought I was a snob about it but I really find myself looking at the big names later and feeling that weird desire to have the genuine thing. I do badly want some of the boutique brands also Lol, but when it comes to say, a strat, I have little-to-no interest in anything non-Fender. How do I reform?! Lmao
Just stop caring what your "contemporaries" say about the decal on your head stock. Probably the best session man in Nashville, Jack Pearson, plays a Squier Affinity Strat! He says its resonance is better than his name brand guitars and he played it all the time with the Allman Brothers Band.
Reform? It depends what you're into. If you like features, just look at all the features you get for the price with lesser brand names compared to the big fancy brands. Particularly when it comes to innovations.
My acoustic gig guitars are a Cort MR Custom Ce, and Taylor 710Ce. Both same tone woods which is why use them (engleman spruce tops, Indian rosewood BnS, mahogany neck and ebony fret boards). The cort is the preferred sounding guitar of the 2. I only bought te Taylor because the Cort Custom Shop guitars were no longer available and the 710 was the closest alternative as a 2nd guitar on stage... love them.
I have a gorgeous Cort Tele with a KOA top !!... it even sounds good...it has a really decent single coil sound and the play ability is reasonably good. With a little massage I made it really good. It was $ 125 !!!!!!
Thanks Darrell. Just letting you know how much I appreciate your videos. Always informative, always professional, always easy to listen to and understand. I know Canadians have a reputation for being nice😁, and you are right up there! Awesome job. Pop on ‘Down under’ at some stage and check out my Country too! 🎸🇦🇺Cheers Graeme in Oz.
I had a Cort LP Custom style from the 90's that felt so amazing I bought it used without plugging it in. Well, it was also only $125. Only the neck pickup was original, but it sounded as good as a PAF to me. Encouraged by that, I've also bought a few dirt cheap Cort S style knockoffs (SP-3 and Custom Pro). I think they're basically the Squiers they also build, just altered a tad. You do need to slightly trim a Fender pickguard around the collar to pop it in as an upgrade, not that they necessarily need it. SP-3 has a great, glassy neck sound stock. I also really liked the neck on a Custom Pro that was set up nicely.
The main difference is in the average stiffness. The small pots tend to turn more freely. I prefer the looser feel of small pots, but a lot of people don't. Tom Anderson uses alpha small size pots, and most people aren't complaining.
This give us the reason why big guitars manufacturer trust PT.CORT Indonesia for making their foreign series like PRS SE and so many other big names. If it's a true maple cap and CTS pots, maybe the cost will increase more. But would love to see that in this guitar. Thnx for tearing this guitar up....love it. So we can see the overall build 👍👍👍
VIDEO SECTIONS:
1. What is this guitar made of? (specs and features) 1:20
2. Let's check out some tones! - 5:25
3. The teardown! - 9:16
Considering Cor-Tek (Cort) has probably built half the guitars on the planet (they make guitar models for almost all major brands) I shouldn't be surprised how good this is!
Amazing review as usual! i always enjoy the demo and in depth look you give to guitars. another Guitar that i feel may fly under the radar is the Swope Geronimo. id suggest checking it out if you want!
cort makes prs se guitars
and a lot of guitars from ibanez to fender
they are actually the largest guitar manufacturer
i've been using cort guitar since 2013
I wasn't expecting veneer at that price point anyway. A thick cap would have been too much to ask for. Still gorgeous though!
Thanks finally you tested a cort guitar. But some people may not have fantastic day or a great day. Except for that you present your video well.
Have you ever reviewed Wolfgang evh guitars?
Let's clear this up: Cort makes guitars for many brand: PRS, Ibanez, Squier, G&L, Fender acoustic, some Greco's, Tokai's, MusicMan basses. List is long. So for me, it's not a surprise that Cort guitars are really good. I think some parts of Cort guitars you can easily find in other brands, but the name is diiferent. Pickups, tremolos, tuners etc. I noticed that few years ago. The question is: Is it worth overpaying for a logo?
I suspect Cort made the korean Hamer guitars too.... i could be wrong on that though.
Exact.
@@nathang1184 theres a McKnight video on YT where he explains Brands. There you go
@@nathang1184 You can find information also on brands forum.
totally agree man
2 years ago I watched a video from you and I decided to start a youtube channel. Now I am about to reach 20.000 subs. Thank you Darrell for the motivation. Keep up the good work! If you ever come to Chile, dinner´s on me :)
Congratulations!!
Good work!
That is awesome!
Grande tío guitar!
Aguante Tío Guitar!!!
As a Cort player myself, I really appreciate when someone reviews any Cort. Most people have a misconception that Corts are cheap, so is their quality. But I find this hard to accept.
The hardware, the electronics everything is at par with other brands' expensive stuffs.
Sometimes I feel sorry for Cort.
TYSM ❤️ for your great review. And for your justice to Corts. Happy Strumming!
well said!
Newer players or hardcore brand fanboys tend to favor famous brands. BUT those who are looking for good specs within a budget would find Cort a real bargain. But it don't hold value well, if you are looking for an upgrade in near future and resell it, it's not a good choice. Then again, why would someone on a budget would resell it that fast, it will last for a long time for sure if you chose to hold into it.
My friends literally says that cort is not well made and cheap, but they didn't even see the more expensive guitars
I own a cort X1. Its been here for 3 years.
Its not much of a guitar, the build is ehh and humbuckers are barely good enough, but their neck, fretboard and machine heads are very solid, i rarely drop in tunings and can hold the tuning for up to a week, and the fretboard doesnt crack despite big humidity changes and are well built.
Everything else is okay, its a 150 dollar guitar and for that its a pretty good pick.
@@homemadelemonade976 yeah, those X1, X2, CR100, G100, etc are designed for absolute beginners. But they are priced lower than other beginner LTDs, SGRs and *a few* Ibanez GIOs. As soon as you move up to intermediate level guitars, Ibanez and Cort do the right job. Ibanez starts incorporating IBZs (DiMarzio made) & Quantum pickups in some of their guitars (others have Infinity pickups) and Cort starts EMGs (Retroactives or HZ) in almost all of the guitars, good (great in case of Ibanez) tuning stability, etc. At the same time, you get LTDs and SGRs with stock pickups, 'not too stable' tuning, a pathetic Floyd Rose which is a royal pain in the ass.
So Ibanez and Cort are the best bargains, imo. That's where I say, why pay for the brand value.
I'm owner of two cort guitars. A les paul (Cort CR 280) and a super strat (Cort Viva Gold II) and in my opinion they're the best intruments on the market for their price.
When i bought my les paul, i compared it directly against a Epiphone Les Paul Standard in black. Not only the Epiphone was boring looking, but it also sounded much darker, muddier compared to the Cort, and it was 2 times more expensive. I bought the Cort without hesitation and one day after opening up the cavities and taking off the pickups to check underneath, i saw that it has a real and very thick maple cap. Though i'm not sure if the flame is a veneer or not, however im sure that it dances along with the light and it looks amazingly beautiful.
The Viva Gold i bought used recently for a quite cheap price. The bridge has some issues since its made of cheap materials and the knife edges had been worn out, however once i sharpened them, the guitar was perfectly stable. The finish is decent but satin isnt my favorite one, as its used, has gotten glossy in some areas. The neck took me by surprise, as i expected some kind of thin wizard type neck, but it's a thick as strats, quite comfortable for me since i'm used to them.
Tone wise both of them are amazing, the CR280 sounds incredible and when you play classic rock stuff with it, it shines. While the Viva Gold is a versatility machine, handling metal to clean tones like a champ.
For the price that they go for, there's no better alternative. Cort makes amazing instruments.
What do you think of the new 2019 g260cs model? I love how it looks, it's fairly cheap, and plays great.
Just when I thought I didn't need another guitar.. it never ends.
Oh please. We all know you didn’t actually think you had enough. 😁
Cort really has turned that ugly duckling (from the 90's and 2000's) into a gorgeous swan. Good On Them....it's great for competition...and i would happily own one at that price.
Do not go to their website and download the catalogue. Don't
Same.
You thought it was over... *laughs*
Cort G250 was my very first electric guitar and I still have it and I'm still lovin' it.
Wow. That's is a very exotic looking guitar... damn, Cort has really stepped it up.
Abu Narine took me a minute to realize my ears weren't playing tricks and he was actually saying Cort. It really is on a whole different level for their house brand.
Cort has had a wicked g series flagship for a while.. there used to be a model with emg sa/sa/89 pickups.. such a smooth player!
last time i saw a Cort guitar was about 30 years ago in a neighborhood music store and they were really just, unplayable junk...3 decades later and i don't recognise them at all, that unit looks and sounds just as good as an Indonesian Ibanez at half the price....amazing and massive congrats to Cort.
Cort takes already existing shapes and gives them their own spin and they do it right. They know how to step things up.
It has been for a while, but people keep on not paying attention. I owned a gb94 like 15 years ago and it was just worthy of a two/three time more money bass
My first new, electric guitar was a Cort it had built in effects, this was back in the mid 80's, that guitar was a mailorder thru Sears, it also had highly impressive sound ability,🎸🎼🎶 especially for metal/rock tones.
sounds like the same i had, probably 1995 roughly. my dad got it used for me one xmas.
Come on Darrel, Cort has really good guitars. I had 6 different Cort guitars and basses over the years. Now i have 2 and they are amazing. They produce cheap, affordable and high end instruments. G290 is one of my favorite since it's first release 💜
How wide is the neck at the nut. Do you think the same or wider than the "universal" 1.65 in?
After watching this video went out and bought this guitar, the best thing I done, this is a keeper. So nice to play.
I'm shocked that you're shocked! :D
Cort is an excellent brand that does things that more reputable brands should offer long time ago. I own their bass guitar and I can tell you it's excellently constructed. 3 piece walnut and some African wood neck, Hipshot tuners, Ash open pore body, rock solid bridge, Bartolini pickups, active passive switch, B/M/T. And on top of it, almost all of their models come in left or right-handed orientation which is the most important to me since I'm left-handed.
I’ve owned 2 of these. (I currently own the Bright Blue Burst.) It is pretty much my go-to guitar. Plays great. Versatile sound. And good looking. All I could ask for. And amazing at this price!
Jim And Dee Patton How would you compare the blue burst to the antique burst in appearance? Blue is my preferred colour, but the picks seem pretty lack lustre compared to the antique burst.
James It’s all up to your taste. I had an antique burst and traded it in because I really like blue better, too. And like all guitars that are the same model, some have better tops than others. This is a veneer and so its not going to be “4A”, absolute best possible top. But it is still an amazing value to me.
Man, Cort's house brand stuff has some serious flair to it these days. Their stuff has always been respectable quality, but this is just nice and unique in a lot of little thoughtful ways.
Got myself a second hand Cort, 2 years ago, for 150$CAD, I had Gibson SG, Fender Strat USA, and honestly preferred the feel, action and tone of EMG Hz of my cheap Cort.
So definitely, it's not about brand, it's about a guitar.
If you are in love with Cort, try this:
Cort CR 300 with EMG Retro-Active Pickups.
The Pickups sound really oldschool !
Beats Gibson Les Pauls easily 😂
@@pranjalsharma3370 t is exactly like that
a lot of guitar for the money
Lol if PRS or Fender had their name on this it would cost 2000 easy..
Actually, that's PRS SE series. They are made by the same company as Cort.
Cort is the factory where PRS SE editions are made since a PRS SE Santana can be had for $649 pretty easily, and since the SE "Paul's Guitar" is $999 suggested list, your statement is bogus.
@@britishblack PRS SE Santana is made in Surabaya/Indonesia, it was Cort's production facility before PRS take a contract with them.
@@britishblack PRS moved their overseas manufacturing a couple years ago from Korea to Indonesia. From World Music factory to Cort. Easy to miss if you didn't see their announcement.
$3600 CDN + 13% HST
I just bought this G290. It's my first and probably only electric guitar. Can't wait until it shows up! Thank you.
Man, this has to be one of the nices sounding HH Strat styles I've heard
Never played one, but my cort bass will be with me forever. I love everything about the build quality, the tone, tge way it plays. This very well may be my next purchase.
This is the golden era of guitars. Seems like you've never gotten this much for your money, and it seems to just get better with time.
Hello Darrel from Spain.
I have a Cort-Strat model since 1997 and it's a fantastic guitar and well made (two pieces body): woods (ash, maple, rosewood...), good electronics, nice hardware... Sometimes I thought on a pickups change... but they sound so good.., even it has two ceramic singles, they are built like p90's, bridge one is a Gotoh humbucker (with single/double switch)...., definitively I didn't change nothing... I bought instead a Mexican-Stratocaster..., and
I've never regretted.
* Cort is working hard on guitars for decades...
->> Nice Channel Darrell
Nice to see you review Cort guitars, they don't invest in advertising but they usually make a good quality/price product, my fav non USA guitar is actually a Korean Cort m600t that I bought as a beginner, turned out to be a great guitar.
I just added this to my Amazon cart. Comes with stand , cable and gig bag. For my son who’s is learning guitar.
Every one of his guitars is absolutely beautiful to me, seriously man. Wow.
The cort g290 2001-2010 were the best !!
They were specd like crazy..
I own one 2002 g290: ash bodytop quilted maple,
Fretboard roswood with ebolony dots
Wilkenson vs50 trem bridge
Wilkenson roller nut
Seymour duncan usa pickups
With push pull to the humbacker
Bird eye maple neck .
MY GOOD GOD THE FINISH ON THIS THING
Garbage there's a blue burst one too and it's even sexier
Every finish is good as long as it’s finished.
- my broke self
I own two Cort acoustics. A GA10F and MR600F. Will not trade them for any other guitars. Really nice to see Cort getting good reviews. They make good quality guitars at affordable prices.
I've had a bit if swamp ash myself ...been very warm here. Nice guitar.
I have two acustics from Cort and I love them. An SFX-CED (solid cedar top and solid mahogany back) and a Gold D6 (all solid, sitka ATV top, mahogany back and sides - amazing sound!!). Love them.
Cort makes great guitars at very reasonable prices, nice review and playing.This guitar would make just about any player happy !
Just waiting for delivery.
Thanks for this. It was excellent.
The high end models of Cort are really good. I have a top of the line bass with Seymour Duncan pickups & active preamp, Hipshot bridge & turners in an unbelievable price.
My goodness, what a stunning guitar!!! You’re right, the specs and details are incredible.
Sounds great mate! 👌 Will have to try to get my hands on one of these beauties
Thanks! Love your killer tracks! 👍
This has got to be the ultimate crossover.
Ooo! Nice to meet you here!
Because of your video, I just bought this same guitar from GC. Interestingly they only had two used G290 Fats in the entire country. I found one in Oxnard. There were actually two there, one not listed online that had Seymour Duncan upgraded pickups. Extremely excited for it to arrive. I'll leave another comment about its design as you recommended and the upgrades it magically comes with that I have not even seen yet. I really like your videos. I like to look at lower price level guitars because of affordability for me plus when performing, if stollen or damaged I won't be devastated.
My first ever electric guitar was a second hand Cort G110 HSS, and my only complaint is the wobble in the whammy bar. Otherwise it was great value for money. I have a lot of respect for their acoustic guitars as well.
So pleased to see guitars priced sensibly being given some promotion
Man that sounds clean. Also you're a better guitarist than most that do demos.
God that sounds absolutely brilliant! Very round cleans and the pickup positions all sound great. Great sounding trem too.
Great sounding guitar! Love the additional tonal options with positions 2 & 4!
Mine was unspectacular and due to get moved on until I changed the pickups, _now_ I really love it.
I have a custom built handmade cort guitar and it's amazing! When people play it they can't belive it's a cort. I payed $750 for it and it can definitely take a round with the high end guitars. It's so easy to play, well built, it's beautiful and it sounds amazing. Which other manufacturers can offer that for $750?
How did you get the custom shop contact? I can't seem to find it
@@J_Abad I bought my guitar about 17 years ago so maybe they don't provide those services anymore? It's the only guitar I've bought from them and it's still a blessing to play so I've never have looked for another guitar. Sorry for not being able to give you better info than that. ☹️
I just ordered this guitar based mainly on this review. It's a stunning guitar. It will be my second Cort. I have some other high end guitars (PRS and a Custom Shop Fender) and I can say Cort does a great job and the value is outstanding.
“That swamp ass at the back is just beautiful” - why did I mishear that 🤢
Ash lol
I heard it too!
LOL! Dirty mind! ;-)
Swamp ash- nice wood for guitar.
Swamp ass- what you get driving in your car with leather seats all day and the a/c is broke.
Shrek's beautiful swamp ass
Large companies contract Cort to build lower-priced guitars that have that company's brand on them. Ibanez, Parkwood, Squier, G&L Tribute series line of guitars are among the most well-known brands that Cort produces.
Man all of the guitars you showcase sound awesome! They definitely do them justice and make them really high quality! A great video as always!
I've been a fan of Cort for over 12 yrs! I LOVE THEM! My #1 guitar is a 2008 Cort Yorktown in vintage burst, gold hardware. My go-to solidbody is a TS250 back when it first came out (now the CR250) in transparent amber. Not much of an acoustic player, but I have the L100F parlor acoustic w/Fishman preamp, and MR500e dreadnought cutaway. (Yeah, I guess I really DO like the quality of the brand!) I don't own one, but I sold many KX1q's at a music store, too...KILLER! Love the channel!!!!
Electrically and mechanically speaking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with dime-size pots. They work identically to larger pots. Literally the only difference is the size. The only reason people still mistakenly assume they're less desirable is because when cheap import guitars became common in the 80's, the cheap pots inside often just happened to be dime-sized. But the size means nothing with regards to quality, and these days even most cheap imports tend to come with decent pots. It's a complete myth that small pots = lower quality.
Literally got mine yesterday, I feel so validated. Beautiful machine indeed. ❤❤❤
I´m planning to buy this guitar, I saw the g300 but I need to save some money this one looks like a good option!
Your guitar playing and reviewing skills are *SHOCKINGLY* good!
After watching this review i managed to pick one up (pre loved) for £300!!!! and i've got to say i agree with Darrell. The guitar is awesome, looks awesome, sounds awesome, plays awesome and i got an absolute bargain. I'm relearning to play again after nearly 3 decades in the wilderness and i haven't put my G290 down yet. It's fantastic. Cheers Darrell for the inspiration.
A really good guitar for under 400 USD guitar. But I'm still divided between this and Pacifica 612, about 50 USD difference.
The Pacifica has Duncans and graptech parts. Unfortunately none is available in my town to try it out.
Pacifica 612 is a beast
I like that you took it apart , some people may not want to take a guitar apart but seeing this made me realise I could too.
Cort has never been “out of my radar”. I have many demos and comparisons of Cort guitars on my channel. They are getting some much deserved attention. I just hope they keep their prices reasonable after all this great press!🐰🎸🎶🤝✌️
I've had a Cort Flying V since 1986 (the Night Ranger one, lol), played it professionally for many years, I still use it today. They're well made instruments.
Could've swore that it was a Ernie Ball Sabre lol. Keep up the good work, bud !
I was thinking that also at the start of the video. I'm wondering if Cort makes the Sterling line.
Just Someone - that was my first thought!!! Ernie Ball..... WOW!
@@dbmabe - same here!!! First seconds of the video I was going....finish looks like Eddie's (Van Halen) old Ernie Ball single horn E.B. guitar - freaky! 👍
@@spacejaime It looks like its right at about the same price point as most of the Sterlings. On Reverb, they're going new for $599.
I was thinking the same thing!!
Awesome guitar. Loved that truss rod adjustment system. Thanks Darrell
A guitar tech told me once... "Since Cort manufacturers an enormous percentage of other guitar manufacturers' guitars, you cut out the middle man when buying a Cort branded guitar directly and get the best bang for your buck." He too said Cort guitars are undervalued, and would be twice as much if they had a "name brand" on it. Not sure as to what degree of truth there is to that, but there does appear to be some...
buy a second-hand cort = the best deal
it’s the truth. Cort does make guitars for lots of other companies. I’ve got one and it’s a beautiful, well built and well playing guitar for under 600$.
..he's right...100% right..
Indeed, they make almost all "east-made2 guitars for major manufacturers including Ibanez, Washburn and so on.
Depends on the model but it's true
Bought one after watching this review and I love it. Cheers Darrell! Amazing playing experience, sounds great and didn't break my bank
Holy sh*t... that's immaculate. I remember Corts being this trash brand. Not anymore
When was that? They have had a good reputation since the 90s
They make all the PRS SE stuff and stuff for lots of manufacturers.
@@morganghetti One of my best friends used to play on one of their strat copies back in the early 90s. Absolute garbage.
I saw a g290fat in my local shop when buying strings and said I will take that too! That same guitar in your video the violin burst! It's 1 of those guitars, it looks amazing, it feels great too play! Sounds great! And it could be double the price and still be a great buy!!!
I have been stocking this model for a little over a year now. It is one of my best sellers. Also available in blue. I even have one in my personal collection. Great guitar no matter the price range. Tops can fluctuate a lot though. Some have a lot of flame and some very little.
Where are you located? I might be interested...
@@douglaughlin6139 I am in central California. I only have one left in stock at the moment. I can ship as long as you are in the contiguous states.
An Amazing guitar. There doable in the $500 range too.
You make every guitar sound amazing 😓
Thanks man!
So I can tell from this guitar’s overall design, Yamaha used to have a guitar in 2002 called the RGX420S that Cort ghost built for them that looks just like this one in terms of design. Same headstock shape, same double cut body, everything. I got it when I graduated high school and it’s still my main go-to, competing against my two Gibsons. I bet this guitar is solid.
The blue one on their site is gorgeous! I'm telling ya... when Schecter, Godin, Yamaha, and companies like Cort and others can put out such quality and so many features are such a great price point, the big boys need to watch out. This will become more and more true as a lot of us nostalgic 40+ people age out. :)
The price tag on a Gibson or Fender makes me say forget it. This Cort looks amazing. $400-800 is the sweet spot for electric guitars I think. My Epiphone Les Paul is pretty damned nice. I can't justify a $3000 guitar. I'd be too afraid to scratch it anyways.
..those are the Big Boys...its jus that the average consumer doesn't really even know what he/she buying...🤔
Thanks for the review. I love the tones on the guitar and how versatile it appears to be.
This is what happens when you follow a North American RUclipsr. It is 4.50 am
Amazing that I read this comment at exactly 4:50 am. Twighlight zone.
4:39🧐
Cort guitars have been quite popular around where I live in Hungary. I have an EVL X6 which I love, but even cheaper models sound and feel great and the price is very-very friendly for the quality.
When a Mayones guitar? Great Channel my friend
I had a Cortez Les Paul copy in the 80's and that guitar was kick ass. The body was chambered. the top was bevels up just a bit and I believe it was chambered. The guitar had great sustain.
I saw a comment telling that this guitar is smart man's Suhr.
when i can play as good at Guthrie, Ben Eller and Chris Zoupa i'll make sure to buy a Suhr, until then i'd happily play with that gorgeous Cort.
I just picked up a 2005 Cort-made Ibanez AR300 and it is really great, beautiful to look at and a joy to play. Great review, thanks!
"My guitar collection is getting out of control" said no one, ever! Lol
Love the binding and the wood back.. gorgeous
Biggest take away for me was the superior tremolo design over the strat. How many have you have monkeyed around with the strat tremolo to eliminate it's looseness? With this tight tremolo, one doesn't need to reach for it and there is little to no mechanical play.
I just picked one up today. Looks just like it. Played it for 2 minutes thats it. 👌 bought it immediately didn't even question it. Looks awesome Plays and feels amazing. My new favorite guitar. Easily holds up if not plays better then "high end" guitars I've played in the past
I had always thought Cort made entry level instruments seeing as they're Cor-Tek's own line. The few I have seen were frankly unimpressive.
Although I don't like seeing holes around pickups and I'm pretty sure no one was surprised about the top being a veneer, the overall quality made me interested in seeing the rest of their lineup. Great video!
Once again top shelf review - you make the best videos Darrell - now I need one of these Corts and since I am single do not have to ask anybody for permision.. building my collection slowly and you have helped me a lot with that - thanks bud !!! I also am a Canuck !!
I have a Cort CR100 Les Paul, Cort AD880 dreadnought and a Cort G200DX Stratocaster Swamp Ash.
For me, the latter (strat, only costs $240) beats the Yamaha Pacifica, and it competes against the middle range Fender guitars. For me it has better twang then Fender, which is 4x the cost.
I bought the GT-290 Fat about a year ago, I got the blue one just to be different, and paid £549 GB which is about $700 US at todays rate and I consider it a real bargain. The dealership threw in a really nice padded case and a few other accessories.
As you have said the quality of workmanship is outstanding and I couldn't be happier with it. BTW, you forgot to mention that the saddles are stainless steel. Loved the video so keep it up. Thanks
I noticed there was a dowel in the neck pocket. I also recently restored a Laguna LE400 which also had a dowel in the neck pocket. I imagine it stabilizes the joint between the two body halves and/or stops any crack that may develop in that area? Any thoughts? Thanks
I'd say that about sums it up.
When you "plate join" wood, there is usually a biscuit or dowel pins used.
But I think what you are looking at may simply be a plug they inserted from drilling all the way through for pickup wiring....If that were a true dowel it would mean that it is running parallel with joint. I've never seen or heard of a plate joining with half rounds cut in each piece intended to be joined.
Dowels aren't used that way,..typically they are at a 90 degree location relative to the joint.
The biscuits or dowels are probably located strategically.
Perhaps there is one between the joint between the bottom of the neck pocket and the back side of the guitar.
Who knows.
The dowel is in line with the a hole drilled for wires to go between pickup cavities. Doweling after drilling is a nice touch though.
Awesome review Darrell, thank you mate. Got my Wants & Needs T-shirt today as well. So stoked! Cheers again brother! Pauly D 🇳🇿
Wow Darrell thank you so much fo the review and teardown. I was considering to get this guitar (the blue one to be exact) last year, since the price is good. It is around IDR 5,600,000.00 (USD. 385) here in Indonesia.
Btw, for those who don't know. CORT is a big brand/factory, it has factories in Indonesia and China. PRS SE, Ibanez, Squier, G&L, etc are some brands made by the Cort factories.
How much do the makers get paid?
@@gavin4848 Is this related to the controversy about the mistreatment of Cort's factory workers in Korea?
Nice information.
@@gavin4848 minimum wage workers gets minimum wage, respectively to each area.
Usd 385 is a bargain, we are all twice as much
Awesome guitar, I loved that binding against the veneer, pin straight
I so agree with that it so could have been a Ernie Ball
It looks like an Ernie Ball Sabre that has been left in the microwave for too long...
@@dillfunk-vd9je I thought EB also!!
Darrell where was this guitar 50 yrs ago wow . I've been playing a long time and wow I want this guitar!,
Man! What is it with brand names anyways? I find myself doing it even though my collection would state the opposite. I own a squier classic vibe 50s p bass, a partscaster strat with a homemade ash body (we named our brand “Shaky Hand Guitars (our logo is a jittery hand holding a coffee cup lol)), a fender classic player jag (refinished by me!) and a Japanese lawsuit SG made in the 90s by El Degas. The jag is the only “elite brand” one and even then, it’s just a Mexican mid-tier fender. And yet, I tend to feel a scoff come on every time we see these lower priced brands. It’s awful. I never thought I was a snob about it but I really find myself looking at the big names later and feeling that weird desire to have the genuine thing. I do badly want some of the boutique brands also Lol, but when it comes to say, a strat, I have little-to-no interest in anything non-Fender. How do I reform?! Lmao
Just stop caring what your "contemporaries" say about the decal on your head stock. Probably the best session man in Nashville, Jack Pearson, plays a Squier Affinity Strat! He says its resonance is better than his name brand guitars and he played it all the time with the Allman Brothers Band.
Reform? It depends what you're into. If you like features, just look at all the features you get for the price with lesser brand names compared to the big fancy brands. Particularly when it comes to innovations.
My acoustic gig guitars are a Cort MR Custom Ce, and Taylor 710Ce. Both same tone woods which is why use them (engleman spruce tops, Indian rosewood BnS, mahogany neck and ebony fret boards). The cort is the preferred sounding guitar of the 2. I only bought te Taylor because the Cort Custom Shop guitars were no longer available and the 710 was the closest alternative as a 2nd guitar on stage... love them.
"Triple the price if it was an American maker". Translation: Triple the price if it were a PRS.
Cort makes non the non U.S.A made PRS, and most other brands too.
I have a gorgeous Cort Tele with a KOA top !!... it even sounds good...it has a really decent single coil sound and the play ability is reasonably good. With a little massage I made it really good. It was $ 125 !!!!!!
Sounds and looks amazing, nothing more to ask for a guitar...
Btw I would really appreciate advise on my guitar videos ;) thx
Thanks Darrell. Just letting you know how much I appreciate your videos. Always informative, always professional, always easy to listen to and understand. I know Canadians have a reputation for being nice😁, and you are right up there! Awesome job. Pop on ‘Down under’ at some stage and check out my Country too! 🎸🇦🇺Cheers Graeme in Oz.
I have been saying this for a while now.
In Indonesia, we have three choices for cheap guitars and basses.
1. Yamaha
2. Cort
3. Copies
4.gitar sayur
I had a Cort LP Custom style from the 90's that felt so amazing I bought it used without plugging it in. Well, it was also only $125. Only the neck pickup was original, but it sounded as good as a PAF to me. Encouraged by that, I've also bought a few dirt cheap Cort S style knockoffs (SP-3 and Custom Pro). I think they're basically the Squiers they also build, just altered a tad. You do need to slightly trim a Fender pickguard around the collar to pop it in as an upgrade, not that they necessarily need it. SP-3 has a great, glassy neck sound stock. I also really liked the neck on a Custom Pro that was set up nicely.
Darrell, if you've never had problems with smaller pots, why the disappointment? Do the bigger pots offer something that the alphas don't?
I wonder about this too.
The main difference is in the average stiffness. The small pots tend to turn more freely.
I prefer the looser feel of small pots, but a lot of people don't.
Tom Anderson uses alpha small size pots, and most people aren't complaining.
This give us the reason why big guitars manufacturer trust PT.CORT Indonesia for making their foreign series like PRS SE and so many other big names.
If it's a true maple cap and CTS pots, maybe the cost will increase more. But would love to see that in this guitar.
Thnx for tearing this guitar up....love it. So we can see the overall build 👍👍👍
The price point on the guitar should tell everyone how over priced some guitar brands are. Gibson
And Fender. And PRS. And btw, the not-made-in-America PRS are made by Cort, as far as I know...
Because Fender and Gibson and PRS have to pay American wages. Not the case in Indonesia.
Hi Watched this review and went out and brought absolutely it Thanks Darrell