Cort G300 pro

stufisher

Hi folks.

I'm tormented by my recent introduction to a Cort G300 Pro. I went to my local axe store to try out some Gibsons and generally narrow down my choices, with a view to buying one for the first time.

Then, out of the blue, I saw this brand new, beautifully crafted, space-age-engineered WOMD ... half the price of a pre-loved LP.

It's SO well put together, SO easy to play, tonally fantastic and SO versatile ... it hits out of the park! So, yes I'm hugely impressed.

So, the age old quandary has re-emerged ... should I scratch that lifelong itch and get a LP because I always wanted one and promised myself I'd get one one day OR should I extinguish that thought and buy a faultless (as far as I can see), jack of all trades, precision-engineered valueless brand name?

Anyone else having the same issues? Anyone else bought or decided against buying a Cort G300 Pro? 

All comments much appreciated.

Ta.

Stu

Grumpyrocker

My whole life I had the LP itch. And I did get a Les Paul ten years ago - a wonderful gift from my wife. But to be honest I play my PRS SE 245 much more - it's so much more comfortable. But I understand, you'll always have that LP lust until you finally get one.

That said the current Cort models are superb. I own one Cort guitar - the KX500MS. It's a fabulous guitar. I probably own more guitars made in the same factory but they just don't say Cort on the headstock.

The thing that makes the current Cort lineup so appealing is that they are much higher spec and featured than rival guitars for the same price - often guitars Cort makes for other companies such as ESP or Ibane - because Cort is cutting out the middle man. 

dazzajl

I think you know the only workable solution here……

The Cort is not going to scratch that LP itch, if
anything it will just aggravate it. And the LP will never play in that smooth and perfect way that the Cort does. 

You need both!! 

Grumpyrocker

I nearly bought a G300 earlier in the year. Only didn't because I wasn't keen on either of the two colour options. The current line up of the high-end Cort guitars is amazing though, they just need some different colours and finishes. 

Offset

Here ya go @stufisher - previous thread:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/206263/ngd-cort-g300/p1

Sassafras

I'd buy the better playing and sounding guitar whatever logo it's got on the headstock.
Sounds like the Cort has grabbed you.

ThePrettyDamned

I scratched my Gibson itch this year, and I'm glad I did. It's a lovely instrument, even if a budget one.

I also like the cort guitars though. Doesn't really help! 

stufisher

OMG ... wasn't prepared for the feedback TBH ... the 'you need both' suggestion is giving me brainache 

dazzajl

stufisher said:

OMG ... wasn't prepared for the feedback TBH ... the 'you need both' suggestion is giving me brainache 

Captain Enabler, at your service


*salutes*


**In a slightly Rimmer style**

guitargeek62

Sounds like you've found a guitar that works well for you. However, it is most certainly not a les paul on any level, even if it does have twin HBs! Don't let that put you off though, it might just be that the idea of a les paul is what you were after, when in actual fact, it was something like the G300.



Also, I vote for both too.

hollywoodrox

I really like Ltd EC , but gotta have a Gibson when your heroes are ,Slash, Joe Perry , Gilby Clarke ,Izzy etc 

grungebob

I had a G290LE from Cort. 

A fabulous guitar but too heavy for me. 

I don’t think either company are going to suddenly stop making either models so you’ve time to buy both   

rlw

https://guitar.com/review/electric-guitar/cort-g300-pro-review-boutique-tones-specs-at-bargain-price/

Thats a good looking guitar and a great review.  I don't think you'll find an LP that good at that kind of price so buy the Cort and start saving for the LP.

Crazyblue1779

I recently traded a PRS Sr CU 24 for a Cort G290 Fat (and a cigar box guitar) and the Cort is simply fantastic. 

I honestly think if there was a different name on the headstock it could easily cost twice as much. 

Another ‘cheap’ brand to consider if you do have a Les Paul itch to scratch is Vintage. You can usually get a V100 used for around £200 and they’re blooming great guitars. 

BLCK:OPM

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to post for anyone else looking for info like I was looking for before I pulled the trigger on the cort g300 pro in vivid burgandy, from owners who have used it extensively - so i hope this helps someone...

Firstly BUY IT
lastly... BUY IT...

In all seriousness though I'll give a quick overview of my experience with it and cort as a brand in general.

I bought the g290fat2, partly because I'm stoopid and didn't see there was a higher spec'd model that they didn't have in that shop and I just loved the everything abiut that model when I played it because of how it is shaped and the fretboard feels like a 3/4 sized and is so easy to play due to the combination of low bridge and unique ish body shape. It felt at home in my hands.
I then went back a few weeks later for some strings etc and saw the g300 just sparkling with the glittered paint. I picked it up and it felt even better in my hands than the g290 fat 2 which I thought was flawless. Then I took a close look at the specs and build quality of the g300 and I not only was the build quality perfect, it was like that of a £1000 + guitar. It was a suhr with cort on the headstock lol. Then I saw it had the TB4 and Sh2n combo from seymour duncan and ran to the amp to play it as I've heard this combo many times and almost bought them for another guitar i have. It sounded like nothing else I'd played, had versatility for days and with all the dantastic specs, I just needed it. I originally was going for a gibson SG or fender strat/charvel... but they almost were on par with the far far cheaper g290fat2 and it also felt better. But the g300 was far and away better than these charvel dk24 models I'd tried and sg/strats, all of which were double to quadruple the price. And it had stainless steel frets. So it came home with me and now I'm trying to find a swap or new home for the g290fat2 lol. 
My hearts was set on a named guitar like the ones I mentioned, until I picked up 2 corts for some strange reason or another lol. My wallet was happy, I payed for both combined for less money than the strats and SGs... 
After months of daily playing, I can't find a single fault. Cosmetically, sonically, feeling wise, tuning stability, or any other metric or comparison to far more expensive models of guitars, some I've played, some I own... but this is my no.1 and I can't see any guitar i find changing that, no matter the price. It's a guitar you could play every day for the rest of your life and never have to re fret or do anything that you could with all other guitars within double the price range or more.

Also, these damn pickups have the most incredible sound, they do EVERYTHING, and they do it perfectly.

Save your wallet and feel the amazing power of a cort guitar. No need to go with the grain, who cares what it says on the headstock... that's punk lol.

chris_john

Cort are underrated IMO. Especially here in Korea. The G300 routinely pops up on used markets for around £250. They are viewed as beginner guitars, but I’ve played some are outstanding after a simple pickup upgrade.

BillDL

@BLCK:OPM ;;  I feel much the same as you do about your guitar.  I bought the same "Vivid Burgundy" (actually more muted burgundy with a slight shimmer) one used from a fine gentleman on here for a very good price.  It had obviously been looked after very carefully, because there was not a scratch, scuff or ding anywhere on it.  I suspect that the available colours won't suit everybodys' tastes, but I knew I loved the colour combinations immediately I unpacked it.  The roasted maple neck is a nice biscuit brown and the plain wood body "binding" is a nice visual match.  I believe the "binding" is actually the body edge that has been carefully masked before colour finishing or scraped before clear coating, but it looks great.  The guitar is not too light and not too heavy, and feels very comfortable on the knee and on a strap.

The finest thing about the guitar for me is the neck profile.  They call it the "Ergo-V Profile".  It's not really a V, but feels more as though it is contoured differently and has a shallower slope up to the fretboard edge on the treble side than the bass side which is slightly chunkier and has a steeper angle up to the fretboard edge.  So, it's a kind of @Offset profile.  It fits very comfortably in my hand for any style of playing and the satin feel is outstanding as was the fretwork.  The fretboard has a compound radius from 12" at the nut to 15.75" at the body, which makes it very easy to play and you can achieve a low action without choking out on bends higher up the neck.

The fact that they chose to sink the 2-point tremolo bridge down into a recess makes for a very low profile feel and provides plenty of up and down motion rather than having to ramp the back of the bridge plate up at an angle or raise the fulcrum posts as you usually have to do on a guitar without a recessed bridge.  It is very accurate and stable.

The 5-position pickup selection is unusual but an excellent idea. [Edit:  Diagram inserted now that I am at home and have access to images]

This gives you quite a wide range of available sounds, and I was surprised by how different positions 2 and 4 sounded just by using the different split coils.

I could play this guitar all night without hand, arm, or back fatigue.

grungebob

I had a 290LE that was a special edition. Was a brilliant guitar but being all mahogany it weighed too much for me. I fitted Suhr pickups and just used a 3 way switch. 

I’ve an RG that’s wired similarly to the G300 but position 4 is the neck humbucker in parallel. I find it more useful than outercoils split. 

jaymenon

BillDL said:

The 5-position pickup selection is unusual but an excellent idea. [Edit:  Diagram inserted now that I am at home and have access to images]

This gives you quite a wide range of available sounds, and I was surprised by how different positions 2 and 4 sounded just by using the different split coils.

I could play this guitar all night without hand, arm, or back fatigue.

If you put a bit of gain on your amplifier, you will find the positions 2 and 4 are not hum-cancelling...

Funkfingers

jaymenon said:

BillDL said:

If you put a bit of gain on your amplifier, you will find the positions 2 and 4 are not hum-cancelling.

Not necessarily. 

Cort may - indeed, should - have specified OEM Seymour Duncan humbuckers with one of them RPRW. (Like the Fender Big Apple and Double Fat Stratocaster models from the Nineties.) 

•

I associate this five-way Superswitch wiring with Musicman Axis Super Sport guitars. The diagram used to appear in the Support section of the DiMarzio website.

jaymenon

You are right that they should, but they didn’t

I just modified my G300 RAW - and now it’s finally hum cancelling.
Both pickups as supplied are standard wind and polarity.