# Cort guitars?



## HeinrichDerp (Apr 29, 2014)

So recently I have been looking into semi-hollow ES style guitars (trying to find a more affordable one to mod up) and came across Cort. My music teacher personally has a more "high-end" acoustic Cort and raves about the quality, so I'm wondering the opinion on Cort as well as where the hell can I buy them? Any help is appreciated. Cheers.

http://www.cortguitars.com/en/product/source-bv
This is the model I am looking for.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I think Cort makes decent guitars. I kind of like the look of the Source BV. If I could find one around here I would definitely check it out.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

The guitars are fine, but as i recall the factory has had its issues re: workers and wages.

Look at epiphone, agile, tokai


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## djmarcelca (Aug 2, 2012)

Cort and Samick are guitar manufacturers for guitar manufacturers. 

In other words, if you own any Korean imported Squire, Epiphone, Ibanez, Peavey, etc chances are you own a guitar made by either Samick or Cort. 

My Ibanez AR250 was made in the Cort factory in Korea. I know this because the First letter in the serial number is "C"
Other manufacturers have their own numbering system, but for Ibanez at least C is Cort factory.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

I had a Cort strat. It was a pretty decent guitar. In fact I kept it over a Fender Strat that I had (with a locking nut...what a PITA). I also had a Pro Tone Squier Strat that was made in the Cort factory which was nice too. I would buy another one. A guy I know had a Matt Guitar Murphy model Cort that was really nice. Over all I think they are a good guitar for the money.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

I have one of these. http://www.cortguitars.com/en/product/yorktown-2 made in 2007. It's a full hollow, not a semi. To me it's not a bad guitar. Got mine at 53 st Music here in town a few years ago. Not too sure where you'd find one in the Edmonton area.


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## djmarcelca (Aug 2, 2012)

I did a little googling and found that my Epiphone Wilshire was made at the SAMICK Factory in Indonesia. 

So:
Ibanez AR250 - CORT Korea
Ibanez AR350??? - Japan from 1984
Epiphone Wilshire - Samick Indonesia
Squier Standard Stratocaster - CORT Indonesia
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar - CORT indonesia. 

The point I'm demonstrating.... It doesn't matter which brand/model you prefer. Most are made in the same 2 company factories.

Unless you buy from Peavey. Peavey was/is one of the last inexpensive, good quality made in North America Guitars and Electronics, but recently they've admitted defeat and close ONE of THREE factories they were operating in Miss.

Godin is making a good go of things being built in Quebec. But Being Canadian the brand does not get as much "respect" in the USA.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

djmarcelca said:


> Unless you buy from Peavey. Peavey was/is one of the last inexpensive, good quality made in North America Guitars and Electronics, but recently they've admitted defeat and close ONE of THREE factories they were operating in Miss.


Peavey haven't made production guitars in the US for close to a decade and even those (HP series, Signature series) were pretty limited production... since then everything has been from Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and China like everyone else. I'm pretty certain that currently the only instruments they are making in the US are the high end composite acoustic guitars.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

The thing about the offshore stuff I find, is the quality is very connected to the price (duh!), as in you get what you pay for.
A really cheap offshore ie Cort guitar (or ghost branded) will feel like one. A more expensive one, say $600-700 or so are usually pretty good quality. I wouldn't have any issue with owning one....its about what a similarly priced Ibanez is, because, in some cases, that's what it is.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Diablo said:


> The thing about the offshore stuff I find, is the quality is very connected to the price (duh!), as in you get what you pay for.
> A really cheap offshore ie Cort guitar (or ghost branded) will feel like one. A more expensive one, say $600-700 or so are usually pretty good quality. I wouldn't have any issue with owning one....its about what a similarly priced Ibanez is, because, in some cases, that's what it is.


This is an accurate observation. The Cort (and Samick) built guitars generally offer good value for the dollar with the Korean made instruments definitely offering better workmanship, materials, hardware and electronics than the cheaper Indonesian made guitars.


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## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

djmarcelca said:


> Cort and Samick are guitar manufacturers for guitar manufacturers.
> 
> In other words, if you own any Korean imported Squire, Epiphone, Ibanez, Peavey, etc chances are you own a guitar made by either Samick or Cort.


Cort Indonesia, alias Korea also makes the lions share of Fenders "Special Editions" and the bodies and necks of G&L's "Tribute Series" guitars. Not so much excellent for the money as just plain excellent. In fact if there's a qualitative difference between my Cort Teles and my American Standard I've yet to find it. We Americans are proud of our guitars and rightfully so. However, the real deal is that as individually companies both Cort and Samick (with yearly production numbers in the neighborhood of 1 million units) actually dwarf Fender or Gibson America in the number of guitars produced and sold annually. 


Cort Korea - Fender branded Koa Tele - Seymour Duncan Alnico II pick ups


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL3YHeKNZc0




Cort Indonesia - Fender branded FMT HH - Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates and 59 pick ups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwTtGTRULZ4



Cort Indonesia - G&L Tribute - Body and neck by Cort - Assemble and set up at G&L's U.S. facility - American made G&L pick ups and hardware.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKllsfB0a4s


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