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Cort KX Custom
List: $1,100
Mention 'Cort' & chances are, you'd be patronized excessively, the very minimum sentiment being the acknowledgement of them as very good starter units. It is therefore liberating to know that Cort has moved on to be one of the forerunners of quality & tone. The KX-Custom reviewed here hails from the uppermost tier of the manufacturer's regular production units, hence the asking price.
Body: Mahogany/ flamed maple top
Neck: 3-piece maple/ rosewood fretboard/ 25.5" SL/ 24 jumbo
Tuners: Locking
Bridge: Tone-pros (licensed) locking/ through-body
Construction/ fit/ finish
We can easily see where this guitar is coming from; so meticulous are the fit & finish that it readily represents the best Cort has to offer. This KX is tip-top from head to toe; we do not readily find scathed construction on its person. The only blemish here is the dry fretboard parchment at the lower fret areas. Subsequently, upon tuning, treble strings experience hitches at the nut but this is nothing a lubricating procedure wouldn't cure.
The sumptuous maple cap decorating this guitar is a good 20mm 2-piece, the flame nature would suggest at least an AA grade but this detail isn’t specified by the manufacturer. In any case, it looks more captivating than the reviewer’s Gibson version (*sigh*). The nature of its depth would also suggest tonal contributions, together with the locking tuners & Tonepros bridge, the manufacturer has good intentions in this department.
Rating: 8.5/10
Pickups: Seymour Duncan ’59 (neck- reverse polarity)/ JB (bridge)
Switch: 3-way toggle
Controls: 1 Vol/ 1 Tone (coil-split push-pull)
Audition settings:
Amp: Randall RG75/ Ibanez ValBee
FX used: None
Playability
The neck profile offered here is the wide variety, the depth of which provides enough meat for grabs but nothing excessive to impede your fretboard gymnastics (shredders take note). The maple is lacquer-free & has been buffered well to promote fluidity. Similarly, the jumbo frets have everything to offer for legato phrasings & obsessive bends. As we note, the KX’s set neck joins the body at the 19th fret giving extra leeway for upper register reaches, uncommon in other manufacturers’ wares. The body here has a distinct arched top so the picking arm would be assured of playing comfort to say the least. The flip-side reveals a ribcage chamfer for your strap-on pleasure.
Rating: 9/10
Tone
A dedicated pickup consideration (Seymour Duncan) usually signals a serious tone contention & it is evident from this KX. The clean tones are better handled by the warmer neck Duncan; in this case we have the ’59 to see this through. A bonus here woud be its reverse polarity consideration in conjunction with the coil split facility on board, upon activation, the ‘59’s single coil in isolation & in use with the bridge counterpart, has some serious twang this side of Fender. In its full humbucking mode, the ’59 is no stranger to warm, treble-reduced jazz moments & is easily adept at driven settings. The JB unit, on the contrary, serves to highlight the guitar’s dedicated midrange as intended by the satin body finish. Tone purists would deem this inherent voicing as bass-deprived but the onus is on the player to observe his/ her EQ applications. Pump up your drive/ distortion & the KX is easily the right tool for all things metal. A praise-worthy note here would be the guitar’s rich sustain which isn’t a surprise considering the set-neck construction, superb pickups in use & the through-body stringing; all the correct ingredients for a singing good time.
Rating: 9/10
Conclusion
Although the KX Custom isn’t as immaculate played finger-picked (please, it’s a solid body unit for goodness’ sake, not a hollow jazz box…), it possesses enough magic to win tone-proponents over owing to its potent construction & inherent voicings. This guitar isn’t likely to convert players by the masses because it bears the Cort brand name which still reeks of starter-unit & back-up relegations. Nevertheless, those of us who appreciate tone & playability over appealing brand names would readily embrace this guitar; a recent convert would be the amazing melodic shredder Neil Zaza of which the Custom was the basis of his signature model (NZS-1). Forgive the KX Custom’s outline & conception formulae, for it is nothing new; Ibanez, Yamaha & Schecter are already in this league with their fantastic offerings respectively. For those of us who dare to stray & embrace a good sounding, well-playing guitar per se, the KX Custom has appeal aplenty & a deserving asking price.
Overall rating: 9/10
Likes:
• Construction & workmanship
• Features
• Playability
• Tone
Dislikes:
• Lacks a dedicated bass response
Worthy competitors:
• Ibanez SZ520
• Schecter C-1 Exotic
• Yamaha RGX520FZ
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