I own both CR300, the exact model reviewed in this video, and CR250 (Antique Amber burst with flamed maple top). And CR250 sounds louder and brighter than CR300, maybe because of flamed maple top.
Thank you for this video. I have spent hours looking for a decent review of the CR300, and this is literally the only one that goes in-depth with what the guitar is all about; including some really insightful pros and cons. Looks like this will be my final choice for a new, slightly higher budget purchase this time around. Cheers!
Thank you for the review. I bought CR300 a few days ago, I agree - build quality, wood, frets - all is very good! Pickups sound just like I like :) These EMGs are licensed and made in Indonesia (I took off the pickups to see that) and pots are not EMGs, they are Korean Alpha pots which are great quality anyway. And all wiring on the pots is soldered. I had some issues with the ground, the bridge pickup picked some grit and noise. So I resoldered all ground wiring and now pickups are silent and clean even on a high gain. Perfect! The guitar wood sound is loud and bright, and with the pickups it's juicy - classic rock indeed :) One thing I am changing is the tuners to Gotoh locking tuners. All other hardware and electronics on the guitar work great.
Emgs can be swapped easily by removing the entire wiring harness/kit and putting in a new one. The input jack will change. The old pots and the pickup wiring can stay, EMGs with the battery connection wires come out
Strongly recommend Cort over Epi, honest to the core in construction (no multi piece body and veneer to hide it) and superb pickups. I also have two Gibson Les Pauls and the Cort stands ground where as an epi will fizzle out
Lovely question, The neck profile is similar to Gibson 60s neck, a notch thinner 12th fret down. The ESP is smaller and intended to be faster whereas some Epi follow more a 50s/slim taper.
Thanku soo much for the video💕.. I'm also looking to buy my first electric guitar i have watched lots of videos and totally confused. I Really appreciate if you have any suggestions for me. My budget is around 20-25k
Dear Atul, glad to be of help. First electric, I would recommend going in for a Strat or a tele with a bolted neck as glued neck are far more sensitive. Primarily a Strat with a HSS configuration or more commonly known as fat Strats are great as they are the most versatile guitars ever where you can go from blues to rock to metal and back home! Secondly, if you have a 20-25K budget, I would recommend lowering the budget and spend only 15-20 on a guitar ( Squier Affinities, Corts, LTD and specially Pacificas are great VFM). Play it a while, get a feel and get the pickups upgraded later. That way that instrument will be a better instrument than the 50-70K range instruments. The reason is most cheap guitars compromise on the pickups (Ceramic) and Pots (non CTS, small pots) You may also want to scout the used market for good deals for the above guitars and upgrade the electronics. Happy to help if you have any doubts in the process! Vijay
@@DadRockKid thanku soo vijay for your time and suggestion. I really appreciate your help. Now you open my mind to new direction as till now I'm only thinking about the expensive guitar and for this really have to stretch my budget. But as you suggest I'll check out the affinity series and later on I'll upgrade the pickups for better sound. Again thanku soo much. Fhir preshan jrur krunga questions k sath😁😁😂😂 glad to I found your channel🍻
@@DadRockKidHey Vijay! This comment of yours has helped me with the decision paralysis I've been having about which guitar to get as a first electric. Which of the VFM Strats would you say lend themselves the best for later upgrades? And which ones have the least intonation issues? Do also let us know if you've had the chance to check out Newen Telecasters. I've been getting good reviews, but I cannot find any thorough, honest and in-depth reviews like you do on your channel. Thanks in advance.
Hey Om, experience is the classic vibe squier strats are phenomenal for a intermediate player and match up to the fender player series straight up. With a few upgrades it can be put on a record. Newen are absolute basic and intonation out of the box needs to be set up and a pure beginner instrument. I wanted to review and a friend picked up a tele but after playing the same I decided not too. Specifically, look for squier especially the 40th anniversary ones. They will last a while for sure
Awesome , it’s a matter of setup and preference, I personally prefer a balanced output from both pickups and set the height accordingly. You can do it your self. Just connect the guitar to the amp put it on bridge first, take the base output and put it on neck and check the balance. If bridge is higher than neck increase neck height. If bridge is lower decrease neck height. Generally for active pickups you can keep the height on the higher side without compromising sustain or string vibration as the magnetic field is weaker than passive pickups
9 works great on this. Before you do that, look up how to top wrap on a Les Paul bridge (you will need 6 old sting end balls to do it correctly) and top wrap the 10 bending will be even more easier than 9 and will give you a richer/fuller tone
Hi, did you take a look at the pots? I got it from bajaao and seems like they haven't used the solderless kit instead wired the active pickups to 250k alpha pots, can you please confirm if yours have got the same or I got scammed. Thanks!
I did after the video, they have skimmed on the cost by using non solderless 250k pots but Korean Alpha in mine. The original emg recommended solderless is 18usd a pop if bought from them and around 475 rs I think if we source from the wholesaler in India. But recommended for emg actives is 250k and not 500k
@@DadRockKid oh, thanks else i would've gone for 500k CTS but will look out for some good 250k pots, also thanks alot for creating such quality content.!
Hey sir currently I am playing an fender start but I am planning to buy an les paul is cort cr300 the best in the budget? What are the cons that are you facing after almost a year?
Hi Satwik, I am uploading a video on how I converted from strat to Gibson Lps day after. Should be interesting for you. Cort CR300 is a flawless guitar and comparable to my Gibsons. On a budget it is the best option out there as it’s way superior to Epi, Prs Se and a Ltd. Go for it man
Both are good guitars, 300 has a full maple cap against a thin slab in 250 electronics 300 has the emg actives which are close to the paf in Gibsons but are battery powered (that’s a downside) but great for live and recordings. 250 is a solid workhorse, zero maintainance or battery change and easy to upgrade the pickups or pots etc. if you are an intermediate and play at home and jam with friends, 250 is great but playing live and recording, go for 300
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Hey Vijay. Thanks for a very informative video. I'm looking to buy my first electric guitar. I've narrowed down my options to either Yamaha Pacifica 112V (with alnicoV pickups) or CORT CR250/300 along with Boss Katana MKII . I played some acoustic 12-13 years ago (I'm 33 now) and I intend to own and keep the one I buy for life. Would you recommend this guitar for a beginner considering thats the only one I'm going to buy ? Or do I start with a Strat? I've heard everyone ends up owning atleast one Strat and Les Paul LOL. I intend to learn mostly classic rock/punk/blues kind of stuff(not into metal ).
If it’s going to be one guitar , always a strat. There is a saying in the guitar universe...strat is like a girls black dress, can be worn for any occasion whereas Les Paul is the diamond earrings, expensive, high maintainance, very finicky and good for a few things.
@@Ak_thereader Thanks AK, Also if your budget and taste permits, check out Pacifica 311H ,it is the most versatile guitar on earth imho, there is no genre that you cannot do and amazing for blues & Classic rock
@@DadRockKidPacifica 311H appears to be out of stock on most websites. Do you happen to know where one can get one? Also, could you do a detailed review of the guitar, or at least tell us why you think it is so versatile?
Cort guitars are not even made of wood. In the 90’s I worked at a huge music store. One morning we all gasped as we walked by a cort Les Paul guitar on display that had been damaged on the display floor..it had a big chunk out of the body and it was not made of wood…it was made of some kind of gray looking rubber material that resembled what car body repairers use on cars. I am not kidding. A lot of instruments have a Cancer/ Birth defect warning/disclaimer on sales ads. I wonder if that is one reason why? So wash your hands after handling your instruments and peripherals …headphones …drop cords…instruments…cases etc.
Was bout to go for 250, u made me change my mind.
Nice one doc; liked n subbed.
\m/ from Manipur.
Glad the video helped!
I own both CR300, the exact model reviewed in this video, and CR250 (Antique Amber burst with flamed maple top). And CR250 sounds louder and brighter than CR300, maybe because of flamed maple top.
Thank you for this video.
I have spent hours looking for a decent review of the CR300, and this is literally the only one that goes in-depth with what the guitar is all about; including some really insightful pros and cons.
Looks like this will be my final choice for a new, slightly higher budget purchase this time around.
Cheers!
Glad it helped you , it’s a good guitar for the price. Please do subscribe to the channel as do post gear reviews regularly
Thank you for the review. I bought CR300 a few days ago, I agree - build quality, wood, frets - all is very good! Pickups sound just like I like :) These EMGs are licensed and made in Indonesia (I took off the pickups to see that) and pots are not EMGs, they are Korean Alpha pots which are great quality anyway. And all wiring on the pots is soldered. I had some issues with the ground, the bridge pickup picked some grit and noise. So I resoldered all ground wiring and now pickups are silent and clean even on a high gain. Perfect!
The guitar wood sound is loud and bright, and with the pickups it's juicy - classic rock indeed :)
One thing I am changing is the tuners to Gotoh locking tuners. All other hardware and electronics on the guitar work great.
superb review ! cort makes epiphones, jacksons,ibanez etc so this is basically the best epiphone
Absolutely, Cort is a great builder, the only Asian builder who is a notch better is WMIC IMHO
Great stuff friend 👍🏻
Nice review!
Thanks
Great review, nice and detailed.
@trueworld Glad you enjoyed it
You got a pro level setup
hope they don't all need that. That's £ 150 plus
I think benefits of knowing the shop guys for years....i am sure they should be setup ok out of the box too
Nice guitar. I got the Cr250 the other day. Cort is amazing. Bang for buck!
agree, the CR250 is a great piece too. Want to try th Custom also but could not find one yet
Can i swap emg 85's effortlessly? is it user friendly to swap emg'S? Any soldering required sir? thank u
Emgs can be swapped easily by removing the entire wiring harness/kit and putting in a new one. The input jack will change. The old pots and the pickup wiring can stay, EMGs with the battery connection wires come out
@@DadRockKid ty sir , nice to have you!
Hi. Thanks for the review. How much does the guitar weigh please?
I haven’t weighed it but it’s lighter than my Lightest Gibson which is a tribute and weighs 8.2 pounds
@@DadRockKid Thanks.
Thank you for this video
Considering buying this guitar.
What is the neck profile like? Is it good enough to play faster stuff?
The neck profile is that of a 60s LP which is thin taper. Great for fast stuff and smooth for legato playing. Go for it man
@@DadRockKid thanks so much 😃
Lovely guitar and review
Planning to buy a new guitar,can't decide between the cort cr300 and epiphone lp standard
Which one should I get?
Strongly recommend Cort over Epi, honest to the core in construction (no multi piece body and veneer to hide it) and superb pickups. I also have two Gibson Les Pauls and the Cort stands ground where as an epi will fizzle out
Also, planning to do a Cort vs Gibson shoot out soon, do subscribe to the channel so that you catch it...
Thank you much appreciated
Recently shot the CR300 VS my Gibson Les Paul Standard...Check it out th-cam.com/video/uGiHX-OTqMI/w-d-xo.html
Hello, thanks for the review, regarding the neck profile, how would you compare it to the Epi/Gibson Slim taper or the LTD EC?
Lovely question, The neck profile is similar to Gibson 60s neck, a notch thinner 12th fret down. The ESP is smaller and intended to be faster whereas some Epi follow more a 50s/slim taper.
Thanku soo much for the video💕.. I'm also looking to buy my first electric guitar i have watched lots of videos and totally confused. I Really appreciate if you have any suggestions for me. My budget is around 20-25k
Dear Atul, glad to be of help.
First electric, I would recommend going in for a Strat or a tele with a bolted neck as glued neck are far more sensitive. Primarily a Strat with a HSS configuration or more commonly known as fat Strats are great as they are the most versatile guitars ever where you can go from blues to rock to metal and back home!
Secondly, if you have a 20-25K budget, I would recommend lowering the budget and spend only 15-20 on a guitar ( Squier Affinities, Corts, LTD and specially Pacificas are great VFM). Play it a while, get a feel and get the pickups upgraded later. That way that instrument will be a better instrument than the 50-70K range instruments. The reason is most cheap guitars compromise on the pickups (Ceramic) and Pots (non CTS, small pots)
You may also want to scout the used market for good deals for the above guitars and upgrade the electronics.
Happy to help if you have any doubts in the process!
Vijay
@@DadRockKid thanku soo vijay for your time and suggestion. I really appreciate your help. Now you open my mind to new direction as till now I'm only thinking about the expensive guitar and for this really have to stretch my budget. But as you suggest I'll check out the affinity series and later on I'll upgrade the pickups for better sound. Again thanku soo much.
Fhir preshan jrur krunga questions k sath😁😁😂😂 glad to I found your channel🍻
Absolutely man, very glad the suggestion helped you
@@DadRockKidHey Vijay! This comment of yours has helped me with the decision paralysis I've been having about which guitar to get as a first electric. Which of the VFM Strats would you say lend themselves the best for later upgrades? And which ones have the least intonation issues? Do also let us know if you've had the chance to check out Newen Telecasters. I've been getting good reviews, but I cannot find any thorough, honest and in-depth reviews like you do on your channel. Thanks in advance.
Hey Om, experience is the classic vibe squier strats are phenomenal for a intermediate player and match up to the fender player series straight up. With a few upgrades it can be put on a record. Newen are absolute basic and intonation out of the box needs to be set up and a pure beginner instrument. I wanted to review and a friend picked up a tele but after playing the same I decided not too. Specifically, look for squier especially the 40th anniversary ones. They will last a while for sure
finally got the cr300..is the neck pickup a bit raised than bridge pickup??
Awesome , it’s a matter of setup and preference, I personally prefer a balanced output from both pickups and set the height accordingly. You can do it your self. Just connect the guitar to the amp put it on bridge first, take the base output and put it on neck and check the balance. If bridge is higher than neck increase neck height. If bridge is lower decrease neck height. Generally for active pickups you can keep the height on the higher side without compromising sustain or string vibration as the magnetic field is weaker than passive pickups
@@DadRockKid alright thank you very much!
@@DadRockKid It comes with a 10 gauge. thinking of restringing it with 9 gauge for better bending
9 works great on this. Before you do that, look up how to top wrap on a Les Paul bridge (you will need 6 old sting end balls to do it correctly) and top wrap the 10 bending will be even more easier than 9 and will give you a richer/fuller tone
@@DadRockKid I'll go to the shop and get it done
is it made in indonesia?
Yes Rishitanksh
@@DadRockKid thank you
Most welcome
Hi, did you take a look at the pots? I got it from bajaao and seems like they haven't used the solderless kit instead wired the active pickups to 250k alpha pots, can you please confirm if yours have got the same or I got scammed. Thanks!
I did after the video, they have skimmed on the cost by using non solderless 250k pots but Korean Alpha in mine. The original emg recommended solderless is 18usd a pop if bought from them and around 475 rs I think if we source from the wholesaler in India. But recommended for emg actives is 250k and not 500k
@@DadRockKid oh, thanks else i would've gone for 500k CTS but will look out for some good 250k pots, also thanks alot for creating such quality content.!
@@85mukesh check out element14 (farnell earlier) they usually stock it occasionally
Hey sir currently I am playing an fender start but I am planning to buy an les paul is cort cr300 the best in the budget? What are the cons that are you facing after almost a year?
Hi Satwik, I am uploading a video on how I converted from strat to Gibson Lps day after. Should be interesting for you.
Cort CR300 is a flawless guitar and comparable to my Gibsons. On a budget it is the best option out there as it’s way superior to Epi, Prs Se and a Ltd. Go for it man
should i get cort cr250 or cort cr300 ? what would the difference be?
Both are good guitars, 300 has a full maple cap against a thin slab in 250 electronics 300 has the emg actives which are close to the paf in Gibsons but are battery powered (that’s a downside) but great for live and recordings. 250 is a solid workhorse, zero maintainance or battery change and easy to upgrade the pickups or pots etc. if you are an intermediate and play at home and jam with friends, 250 is great but playing live and recording, go for 300
@@DadRockKid i basically want a one time investment as of now. so overall which one would be a good package
@@DadRockKid also sound quality wise
Cr300 is superior then as you don’t want to mod anything
can you attach tremolo bar to it?
Stock is a hard tail , after market Bigsby is an option
Sweetness!!!
Awesome 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼♥️😌😌
Custom modified tube screamer giveaway under planning for 500 subscriber milestone
Complete HX Stomp Tone Library for popular artist/songs with free IRs th-cam.com/play/PLW9IJ5cxi_ETsyv1cGBBtFpTfomPzVEu9.html
Hey Vijay. Thanks for a very informative video.
I'm looking to buy my first electric guitar. I've narrowed down my options to either Yamaha Pacifica 112V (with alnicoV pickups) or CORT CR250/300 along with Boss Katana MKII . I played some acoustic 12-13 years ago (I'm 33 now) and I intend to own and keep the one I buy for life. Would you recommend this guitar for a beginner considering thats the only one I'm going to buy ? Or do I start with a Strat? I've heard everyone ends up owning atleast one Strat and Les Paul LOL. I intend to learn mostly classic rock/punk/blues kind of stuff(not into metal ).
If it’s going to be one guitar , always a strat. There is a saying in the guitar universe...strat is like a girls black dress, can be worn for any occasion whereas Les Paul is the diamond earrings, expensive, high maintainance, very finicky and good for a few things.
@@DadRockKid God you're an angel!!! Thanks a lot for such a prompt reply sir 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I really appreciate it. Yamaha Pacifica it is.
@@Ak_thereader Thanks AK, Also if your budget and taste permits, check out Pacifica 311H ,it is the most versatile guitar on earth imho, there is no genre that you cannot do and amazing for blues & Classic rock
@@DadRockKid Will look into it right away and getting it as soon as I get one. Thanks for your suggestion kind sir 🙏🏻 will update you once it here.
@@DadRockKidPacifica 311H appears to be out of stock on most websites. Do you happen to know where one can get one?
Also, could you do a detailed review of the guitar, or at least tell us why you think it is so versatile?
Cort guitars are not even made of wood. In the 90’s I worked at a huge music store. One morning we all gasped as we walked by a cort Les Paul guitar on display that had been damaged on the display floor..it had a big chunk out of the body and it was not made of wood…it was made of some kind of gray looking rubber material that resembled what car body repairers use on cars. I am not kidding. A lot of instruments have a Cancer/ Birth defect warning/disclaimer on sales ads. I wonder if that is one reason why? So wash your hands after handling your instruments and peripherals …headphones …drop cords…instruments…cases etc.
Link to Cort CR250 on Amazon amzn.to/365QkfJ
Get down!