Can Cort conquer the budget baritone market with the KX257B?

25 Nov 2018 by Jef | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

Cort introduces the KX257B Baritone seven-string · Source: Cort

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Purveyor of low-cost guitars Cort has announced a new budget baritone called the KX257B. This baritone seven-string should be well suited to most modern playing styles. The guitar has a longer scale length and is fitted with high-output humbuckers.

Cort KX257B seven-string

The KX257B has a mahogany body and comes with an extended-range 27-inch scale length. Paired with the mahogany construction , the extra length should give it a better mid-range tone with a tighter low-end response. The KX257B has a jatoba fingerboard with raindrop inlays on a hard maple neck and comes finished in Matte Black (very metal).

Cort KX257B Baritone seven-string · Source: Cort

EMG RetroActive Super77-7st

What makes this even more of a metal machine. is the inclusion of a pair of EMG RetroActive Super77-7st high-output humbucking pickups. These should be perfect for the kind of high-gain playing favoured by the target customer. Hopefully, this guitar will have plenty of articulation and ability to handle those low notes.

The main controls are super simple and consist of a single Volume and Tone control, wired to a three-way toggle switch. The KX257B also has a string-through-body and hardtail bridge. That should help with sustain and tuning stability.

Budget Baritone

Yes, Cort does make some very cheap instruments, and yes, this is one of them. I still think that Cort has made some great guitars and the fact that it’s not well known for making metal guitars doesn’t automatically put me off. Just look at their Mansons collaborations on the M-Jet and MBC-1 Matt Bellamy instruments to get a sense of how well some of its guitars have been received.

For the money, this new seven-string baritone could be worth a look for anyone looking to pick up a cheap extended range guitar.

RRP- USD 599