Cort KX500 Pale Moon review

Cort’s massive Indonesian factory makes a hell of a lot of electric and acoustic guitars year on year. Strandberg, Squier, Ibanez, and PRS SE guitars are all built there, and it’s having a huge impact on market affordability. With the KX500 Pale Moon, Cort itself is showing off the kind of boutique-looking rock and metal machine it can make for a cent under $900 – with even more tempting street prices to be found in the UK and mainland Europe.

Naturally, the striking pale moon ebony top is the first feature to catch the eye. Beneath that is a mahogany body, which pairs with a five-piece roasted maple-and-walnut neck, topped with macassar ebony and 24 stainless-steel frets.

Its hardtail bridge and locking tuners are Cort-branded, but the South Korean firm has gone with the tried-and-tested, fabled Seymour Duncan Sentient and Nazgul humbucker partnership to ensure—it hopes—it looks as good as it sounds.

It sits at an interesting price point. It’s more expensive than, say, Harley Benton’s well-spec’d budget builds, but still remains under the $1K threshold with room to breathe, meaning it gets some solid specs without tipping the scales. Furthermore, it also makes it more likely to appeal to more serious – rather than solely beginner – players.