Cort G280 review

With such a well-rooted background in value-for-money rock axes, it's no surprise that Cort's G280 hot-rodded double-cut is one well put together instrument.

We're big fans of the slightly offset S-type look, while the glitzy Mocha Bronze Pearl finish is surprisingly classy up close. Then there's the neck... oh, the neck!

With an ever-so-slight satin feel (not far off the hand-rubbed oil necks on the EVH Stripe Series), and a width somewhere between a traditional S-type and an Ibanez Wizard, the G280's playability certainly hits the spot.

You could argue that the well-worn pairing of Seymour Duncan '59 and JB humbuckers is hardly a recipe for cutting-edge tone, but they offer exactly what you want from a guitar such as this: straight-up classic sounds.

While the '59 has warmth and clarity for clean barre chords, the JB bridge humbucker has the fire to cash the EVH-sized cheques written by the shred-friendly neck.

Outside of tight distorted rhythms and leads, there's plenty to attract non- rockers, too, thanks to the sparkly coil-split cleans. Funk is within reach, as is Hendrix-y blues.

The G280 offers obscene value for money - if we could give it a six for this category, we would. Everything from the neck to the tones to the Wilkinson vibrato and tuning stability is engineered precisely to deliver serious performance.