“The pickups are so often the Achilles heel of more affordable guitars, and that’s no different here”: Cort Space G6MS review

What is it?

Cort is best known for its budget electric guitar builds, but its expertise reaches far beyond its own creations. By building PRS SEs to Squiers, Premium line Ibanez guitars, and Strandbergs out of its enormous Indonesian factory, Cort is something of an industry dark horse.

With the latest editions of its Space series of guitars and basses, the South Korean firm is leaning further into lessons learned from its nearly 10-year working relationship with Strandberg to bring the ergonomic playing, shred-friendly transportability, and versatility of the Swedes’ headless guitars for a fraction of the price.

The okoume body of the G6MS also tips its luthiery cap to Ibanez, who have been advocates for the mahogany alternative for many years, while stainless steel frets and roasted maple sprinkle in specs lesser spotted in the wallet-protecting gear market.

The question is, does it do a killer Strandberg impression, or does it pale in comparison to the other builds to come out of its factory?

Specs

• Price: $839.99 | £579 | €666
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string headless electric guitar
• Body: Okoume
• Neck: Roasted maple/mahogany Ergo V Neck
• Fingerboard material/radius: Roasted maple, 12″-15.75″ compound radius
• Scale length: 25″-25.5″ multi-scale
• Nut/width: 42mm
• Frets: 24 tall medium jumbo stainless steel frets
• Hardware: Cort Headless System bridge with tuner knobs
• String spacing at bridge: 58mm
• Electrics: Two Cort-voiced VTH77 humbuckers, Volume and Tone controls, five-way pickup switch
• Weight: 4lbs 9oz / 2.06kg
• Left-handed options:  None
• Finishes: Semi-Gloss Trans Black (as reviewed), Semi-Gloss Turquoise
• Case: Cort gig bag
• Contact: Cort

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

I didn’t find any rogue bumps or shoddy cuts, but unfortunately, I did experience some strange pitch wobbles when trying to tune. This was an infrequent minor annoyance. Thankfully, once it was in tune, the G6MS held its ground well enough. Picking hard didn't see it drop out of tune.

Ergonomics will always be championed in the promo material surrounding headstock-free guitars, but because the Strandberg shape cannot be copied verbatim, it isn’t quite as finessed. The contour on the bottom of the guitar doesn’t quite sit as snugly around my leg as I’d hope. If anything, I find myself leaning over the guitar more than I normally would, which isn’t great for my back, and I don't find it super accommodating to classical stance playing. But, as is becoming a theme, it does enough to get by.

Another minor note is that I sometimes find the pickup switch to be a little fizzy when changing positions. They generate a little bit of ground noise too, which is to be expected, but even the subtlest of noise gate applications tidies that up.

The guitar is feather-light, and the practically Micro Machines-sized gig bag it ships in makes it super transportable.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

Performance-wise, the Space G6MS guitar doesn’t play like its price – the gap between US and European retail accepted. It’s incredibly easy to glide across the strings, and I feel at home with the fretboard within minutes. The EndurNeck-inspired Ergo V neck traces my natural hand positions really well. It’s painless to tame, and no fret is inaccessible, save for a small but by no means deal-breaking stretch to grab frets 20-24 on the bottom three strings.

The frets are quite discreetly fanned, tapping into the benefits of fanned frets, without the wacky, oddball visage that other guitars get in soloing territory. I also like that the ‘spare’ bit of fretboard, a side effect of some fanned fret designs, is at the high end. That tucks it out of the way, versus zero fret on other multi-scale models, which I find impedes my playing.

I was forewarned that the stock action was a little high, but even though it could have been faster, it was still really forgiving. If this were someone’s first headless guitar-playing experience, it would certainly do its best in tempting them to the so-called dark side. Especially with the truss rod wheel so accessible.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★☆☆

The pickups are so often the Achilles heel of more affordable electric guitars, and that’s no different here. Though the expectation with the US price tag may understandably be even higher here. While the Cort G6MS’s twin VTH77 humbuckers aren’t bad, they’re not going to win any awards any time soon.

My initial playing experience riffing classic metal through an EVH 5150 was really positive. They have enough bark to scare off the neighbourhood cats. But away from high-gain amps, the pups are exposed.

Played clean, its high-end is dull in the middle position, and too harsh or fluffy elsewhere. They’re dialled in to be quite warm as standard, which also means their second and fourth positions are far less impactful than I’d hope. I want twang, but am left wanting.

With warmer-sounding low-mid gain lead tones, the sonically rounded humbuckers work to its advantage. Paired with a Roland JC-40 amp sim (via Fender Studio Pro 8) and a shimmery chorus pedal to compensate for the lack of brightness, they produce some pretty nice fusion tones, especially in the fourth position.

The pickups natural sustain is a little underwhelming, too. It’s not bad, but it’s not Parisienne Walkways, either, and it can get suffocated by slightly more cranked noise gates.

Searching for the right word for the guitar’s overarching tonality, I settle on meek. Away from hotter-than-the-sun amps and some serious EQ-ing, the lack of muscle lets the G6MS down. It’s coming home with Cs on its report card.

Verdict

For the outlay, there are plentiful positives here. The Cort Space G6MS plays smoothly, is incredibly lightweight, and has some seriously price-skewing features. It’s just a shame its pickups often take substantial EQ-ing to find their voice.

The G6MS might be better served as a backup to a Strandberg, rather than a rival, but for a third of the price for comparable multiscale specs (for some territories anyway), it could prove a very tempting entry point to headless guitars for curious players.

Guitar World verdict: It's not a Strandberg, but it has some of its playability perks. And while it might leave you wanting in the pickup department, it is a well-specced headless guitar for the price elsewhere, how well dependd on where in the world you're buying right now.

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