Cort G290 Modern DRS

Rating: 4.5/5

I’m returning this guitar, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t excellent. In fact, it’s one of the best instruments I’ve played in this price range. My expectations were probably unrealistically high, and that’s the main reason I decided not to keep it.

--- Pros ---

The first thing that stands out is the appearance. Of course, looks are subjective, but I think the G290 Modern is a beautiful guitar. It looks much more expensive than it actually is.

The neck is another highlight. It has a satin finish and a V-shaped profile, although I barely notice the V. It reminds me a lot of PRS necks. It is slightly thicker than a typical Fender C-shape neck, but still very comfortable.

Build quality and overall finish are excellent. The fretwork is clean, the fret ends are smooth, the guitar arrived well set up, and I could not find any noticeable flaws or quality control issues.

Comfort is also outstanding. My guitar weighed around 3.4 kg, was very well balanced, and had absolutely no neck dive. Upper fret access is much better than on most Fender-style guitars and only slightly behind a PRS, which is understandable given that PRS guitars typically use a set neck construction.

The bridge pickup (Seymour Duncan TB-4) was a pleasant surprise. I was worried that the output would be too hot for my style, but it turned out to be a fantastic pickup. I mostly play blues and rock rather than heavier genres, and it works great for that. It may not be the perfect clean pickup, but anything from edge-of-breakup tones to higher gain sounds excellent. I was also impressed by the coil split. For the first time, I found myself actually enjoying split-coil sounds, and the split bridge pickup blended very well with both the middle and neck pickups.

The middle pickup sounds fantastic on its own and also pairs very nicely with the neck pickup.

--- Things that were OK, but not perfect ---

There were a few things that did not perfectly suit my preferences, although I would not call them negatives. The neck pickup was a little brighter than I like, although the neck-and-middle combination sounded great. The middle-and-bridge position was slightly darker than I expected. Also, while the neck is very comfortable, I originally wanted this guitar for faster playing, and personally I still prefer a slimmer Fender-style C profile. That said, many players will consider the slightly thicker neck a positive feature.

--- What I did not like ---

My only real complaint is the tremolo system. It works well and stays in tune, so it is not a bad bridge by any means. However, compared to a Gotoh 510, it does not feel as smooth, light, or natural to me. I am also not a fan of screw-in tremolo arms. They tend to develop some play over time and can bind if tightened too much.

--- Overall ---

Overall, the Cort G290 Modern is an excellent guitar with great build quality, outstanding comfort, and a very versatile pickup configuration. If you do not mind a screw-in tremolo arm, or if you rarely use the tremolo at all, this guitar is an easy recommendation.