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Cort G260CS
Fender American Ultra Telecaster
VS
Playability
67
Sound
67
Build
59
Value
74
Score
64
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Playability
72
Sound
77
Build
74
Value
64
Score
74
FIND IT ON:
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Cort G260CS vs Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Reasons to Get
Cort G260CS over Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Neck Profile
C vs Ultra Modern D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HSS vs SS
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Value Score
74 vs 64
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra Telecaster over Cort G260CS

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Compound Radius
10" to 14" vs 9.5"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Ultra Modern D vs C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickups Brand
Fender vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickup Mods
Series Split vs None
Connects pickups in series to imitate a humbucker
Pickups
SS vs HSS
Beautiful cleans
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up

Other Key Differences
Cort G260CS vs Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Bridge Pickup
Cort Voiced Tone VTH-77 vs Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Cort Voiced Tone VTS-63 vs Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele
Different Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Roasted Maple vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Pau Ferro vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Cort G260CS vs Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium vs Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Cort G260CS Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender American Ultra Telecaster is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Cort G260CS's 64 score, which is a significant difference.

The Fender American Ultra Telecaster wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Cort G260CS has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Fender American Ultra Telecaster.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender American Ultra Telecaster is the better choice.

The Fender American Ultra Telecaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Cort G260CS meets only 6. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Cort G260CS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Ultra Telecaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Cort G260CS Overview

  • From Cort's 2019 G series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Roasted Maple neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Cort Voiced Tone VTH-77 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Cort Voiced Tone VTS-63 (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Cort Voiced Tone VTS-63 (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • 2 Point Tremolo w/ Steel Bent Saddle bridge
  • C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Vintage Style tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender American Ultra Telecaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2019 American Ultra series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 10" to 14" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle American Tele with Chromed Brass Saddles bridge
  • Ultra Modern D Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts) tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Cort G260CS

Roasted Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Roasted Maple
Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro

Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.

Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.

Woods Used in the Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Cort G260CS has an HSS configuration while the Fender American Ultra Telecaster has SS pickups.

HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.

On the other hand, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

The Fender American Ultra Telecaster pickups from a more specialized brand than the Cort G260CS. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Country and similar genres.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender American Ultra Telecaster's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Fender American Ultra Telecaster.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Cort G260CS gives you 5 switch options while the Fender American Ultra Telecaster gives you 3. This means that the Cort G260CS gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Fender American Ultra Telecaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: Series Split.

The Series Split feature allows it to split and connect some of the pickups in series. When wired in series, the resulting tone is similar to a Humbucker's. The pickups will work together and produce a fuller tone with more output than single-coils, but less than Humbuckers.

Cort G260CS pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Cort G260CS's switch options
Fender American Ultra Telecaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Ultra Telecaster's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Cort G260CS.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Cort G260CS
Pickups 60
Sustain 70
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 67
Fender American Ultra Telecaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 77

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Cort G260CS compares to the Fender American Ultra Telecaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Cort G260CS is built in Indonesia while the Fender American Ultra Telecaster is made in United States.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Bone nuts. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Cort G260CS's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Telecaster's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

The Fender American Ultra Telecaster has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: Fender American Ultra Telecaster.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Cort G260CS
  • Bone Nut
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Ultra Telecaster
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Series Split Pickups
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Cort G260CS
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 59
Fender American Ultra Telecaster
Quality of materials 51
Features 75
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 74

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Cort G260CS Nut Width
Cort G260CS Nut Width
Fender American Ultra Telecaster Nut Width
Fender American Ultra Telecaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Ultra Telecaster has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.8mm (0.031'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender American Ultra Telecaster, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Cort G260CS and Fender American Ultra Telecaster's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Cort G260CS Neck Profile
Cort G260CS's neck profile
Fender American Ultra Telecaster Neck Profile
Fender American Ultra Telecaster's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Cort G260CS has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

The Fender American Ultra Telecaster, on the other hand, has a D neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

Fretboard Radius

Cort G260CS Fingerboard Radius
Cort G260CS's Fingerboard radius
Fender American Ultra Telecaster Fretboard Compound Radius
Fender American Ultra Telecaster's Compound Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender American Ultra Telecaster is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Cort G260CS favors large hands more than the Fender American Ultra Telecaster. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Cort G260CS:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Ultra Telecaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Cort G260CS Frets Size
Cort G260CS's Frets Size
Fender American Ultra Telecaster Frets Size
Fender American Ultra Telecaster's Frets Size

The Fender American Ultra Telecaster has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Cort G260CS's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Cort G260CS
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 60
Playability 67
Fender American Ultra Telecaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Cort G260CS vs Fender American Ultra Telecaster
General Cort G260CS Fender American Ultra Telecaster
Brand: Cort Fender
Year: 2019 2019
Configuration: HSS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: G American Ultra
Colors: White, Sunburst, Black White, Sunburst, Black, Blue, Brown Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: 2 Point Tremolo w/ Steel Bent Saddle 6-Saddle American Tele with Chromed Brass Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage Style Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts)
Fretboard: Pau Ferro Maple
Neck Material: Roasted Maple Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Dots Black Pearloid Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: C Ultra Modern D
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 10" to 14"
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Cort Voiced Tone VTH-77 (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Cort Voiced Tone VTS-63 (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Cort Voiced Tone VTS-63 (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None Series Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 2 1