Show Full Spec Comparison
| Cort GA5F-BW | Alvarez AFA95CESHB | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Cort | Alvarez |
| Year: | 2020 | 2022 |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | China |
| Series: | Grand | Artist |
| Colors: | Natural | Shadowburst |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Hollowbody | Hollowbody |
| Body Material: | Solid Cedar | Solid AA Western Red Cedar |
| Sides Material: | Blackwood | Other |
| Back Material: | Blackwood | Other |
| Bridge: | Ovangkol w/ Ebony Pins | Bi-Level Indian Laurel/Rosewood |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Set |
| Tuners: | Die-Cast w/ Black Knobs | Premium Chrome Die Cast |
| Fretboard: | Ovangkol | Indian Laurel/Rosewood w/12th Fret Inlay |
| Neck Material: | Mahogany | Mahogany, 50/50 Semi gloss finish |
| Decoration: | Abalone | Mother-of-pearl Design at 12th fret |
| Scale Size: | 25.3" | 24.803" |
| Shape: | Acoustic Cort | Acoustic Alvarez |
| Frets: | 20 Medium Nickel Silver | 21 Medium Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 15.748" | 14.96" |
| Nut: | Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 45mm (1.772'') | 44.5mm (1.75'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Pickups: | Fishman Presys (Preamp / Active) | LR Baggs StagePro EQ and Element Pick Up (Preamp / Active) |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Chrome |
Reasons to Get
Cort GA5F-BW over Alvarez AFA95CESHB
Reasons to Get
Alvarez AFA95CESHB over Cort GA5F-BW
Other Key Differences
Cort GA5F-BW vs Alvarez AFA95CESHB
Shared Features
Cort GA5F-BW vs Alvarez AFA95CESHB
Common Strengths
- Solid Top Wood
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Solid Side Wood
- Solid Back Wood
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Locking Tuners
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
Cort GA5F-BW Prices
Alvarez AFA95CESHB Prices
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .
Cort GA5F-BW:
Alvarez AFA95CESHB:
Beginner Friendliness
The Alvarez AFA95CESHB meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Cort GA5F-BW meets only 3. 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 GA5F-BW- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Soft Strings
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Alvarez AFA95CESHB- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Soft Strings
- Locking tuners
Sound Quality Comparison
The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .
Woods Used in Both
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
This is a softwood that is commonly used for acoustic guitars. It's known for its warm tone with strong overtones. However, there are many species so the tone and look can vary a lot.
Woods Used in the Cort GA5F-BW
Ovangkol is a beautiful wood that's popular for acoustic guitars. Its tone sits somewhere between rosewood and mahogany, meaning it has a punchy low-end and nice mid-range. Find out more about Ovangkol.
It's similar to Mahogany and Koa but comes in a much darker color. Its tone is also comparable. As a dense wood, it gives a powerful punch with lots of resonance.
Woods Used in the Alvarez AFA95CESHB
There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.
It's an uncommon material that lacks more information.
Winner: Tie.
Electronics
Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.
Winner:Tie.
Final Sound Quality Scores
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 GA5F-BW compares to the Alvarez AFA95CESHB.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Cort GA5F-BW is built in Indonesia while the Alvarez AFA95CESHB is made in China.
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.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
Winner: Cort GA5F-BW
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.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Cort GA5F-BW's are Die-Cast w/ Black Knobs while the Alvarez AFA95CESHB's are Premium Chrome Die Cast
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Cort GA5F-BW
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Electronics
- Bone Saddle
- Solid Top Wood
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- Laminated Side Wood
- Laminated Back Wood
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Alvarez AFA95CESHB
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Electronics
- Bone Saddle
- Solid Top Wood
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- Laminated Side Wood
- Laminated Back Wood
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
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
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Cort GA5F-BW has the wider nut with 45mm (1.772'') vs 44.5mm (1.75''). This is a 0.5mm (0.022'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Cort GA5F-BW, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
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.
The Cort GA5F-BW has the longest scale: 25.3". The Alvarez AFA95CESHB is only 24.803" long. This is a 0.497'' (12.6mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
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
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 GA5F-BW 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 Alvarez AFA95CESHB, 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
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 Alvarez AFA95CESHB's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Cort GA5F-BW's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Cort GA5F-BW.
Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.
Fret Size
Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.
