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Cort Gold-Edge
Martin M-36
VS
Playability
73
Sound
88
Build
82
Value
76
Score
81
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Playability
73
Sound
88
Build
90
Value
69
Score
84
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
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Cort Gold-Edge vs Martin M-36 Specs Comparison
Cort Gold-Edge Martin M-36
General
Brand: Cort Martin
Year: 2020 1978
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: Limited Standard
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Torrefied Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Spruce
Sides Material: Laurel Rosewood
Back Material: Laurel Rosewood
Bridge: Ebony East Indian Rosewood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Gold Vintage Machineheads w/ Black Knob Chrome Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: Walnut Reinforced Mahogany Select Hardwood
Decoration: Cort Inlays Mother-of-Pearl Style 38
Scale Size: 25.3" 25.4"
Shape: Acoustic Cort Neck Acoustic Modified Low Oval
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.748" 16"
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 45mm (1.772'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Pickups: L.R. Baggs Anthem (Preamp / Active) Fishman (Preamp / Active)
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Black & Gold Chrome

Reasons to Get
Cort Gold-Edge over Martin M-36

Release Year
2020 vs 1978
From a more recent year
Nut Width
1.772'' (45mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
25.3'' (642.6mm) vs 25.4'' (645.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.748'' (400mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
76 vs 69
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Martin M-36 over Cort Gold-Edge

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.772'' (45mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.4'' (645.2mm) vs 25.3'' (642.6mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 15.748'' (400mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Cort Gold-Edge vs Martin M-36

Back Material
Laurel vs Rosewood
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Laurel vs Rosewood
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Bone vs Compensated
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Ebony vs East Indian Rosewood
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Hardwood
Different Neck Wood

Shared Features
Cort Gold-Edge vs Martin M-36

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • 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 Gold-Edge Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

Martin M-36 Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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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 Gold-Edge:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Martin M-36:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

Both meet 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Cort Gold-Edge
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Martin M-36
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • 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

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Cort Gold-Edge

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Laurel wood pattern used for guitar building
Laurel

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.

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.

Woods Used in the Martin M-36

Hardwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Hardwood
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Hardwood is just a generic wood that can come from many species. This type of wood is used to build guitars because it provides a rich, warm sound. The wood also has good structural properties, making it durable and long-lasting.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

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

Cort Gold-Edge
Sustain 95
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 88
Martin M-36
Sustain 95
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 88

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 Gold-Edge compares to the Martin M-36.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Cort Gold-Edge is built in Indonesia while the Martin M-36 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: Martin M-36

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 Gold-Edge's are Gold Vintage Machineheads w/ Black Knob while the Martin M-36's are Chrome Enclosed Gear

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Cort Gold-Edge
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin M-36
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Compensated Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Cort Gold-Edge
Quality of materials 81
Features 85
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 82
Martin M-36
Quality of materials 84
Features 85
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 90

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 Gold-Edge Nut Width
Cort Gold-Edge Nut Width
Martin M-36 Nut Width
Martin M-36 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Cort Gold-Edge 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 Gold-Edge, 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 Gold-Edge's Scale Length
Cort Gold-Edge's Scale Length
Martin M-36's Scale Length
Martin M-36's 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 Martin M-36 has the longest scale: 25.4". The Cort Gold-Edge is only 25.3" long. This is a 0.099999999999998'' (2.5mm) 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

Cort Gold-Edge Neck Profile
Cort Gold-Edge's neck profile
Martin M-36 Neck Profile
Martin M-36'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.

Both the Cort Gold-Edge and the Martin M-36 have a C-shaped 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.

Fretboard Radius

Cort Gold-Edge Fingerboard Radius
Cort Gold-Edge's Fingerboard radius
Martin M-36 Fingerboard Radius
Martin M-36's Fingerboard 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 Cort Gold-Edge's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Martin M-36'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 Martin M-36.

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

Cort Gold-Edge and Martin M-36 Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium 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.

Final Playability Scores

Cort Gold-Edge
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Martin M-36
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73