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Cort Yorktown-BV
Cort CR200
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Playability
75
Sound
61
Build
60
Value
70
Score
65
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Playability
77
Sound
65
Build
55
Value
76
Score
66
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Cort Yorktown-BV vs CR200

Reasons to Get
Cort Yorktown-BV over CR200

Decorative Top
Spruce vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Number of Frets
20 vs 22
Warmer neck pickup
Neck Profile
C vs Vintage
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Bigsby Tremolo vs Fixed
Intense vibrato with a solid arm

Reasons to Get
Cort CR200 over Yorktown-BV

Release Year
2016 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Vintage vs C
Thick neck that gives you a better grip
Nut Material
NuBone vs Plastic
Hard and self-lubricating nut to keep it in tune
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Number of Frets
22 vs 20
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Bigsby Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Value Score
76 vs 70
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Cort Yorktown-BV vs CR200

Body Wood
Spruce vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ovangkol vs Jatoba
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Plastic vs NuBone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Cort Yorktown-BV vs CR200

Bridge Pickup
Voiced Tone VTH-59
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Voiced Tone VTH-59
Same Neck Pickup
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Cort Yorktown-BV Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Cort CR200 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 66 compared to the Cort Yorktown-BV's 65 score, although not by a lot.

The Cort CR200 wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Cort Yorktown-BV has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Cort Yorktown-BV is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Cort CR200 is the better choice.

The Cort CR200 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Cort Yorktown-BV meets only 4. 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 Yorktown-BV
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Cort CR200
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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 Yorktown-BV Overview

  • From Cort's 2013 Hollow Body series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Spruce top
  • Spruce body
  • Canadian Hard Maple neck
  • Ovangkol fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic & Bigsby B60 Vibrato bridge
  • C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Vintage Style tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Cort CR200 Overview

  • From Cort's 2016 CR series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Jatoba fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic w/ Stop Tailpiece bridge
  • Vintage Set neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Vintage 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 the Cort Yorktown-BV

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ovangkol wood pattern used for guitar building
Ovangkol
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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.

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.

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 CR200

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Jatoba wood pattern used for guitar building
Jatoba

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.

Jatoba is a hard and dense wood that emphasizes the mid-lows, giving a fuller, more round sound than, for example, Mahogany. However, it also has a lot of clarity in the top end. Find out more about Jatoba.

Winner: Cort CR200.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.

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: Tie.

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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

They both share the following switching options:

Cort Yorktown-BV and Cort CR200 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Cort Yorktown-BV and Cort CR200'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 Yorktown-BV.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Cort Yorktown-BV
Pickups 60
Sustain 65
Versatility 58
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 61
Cort CR200
Pickups 60
Sustain 75
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 65

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 Yorktown-BV compares to the Cort CR200.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

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.

Winner: Tie

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.

The Cort Yorktown-BV has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Cort CR200 comes with a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

Winner: Cort CR200.

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 Yorktown-BV's brige is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.

On the other hand, the Cort CR200'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: Cort Yorktown-BV.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Cort Yorktown-BV's are Vintage Style while the Cort CR200's are Vintage

Winner: Tie.

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 Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Cort Yorktown-BV
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Cort CR200
  • Expensive Wood
  • NuBone Nut
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Cort Yorktown-BV
Quality of materials 50
Features 60
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 60
Cort CR200
Quality of materials 51
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 55

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 Yorktown-BV Nut Width
Cort Yorktown-BV Nut Width
Cort CR200 Nut Width
Cort CR200 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Cort Yorktown-BV has the wider nut with 41.9mm (1.65'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 0.6mm (0.025'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Cort Yorktown-BV, 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 Yorktown-BV and Cort CR200'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 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

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 Yorktown-BV Neck Profile
Cort Yorktown-BV's neck profile
Cort CR200 Neck Profile
Cort CR200'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 Yorktown-BV 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 Cort CR200, on the other hand, has a Vintage neck. This means that it's thicker than most modern necks, and makes it a better fit for playing chords and slow solos. Some people prefer this type of neck because it gives them a better grip thanks to the extra mass. Still, the vast majority prefer a thinner, faster, and more ''modern'' neck.

Fretboard Radius

Cort Yorktown-BV Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same 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.

Both the Cort Yorktown-BV and the Cort CR200 have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

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 CR200 favors large hands more than the Cort Yorktown-BV. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Cort Yorktown-BV:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Cort CR200:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Cort Yorktown-BV and Cort CR200 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 Yorktown-BV
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 75
Cort CR200
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 85
Solo Playability 60
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Cort Yorktown-BV vs CR200
General Cort Yorktown-BV CR200
Brand: Cort Cort
Year: 2013 2016
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Hollow Body CR
Colors: Black Burst Gold, Black, Blue
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Spruce Mahogany
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic & Bigsby B60 Vibrato Tune-O-Matic w/ Stop Tailpiece
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Vintage Style Vintage
Fretboard: Ovangkol Jatoba
Neck Material: Canadian Hard Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Rectangular White Pearl Rectangular White Pearl
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: C Vintage
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Plastic NuBone
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 41.3mm (1.625'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker / Passive) Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker / Passive) Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 2