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Cort Yorktown-BV
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
VS
Playability
75
Sound
61
Build
60
Value
70
Score
65
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Playability
70
Sound
59
Build
50
Value
75
Score
60
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Cort Yorktown-BV vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Reasons to Get
Cort Yorktown-BV over Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Country of Manufacturing
Indonesia vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
Spruce vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs H
High output without hum
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 Tremolo
Intense vibrato with a solid arm
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone

Reasons to Get
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware over Cort Yorktown-BV

Release Year
2021 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Pickups
H vs HH
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
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
Tremolo vs Bigsby Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
75 vs 70
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Cort Yorktown-BV vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Bridge Pickup
Voiced Tone VTH-59 vs Alnico-V Zebra Coil Humbucker
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Spruce vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ovangkol vs Granadillo
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Cort Yorktown-BV vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium vs Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • 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 Yorktown-BV is probably the better product overall with its final score of 65 compared to the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's 60 score, although not by a lot.

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

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware is the better choice.

The Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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

Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
  • 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 >

Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Overview

  • From Kramer's 2021 Original series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Granadillo fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Alnico-V Zebra Coil Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • Kramer Traditional Tremolo bridge
  • Slim Profile Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Die Cast 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

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.

Woods Used in the Cort Yorktown-BV

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

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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Granadillo wood pattern used for guitar building
Granadillo
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Granadillo is often used as a replacement for rosewood, but it's not widely available. It is harder and denser, so the tone is said to be more chimey than rosewood.

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.

Winner: Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware.

Pickup Configuration

The Cort Yorktown-BV has an HH configuration while the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware has H pickups.

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.

On the other hand, A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

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

The Cort Yorktown-BV gives you 3 switch options while the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware gives you 0. This means that the Cort Yorktown-BV gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

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

Cort Yorktown-BV pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Cort Yorktown-BV's switch options

The Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware doesn't come with pickup switching 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
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
Pickups 60
Sustain 65
Versatility 52
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 59

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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Cort Yorktown-BV is built in Indonesia while the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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 Yorktown-BV

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 Plastic nuts. 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.

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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's 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.

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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's are Die Cast

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.

The Cort Yorktown-BV has 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.

On the other hand, the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware comes with 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: Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware.

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
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
  • Expensive Wood
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

Cort Yorktown-BV
Quality of materials 50
Features 60
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 60
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
Quality of materials 41
Features 55
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 50

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
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Nut Width
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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's Scale Length
Cort Yorktown-BV's Scale Length
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's Scale Length
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware'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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware has the longest scale: 25.5". The Cort Yorktown-BV is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) 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 Yorktown-BV Neck Profile
Cort Yorktown-BV's neck profile
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Neck Profile
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware'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 Yorktown-BV and the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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 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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Cort Yorktown-BV:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Cort Yorktown-BV Frets Size
Cort Yorktown-BV's Frets Size
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Frets Size
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's Frets Size

The Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Cort Yorktown-BV'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 Yorktown-BV
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 75
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70

Specs Side-by-Side

Cort Yorktown-BV vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
General Cort Yorktown-BV Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
Brand: Cort Kramer
Year: 2013 2021
Configuration: HH H
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia China
Series: Hollow Body Original
Colors: Black Burst White, Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Spruce Mahogany
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic & Bigsby B60 Vibrato Kramer Traditional Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage Style Die Cast
Fretboard: Ovangkol Granadillo
Neck Material: Canadian Hard Maple Maple
Decoration: Rectangular White Pearl Black Dot
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: C Slim Profile
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 41.3mm (1.625'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker / Passive) Alnico-V Zebra Coil Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Voiced Tone VTH-59 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 0