Swap
Swap
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged
Cort X100
VS
Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
73
Value
58
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Playability
73
Sound
62
Build
54
Value
73
Score
63
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Add more to comparison

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged vs Cort X100

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged over Cort X100

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
2-Piece Figured Maple, Hide Glue Fit vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2022 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Pickups Brand
Gibson Custom vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Nylon vs Plastic
Resistant nut with good tuning stability
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Paint Finish
Relic vs Poly
Looks like an old and slightly beaten up instrument
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Cort X100 over Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged

Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Paint Finish
Poly vs Relic
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
73 vs 58
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged vs Cort X100

Bridge Pickup
Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) vs Powersound Humbucker
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) vs Powersound Humbucker
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Meranti
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Jatoba
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Nylon vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged vs Cort X100

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
D
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Prices

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Cort X100's 63 score, which is a significant difference.

The Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Cort X100 has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Cort X100 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 X100 is the better choice.

The Cort X100 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged 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

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Cort X100
  • 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.

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Murphy Lab series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • 2-Piece Figured Maple, Hide Glue Fit top
  • 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • No-Wire ABR-1 bridge
  • 60s SlimTaper Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Kluson Single Line, Double Ring tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Cort X100 Overview

  • From Cort's 2018 X series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Meranti body
  • Hard Maple neck
  • Jatoba fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Powersound Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Powersound Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Point Tremolo bridge
  • D Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Medium 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 the Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
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.

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.

Woods Used in the Cort X100

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Jatoba wood pattern used for guitar building
Jatoba
Meranti wood pattern used for guitar building
Meranti

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.

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.

Meranti is an affordable wood used mainly for affordable electric guitars. It's generally lighter and softer than Mahogany. Find out more about Meranti.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged.

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

The Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Cort X100. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.

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: Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged.

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:

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged and Cort X100 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged and Cort X100'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 X100.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72
Cort X100
Pickups 55
Sustain 65
Versatility 69
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 62

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 Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged compares to the Cort X100.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged is built in United States while the Cort X100 is made in Indonesia.

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.

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: Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged

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 Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged has a Nylon nut. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time

On the other hand, the Cort X100 comes with 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.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged.

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 Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's brige 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.

On the other hand, the Cort X100'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: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's are Kluson Single Line, Double Ring while the Cort X100'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 Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged 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 Cort X100 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: Cort X100.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Cort X100
  • 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 Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged
Quality of materials 70
Features 50
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 73
Cort X100
Quality of materials 41
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 54

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

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Nut Width
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Nut Width
Cort X100 Nut Width
Cort X100 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.9mm (0.034'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's Scale Length
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's Scale Length
Cort X100's Scale Length
Cort X100'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 Cort X100 has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged 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

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's neck profile
Cort X100 Neck Profile
Cort X100'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 Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged and the Cort X100 have a D-shaped 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

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's Fingerboard radius
Cort X100 Fingerboard Radius
Cort X100'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 Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Cort X100'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 X100.

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''.

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 Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged favors large hands more than the Cort X100. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Cort X100:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Frets Size
Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged's Frets Size
Cort X100 Frets Size
Cort X100's Frets Size

The Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Cort X100'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

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Cort X100
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged vs Cort X100
General Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Light Aged Cort X100
Brand: Gibson Custom Cort
Year: 2022 2018
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States Indonesia
Series: Murphy Lab X
Colors: Red Burst Black, Red, Red Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany Meranti
Bridge: No-Wire ABR-1 6-Point Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Kluson Single Line, Double Ring Die-Cast
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Jatoba
Neck Material: Mahogany Hard Maple
Decoration: Aged Cellulose Nitrate Trapezoid Pearloid Offset Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: 60s SlimTaper D
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.93'' (23.6mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 15.75"
Nut: Nylon Plastic
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker / Passive) Powersound Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker / Passive) Powersound Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1