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Ibanez KIKO100
Cort X500 Menace
VS
Playability
77
Sound
84
Build
73
Value
68
Score
78
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Playability
73
Sound
76
Build
65
Value
76
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
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Ibanez KIKO100 vs Cort X500 Menace

Reasons to Get
Ibanez KIKO100 over Cort X500 Menace

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
Flamed Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2022 vs 2021
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
KIKO vs D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HSH vs HH
High output, round sound with a single-coil for cleans
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Edge vs Floyd Rose
Intense vibratos with more features than a Floyd Rose

Reasons to Get
Cort X500 Menace over Ibanez KIKO100

Type of Frets
Medium vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Compound Radius
12" to 15.75" vs 15.75"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
D vs KIKO
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Bolt-On
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Pickups
HH vs HSH
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Edge
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Value Score
76 vs 68
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Ibanez KIKO100 vs Cort X500 Menace

Bridge Pickup
DiMarzio KIKO original vs Seymour Duncan Nazgul
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
DiMarzio KIKO original vs Seymour Duncan Sentient
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Purpleheart
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs R6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Ibanez KIKO100 vs Cort X500 Menace

Nut Material
Locking
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Common Strengths

  • Retainer Bar
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Ibanez KIKO100 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Cort X500 Menace's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Ibanez KIKO100 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Cort X500 Menace has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Ibanez KIKO100.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 4 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

Ibanez KIKO100
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Cort X500 Menace
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

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.

Ibanez KIKO100 Overview

  • From Ibanez's 2022 KIKO series
  • Kiko Loureiro Signature
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Flamed Maple top
  • Alder body
  • Maple/Walnut neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DiMarzio KIKO original (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: DiMarzio KIKO original Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DiMarzio KIKO original (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Edge tremolo bridge
  • KIKO Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Gotoh machine heads tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Cort X500 Menace Overview

  • From Cort's 2021 X series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" to 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • 7pcs Maple, Purple heart & Panga Panga neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Nazgul (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Sentient (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • FloydRose 1000 Series Tremolo bridge
  • D Neck-Through 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 Ibanez KIKO100

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Cort X500 Menace

Purpleheart wood pattern used for guitar building
Purpleheart
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Purpleheart (also known as Amaranth) is a hard, dense wood with a brilliant tone. As its name suggests, the purple color makes this wood look exotic.

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.

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: Cort X500 Menace.

Pickup Configuration

The Ibanez KIKO100 has an HSH configuration while the Cort X500 Menace has HH pickups.

HSH is a versatile pickup configuration that will give you the high output, full tone, and quiet sound of humbucker pickups, but with the possibility of using a single coil for cleaner tones. The disadvantage is that the middle single-coil pickup will have a noticeable lower volume, so you might want to adjust the height of the pickups. Another problem is that if you set the middle pickup too high, it might interfere with your picking hand.

On the other hand, 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

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Cort X500 Menace's online:

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 Ibanez KIKO100 gives you 5 switch options while the Cort X500 Menace gives you 3. This means that the Ibanez KIKO100 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Ibanez KIKO100 comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

Ibanez KIKO100 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez KIKO100's switch options
Cort X500 Menace pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Cort X500 Menace'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: Ibanez KIKO100.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Ibanez KIKO100
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 84
Cort X500 Menace
Pickups 85
Sustain 70
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 76

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 Ibanez KIKO100 compares to the Cort X500 Menace.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez KIKO100 is built in Japan while the Cort X500 Menace is made in Indonesia.

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

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: Ibanez KIKO100

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 Locking nuts. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

Both models come with a retainer bar, which is helpful when changing the strings on a double-locking tremolo. Without it, the strings would change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'd have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly

Winner: Tie.

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 Ibanez KIKO100's brige is a Edge. This is a double-locking tremolo system designed by Ibanez. It's a tremolo inspired by Floyd Roses but with its own design improvements, like a push-in arm, better-positioned fine-tuners for more right-hand comfortability, replaceable knife edges, and more mass for more sustain. These bridges offer tons of versatility, but they also require more work than simpler tremolos to set up.

On the other hand, the Cort X500 Menace's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

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: Ibanez KIKO100.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Ibanez KIKO100's are Gotoh machine heads while the Cort X500 Menace'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 Ibanez KIKO100 has a 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.

On the other hand, the Cort X500 Menace comes with Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.

Winner: Cort X500 Menace.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez KIKO100
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Cort X500 Menace
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Ibanez KIKO100
Quality of materials 55
Features 70
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 73
Cort X500 Menace
Quality of materials 41
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 65

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

Ibanez KIKO100 Nut Width
Ibanez KIKO100 Nut Width
Cort X500 Menace Nut Width
Cort X500 Menace Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Cort X500 Menace 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 Cort X500 Menace, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Ibanez KIKO100 and Cort X500 Menace'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 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

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

Ibanez KIKO100 Neck Profile
Ibanez KIKO100's neck profile
Cort X500 Menace Neck Profile
Cort X500 Menace'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 Ibanez KIKO100 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 X500 Menace, 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

Ibanez KIKO100 Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez KIKO100's Fingerboard radius
Cort X500 Menace Fretboard Compound Radius
Cort X500 Menace's Compound 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 Cort X500 Menace is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

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 X500 Menace favors large hands more than the Ibanez KIKO100. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Ibanez KIKO100:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Cort X500 Menace:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Ibanez KIKO100 Frets Size
Ibanez KIKO100's Frets Size
Cort X500 Menace Frets Size
Cort X500 Menace's Frets Size

The Ibanez KIKO100 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Cort X500 Menace'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

Ibanez KIKO100
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77
Cort X500 Menace
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 90
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Ibanez KIKO100 vs Cort X500 Menace
General Ibanez KIKO100 Cort X500 Menace
Brand: Ibanez Cort
Year: 2022 2021
Configuration: HSH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan Indonesia
Series: KIKO X
Colors: Red Black Satin, Gray Satin
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Mahogany
Bridge: Edge tremolo FloydRose 1000 Series Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Neck-Through
Tuners: Gotoh machine heads Die-Cast
Fretboard: Rosewood Ebony
Neck Material: Maple/Walnut 7pcs Maple, Purple heart & Panga Panga
Decoration: KIKO special
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: KIKO D
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.878'' (22.3mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 12" to 15.75"
Nut: Locking Locking
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: DiMarzio KIKO original (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Nazgul (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: DiMarzio KIKO original Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: DiMarzio KIKO original (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Sentient (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1