CORT STERLING SERIES

The Cort Sterling series guitars were made from the mid 1990s until around 2000. They had a double cut-away stratocaster style body but the body was offset allowing better balance. The Cort S series models had an extra deep cutaway for easy access to the upper frets. The headstock was designed with a three-each-side tuner layout for straight string pull from the bridge to the nut. With the S series, the higher the model number the better the specifications. Not surprisingly the overall design of the Sterling Series owes something to MusicMan - for example straight pull headstock, direct mounted uncovered pickups on some models on others the pickguard shape looks like a silhouette pickguard, Maybe there were some legal issues with MusicMan because the "Sterling" was dropped from the name and this series was marketed as "The S Series" from around 1998 onwards. The models ranged from the entry level S400 - with agathis body and Powersound pickups to the S2900 model with alder body, quilted arched maple top and Seymour Duncan pickups. Some had fixed bridges, others Full Action II tremolos or Wilkinson VS-50Ks but the S3000 was the only one fitted with a Floyd Rose tremolo.

CORT S1000

Manufacture of the Cort S1000 ended in 1999. The S1000 model featured a hand selected Mahogany body in Black and Cherry Red finish. The neck was hard rock maple with a rosewood fretboard, ring mounted MightyMite CTK Series pickups (2 Humbucking pickups) and a non tremolo standard diecast fixed bridge

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CORT S2000

The S2000 was discontinued by CORT in 1998. The S2000 was like the S1000 but had a maple fretboard and HSS pickup configuration. Other features included: light weight agathis body, Black or Crimson Burst finish. The neck was hard rock maple.Pickups were direct mount MightyMite CTKs (Single, Single, Humbucker). The bridge was a Full Action II, 2 point tremolo system.

 

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CORT S2100

CORT made the S2100 between 1997 and 1998.It was like the S400 but with a black headstock. The S2100 model had a light weight agathis body and was available in Black, White or Red Metallic finishes. The neck was hard rock maple with a  rosewood fretboard, pickguard mounted MightyMite CTK Series pickups (Single, Single, Humbucker). The bridge was a  Full Action II, 2 point tremolo system.

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CORT S2500

CORT produced the S2500 between 1996 and 2001.

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CORT S2500M

CORT manufactured the S2500M between 1996 and 1998. It was the maple bodied version of the Cort S2500. The S2500M model featured a light weight soft maple body available in Black and Amber Stain. The neck was constructed of hard rock maple with a rosewood fretboard and offset abalone dots. The scale length was 25.5" with a specially designed truss rod to strengthen the neck allowing a thinner profile. The Wilkinson VS50K with a SK5 hardness bridge plate was used along with a custom radius roller nut.

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CORT S2550

Manufacture of the Cort S2550 ended in 2000.The S2550 models featured a soft maple body, Mightymite pickups, roller nut and a Wilkinson VS50K Tremolo.

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CORT S2600

CORT discontinued the S2600 in 2000. The S2600 models featured a soft maple body, Duncan designed blade pickups, roller nut and a Wilkinson VS50K Tremolo.

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CORT S2800

The Cort S2800 was made between 1998 and 2000. The S2800 had an offset Strat style body with an extra deep cutaway allowing easy access to the upper frets. The headstock was designed for straight string pull from the bridge to the nut. The S2800 models featured a soft maple body with a quilted maple top. Duncan pickups, Sperzel Trim-lok tuners and a Wilkinson VS50II Tremolo. The earlier models had a block "Cort" logo at the 12 fret and also appeared to have a different shaped body - with a longer upper horn,  a different shaped headstock and different headstock logo.

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CORT S2900

The Cort S2900 was made between 1999 and 2000.It was like the S2500 except its alder body had a quilted maple top. Duncan pickups, Sperzel Trim-lok tuners and a Wilkinson VS50K Tremolo.
 

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CORT S3000

CORT introduced the Sterling Series S3000 in the mid 1990s and it was made until around 1998. It had a basswood body and was notable as the only Sterling Series model with a Floyd Rose tremolo.

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CORT S400

CORT produced the S400 between 1997 and 2001. The S400 model featured an agathis body, Powersound pickups, and a Wilkinson VS10 tremolo.

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CORT S500

CORT produced the S500 between 1998 and 2000. The S500 was like the S400, but had a humbucker at the bridge. Other features included: agathis body, Powersound pickups, and a Wilkinson VS10 tremolo.

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CORT SB10

Production of the Cort SB10 began in 1997 and ended in 1998. It was part of the Cort S series and had an offset Agathis body, extended cutaway with headstock designed for straight string pull. It had a single Mighty Mite humbucker.

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CORT SB70

CORT stopped making the SB70 bass around 2001. The Cort S series guitars and basses had an offset body for better balance with an extra deep cutaway. The headstock was designed for straight string pull from the bridge to the nut. The Cort SB70 bass was like the SB10 except it featured a soft maple body, Alnico bass pickup, and a Mightymite Vintage bridge.

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Specifications:

ModelImageFinish colorsFinish effectsMade inNumber of stringsScale lengthFinish material
CORT S1000
1995
black finish, red finishsunburst finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S2000
1997 to 1999
black finish, red finish, walnut finishsatin finish, sunburst finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S2100
1997 to 1998
No image yetblack finish, red finish, white finishmetallic finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S2500
1996 to 1999
No image yetamber finish, black finish, red finishsatin finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-lengthoil finish
CORT S2500M
1996 to 1998
red finishsatin finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-lengthoil finish
CORT S2550
1998 to 2001
amber finish, walnut finishsatin finish, sunburst finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S2600
1999
blue finish, red finishsunburst finish, transparent finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S2800
1998 to 2000
amber finish, walnut finishsatin finish, sunburst finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S2900
1999 to 2000
blue finish, red finishsunburst finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S3000
1995 to 1998
black finish, blue finish, red finishmetallic finish, transparent finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S400
1997 to 2001
black finish, green finish, pink finish, red finishtransparent finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT S500
1998 to 2000
black finish, blue finish, green finish, red finishtransparent finishKorea6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
CORT SB10
1998 to 2001
black finish, green finish, red finishtransparent finishKorea4 strings34 inches scale-length-
CORT SB70
2000 to 2001
amber finish, walnut finishsunburst finishKorea4 strings34 inches scale-length-
ModelTone controlsVolume controlsPickup selector controlsControls materialEQ or mix controlsNumber of control knobs
CORT S1000
1995
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2000
1997 to 1999
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2100
1997 to 1998
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2500
1996 to 1999
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2500M
1996 to 1998
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2550
1998 to 2001
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2600
1999
1 tone control, 1 tone switch1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2800
1998 to 2000
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S2900
1999 to 2000
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S3000
1995 to 1998
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S400
1997 to 2001
2 tone controls1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT S500
1998 to 2000
1 tone control1 volume control5-way selector switch---
CORT SB10
1998 to 2001
1 tone control1 volume control----
CORT SB70
2000 to 2001
-1 volume control-black controls2-band EQ control3 control knobs
ModelPickups brand and modelPickups configurationPreamp
CORT S1000
1995
Mighty Mite pickup(s)2 humbucker pickups-
CORT S2000
1997 to 1999
Mighty Mite pickup(s)2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT S2100
1997 to 1998
Mighty Mite pickup(s)2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT S2500
1996 to 1999
Mighty Mite pickup(s)2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT S2500M
1996 to 1998
Mighty Mite pickup(s)2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT S2550
1998 to 2001
Mighty Mite pickup(s)--
CORT S2600
1999
Mighty Mite pickup(s)2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT S2800
1998 to 2000
Seymour Duncan SSL-1 pickup(s), Seymour Duncan TB-4 pickup(s), Seymour Duncan pickup(s)2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT S2900
1999 to 2000
Seymour Duncan SSL-1 pickup(s), Seymour Duncan TB-4 pickup(s)--
CORT S3000
1995 to 1998
Mighty Mite pickup(s)1 single coil and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT S400
1997 to 2001
Cort Powersound pickup(s)3 single coil pickups-
CORT S500
1998 to 2000
Cort Powersound pickup(s)2 single coil pickups and 1 humbucker pickup-
CORT SB10
1998 to 2001
Mighty Mite pickup(s)1 humbucker pickup-
CORT SB70
2000 to 2001
-1 humbucker pickupactive preamp
ModelBody materialBody shape featuresPickguard shapePickguard materialBody styleBody top material
CORT S1000
1995
mahogany bodydouble cutawayno pickguard---
CORT S2000
1997 to 1999
agathis bodydouble cutawayno pickguard---
CORT S2100
1997 to 1998
agathis bodydouble cutaway-white pickguard--
CORT S2500
1996 to 1999
maple bodydouble cutawayno pickguard---
CORT S2500M
1996 to 1998
maple bodydouble cutawayno pickguard---
CORT S2550
1998 to 2001
maple bodydouble cutawayno pickguard---
CORT S2600
1999
maple bodydouble cutawayno pickguard---
CORT S2800
1998 to 2000
maple bodydouble cutaway-pearloid pickguardStratocaster stylequilted maple body top
CORT S2900
1999 to 2000
arched bodyarchtopno pickguard-archtopquilted maple body top
CORT S3000
1995 to 1998
basswood bodydouble cutawayno pickguard---
CORT S400
1997 to 2001
agathis bodydouble cutaway-white pickguard--
CORT S500
1998 to 2000
agathis bodydouble cutaway-white pickguard--
CORT SB10
1998 to 2001
agathis bodydouble cutaway-white pickguard--
CORT SB70
2000 to 2001
maple body--pearloid pickguard--
ModelBridgeHardware colorTuners
CORT S1000
1995
fixed bridgechrome hardware-
CORT S2000
1997 to 1999
Full-Action II tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S2100
1997 to 1998
Full-Action II tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S2500
1996 to 1999
Wilkinson VS-50 tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S2500M
1996 to 1998
Wilkinson VS-50 tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S2550
1998 to 2001
Wilkinson VS-50 tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S2600
1999
Wilkinson tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S2800
1998 to 2000
Wilkinson VS-50 tremologold hardwareSperzel Trim-Lok tuners
CORT S2900
1999 to 2000
-chrome hardwareSperzel Trim-Lok tuners
CORT S3000
1995 to 1998
Lo-Pro Floyd Rose licensed tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S400
1997 to 2001
Wilkinson VS10 tremolochrome hardware-
CORT S500
1998 to 2000
Wilkinson VS10 tremolochrome hardware-
CORT SB10
1998 to 2001
fixed bridgechrome hardware-
CORT SB70
2000 to 2001
-black hardware-
ModelFingerboard materialFingerboard position markersFingerboard inlay material
CORT S1000
1995
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2000
1997 to 1999
maple fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2100
1997 to 1998
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2500
1996 to 1999
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2500M
1996 to 1998
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2550
1998 to 2001
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2600
1999
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2800
1998 to 2000
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S2900
1999 to 2000
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S3000
1995 to 1998
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S400
1997 to 2001
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT S500
1998 to 2000
rosewood fingerboardoffset dot fingerboard position markers-
CORT SB10
1998 to 2001
rosewood fingerboarddot fingerboard position markers-
CORT SB70
2000 to 2001
rosewood fingerboarddot fingerboard position markersabalone fingerboard inlay material, pearloid fingerboard inlays
ModelNeck jointNeck materialNumber of fretsPeghead (headstock)Tuner layoutNutHeadstock inlays or logos
CORT S1000
1995
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-side--
CORT S2000
1997 to 1999
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fret-three-each-side--
CORT S2100
1997 to 1998
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-side--
CORT S2500
1996 to 1999
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-side--
CORT S2500M
1996 to 1998
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-side--
CORT S2550
1998 to 2001
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-sideroller nut-
CORT S2600
1999
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-side--
CORT S2800
1998 to 2000
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-side--
CORT S2900
1999 to 2000
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fretblack face headstockthree-each-side--
CORT S3000
1995 to 1998
bolt on neckmaple neck24 fretblack face headstockthree-each-sidelocking nut-
CORT S400
1997 to 2001
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fret-three-each-side--
CORT S500
1998 to 2000
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fret-three-each-side--
CORT SB10
1998 to 2001
bolt on neckmaple neck22 fret-two-each-side--
CORT SB70
2000 to 2001
-maple neck22 fret--graphite nutmetal logo on headstock