Cort KX500 Pale Moon

There’s a definite niche for players who want an upscale look and premium features, without breaking the bank. Cort is on the case with its KX500 Pale Moon, a superstrat with an unusual (and rather swank) ebony top paired with other tone tools. The superstrat, that wondrous invention of the 1980s, took the double-cut Leo shape and tricked it out with humbuckers and the quickest necks possible. The KX500 catches the eye with its Pale Moon finish, a smokey dark burst with a matte lacquer and heavy grain figuring. More interestingly, it’s an ebony veneer, which is rarely used for solidbody tops, while the rest of the body is mahogany. Using a contoured heel, the bolt-on neck (25.5″ scale) is a five-piece laminate of roasted maple and walnut topped with a Maccassar ebony fretboard. Among its perks are 24 stainless-steel frets, a flat radius of 15.75″, teardrop inlays, black Graph Tech nut, and side inlays that glow in the dark onstage or in your basement jamatorium. For electronics, the Pale Moon has a time-honored Gibson array with two humbuckers and a three-way selector. Cort loaded the KX500 with a set of Seymour Duncan Sentient and Nazgûl humbuckers, and no superfluous coil-tapping – just passive, high-output ’bucker tone. Master Volume and Tone knobs keep things simple. Cranked up, the Pale Moon naturally gravitates towards heavier rock, from the classics and Satch/Vai/Petrucci shred, to all manner of 21st-century crunchdom. In hand, the Pale Moon is a quick-necked beastie, with that nearly-flat fretboard and low-action setup. No surprise, the roasted neck has the shallower D shape that speedsters prefer, offering ample performance for high-tech picking and riffing. Locking Cort tuners and hardtail bridge ensure reliable tuning. Granted, the KX500 isn’t a Telecaster and likely won’t find a home with country and blues twangers, but if your jam is Metallica, Dream Theater, or Porcupine Tree, this ebony-topped plank delivers the goods in the under-a-grand bracket. Bring your own saturated-gain pedal of choice. – Pete Prown This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2026 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.