Head to head
Cort KX500 Pale Moon vs ESP M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst
The verdict
The ESP M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst comes out ahead overall — 85 to 69 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Cort KX500 Pale Moon wins on
No standout advantage.
ESP M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst wins on
- Better build (98 vs 71)
- Better playability (81 vs 75)
- Better sound (82 vs 60)
- Better value (75 vs 69)
Scorecard
| Metric | KX500 Pale Moon | M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 69 | 85 |
| Build | 71 | 98 |
| Playability | 75 | 81 |
| Sound | 60 | 82 |
| Value | 69 | 75 |
Full specifications
| Spec | KX500 Pale Moon | M-II Ctm Fr Black Aqua C-Burst |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Cort | ESP |
| Type | Electric | Electric |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | JP |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Honduras Mahogany |
| Neck wood | Roasted Maple & Walnut 5-ply Laminated | 3Pc Maple |
| Fretboard | Macassar Ebony | Ebony |
| Strings | 6 | 6 |
| Frets | 24 | 24 |
| Scale | 25.51" | 25.5" |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan® Sentient & Nazgul | EMG 66TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Tone for Single Coil Mode) / EMG 57TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Volume for Single Coil Mode) |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | — | $7,799 |
| Body Finish | Matte (Open Pore) | — |
| Bridge | Cort® Hardtail | Floyd Rose Original |
| Colors | Natural Black Burst (NBB) | — |
| Configuration | HH | — |
| Construction | Bolt-On | Set-Thru |
| Controls | 1-Volume, 1-Tone, 3-Way Switch | Volume(Push/Pull)/Tone(Push/Pull)/3-way Switch |
| Fretboard radius | 15.75″ (R400) | 305mm |
| Fret Type | Jumbo(2.9×1.4), Stainless Steel | — |
| Hardware | Black | Black Nickel |
| Inlay | Tear Drop with Luminous Side Dots | — |
| Neck Finish | Matte | — |
| Neck profile | D Shape | Thin U |
| Neck Thickness | 1F : 19.5mm, 12F : 21.5mm | — |
| Nut | Graph Tech® Black TUSQ | Locking |
| Nut width | 1 11/16″ (43mm) | 42mm |
| Scale length | 25.5″ (648mm) | 25.5" |
| Top Material | Pale Moon Ebony (Veneer) | — |
| Truss rod | Two-way Adjustable with Spoke-nut | — |
| Tuners | Cort® Locking Tuners | Gotoh Locking |
| Bridge pickup | — | EMG 57TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Volume for Single Coil Mode) |
| Case | — | MH Guitar Form Fit Case |
| Case Included | — | Y |
| Coa | — | Y |
| Finish | — | Black Aqua C-Burst |
| Neck pickup | — | EMG 66TW Brushed Black Chrome Direct Mount *(Pull Tone for Single Coil Mode) |
| Strap Button | — | ESP Strap Lock |
| Top wood | — | Solid Flamed Maple |