Cort HBS Hiram Bullock Signature

Read the others to get the details... Not sure of the year as I bought it used.

The pups are a bit weak and the middle is noisy by itself being single coil. The 'buckers sound alright. The roller nut is noisy when bending strings. The roller "pops" when the string moves horizontally, especially the 3rd string.

The wood is very good in this guitar. The fit & finish are very good. The action is good and the balance is very good. The birds eye maple is very nice and the neck is not too thin or chunky. The frets feel good. The factory setup doesn't apply as I got it used.

The electronics are fair quality at best. The roller nut has been replaced by a better Wilkinson design by myself. Much less noise! I replaced the input jack (for durability) and pups to suit my style and ears. The other hardware is good and will hold up as will the finish.

Don't know...

With some work, this is a nice player and very versatile. I would recommend it to anyone handy with tools and soldering skills to bring it to a fully useful state. I got it used and it had been abused a bit but not harmed in any functional way. Just road rash and carelessness. The design is good and balance is nice. I put a EMG Select stack in the middle position and a pair of Golden Age zebra pups in the neck and bridge. It still has a Strat quack in the 2 & 4 positions and sounds very nice for blues and classic rock. I like the recessed straplocks and Sperzel tuners.

Purchased used off ebay from a great guy, made in Korea, Strat clone of sorts, nice bolt on neck, H/S/H, (mighty mite), volume and tone controls, 5 way switch, rosewood neck, tobaccco sunburst, wilkinson trem, sperzel tuners, I think the frets are a meduim size. better equipment than most at this price

This is a really nice sounding guitar, has nice snappy sounds, more in the vintage type sounds, which is what I enjoy, but I am going to upgrade all 3 pickups to Fralins splits, or GFS splits, (like the ones used in Thinline Teles) to drive my amp harder. I'm using a VHT Super Thirty, and it's a very clean amp, so these should push it just the right for the subtle overdrive I like. The stock pickups I'm sure would be fine with a tweed amp, or brown face, or small brit combo, but they don't have enough Umph to drive this VHT. (If you have never heard this amp, it's a special little beast) Not a huge fan of Wilkinson Trems, but this will be ok, for the $$ hard to beat .rating an 8 only because of weaker pickups

Finish was outstanding, and the setup was incredible, plays as well any any I have ever played in 30 years, fit and finish far above any stock fender, or gibson, that's for sure, frets were perfect. it's a really well put together guitar, and very resonant. The bad things as with all of the overseas guitars are the pots and switch. the switch and pots are really bad, but for a few bucks they will be changed to CTS, and a high quality switch, and all will be fine. I'm not a fan of Trems in general, so I may lock the trem all together, just to be able to stay in pitch all the time. rated 9 because of electronics, otherwise it's a 10

it's cort, and don't see any problems here. Cort and Samick build a huge percentage of guitars out on the market.

don't think I'll need them, never have on a guitar.

Playing 30+ years, tons of gear, very picky about tone, but know that a $3,000.00 gibson does not automatically mean your going to get it there. I have always looked in different directions than the mainstream, and have found good stuff, if your willing to look outside the normal channels, (like a Cort guitar) you can find great gear

It is a 2005 made in Korea 22 vintage frets completely black 5 way selector mighty might humbuckers and powersound single in the middle-H-S-H 1 Volume 1 tone control switch. Swampash body and birdseye maple neck and fingerboard and finish. A creative and thinner body style like Jagstang :) Strap lock buttons and wilkinson bridge and Sperzel tuners are great...

I play blues and rock and this guitar just does what it is supposed to... I am using Marshall valvestate and an analog set up, noise is as much as the other guitars. Sound is really bright and full with room kind of reverb. This guitar is just like a scream machine, variety of the sounds is great, something like limitless with a good setup. The only thing I don't like about this guitar is the screw on the input easily and repeatedly loosen itself. I haven't had any problems about it yet. I've been playing this guitar for about 5 months now. No problem about the nut or the bridge.

Well the action is really good for that price. Pickup adjustment was standart like any other first hand guitars. Bridge is properly routed. It doesn't have any flaws. I can easily say yt was built perfectly

I've always been on the stage since I first bought it and haven't had any problems and I expect the hardware to last at least for another 5 years it is likely. Frets have already been worn especially first 4 of them. I think I'll have to replace with jumbo ones. Strap buttons will alst forever but one problem is the one at the top was moving the other day. I'll have to glue it and make it solid. Yes you can depend on this guitar well Hiram bullock does...

Haven't dealt with the company. The distributor says it's under life time warranty but haven't had any problems yet

I'm told this is a "recent" model, sunburst with the rosewood board and roller nut. To me the nut matches the LSR brand in look and quality, none of the perceived tuning, noise or "cross talk" problems mentioned in previous reviews. Solid nicely-grained elongated Strat-like ash body, a little smaller than I would have liked, but this probably enhances comfort and playability more than anything. Substantial but not too girthy birdseye maple neck, locking tuners, straplocks, Wilkinson trem. H-S-H P/U's, this one comes to me with replacement Dimarzio HB's and the original Mighty-mite single coil (surprisingly high output). Anyway, feature-wise, this one's loaded at any price.

I play blues, jazz, R&B, fusion, progressive rock. This guitar handles all of it, with the normal complement of sounds a 5-way switch can provide. The neck pickup is maybe just a shade muddy for my taste, the middle P/U is strong, bright and dead-on vintage Strat. Bridge setting yields very Santana-like leads. No noise problems so far, have not gigged with it yet, but I will in a couple of weeks; I will update if it craps out on me, but not anticipating any problems. Overall very versatile, first-class tones.

If you can't play this guitar -- well, sorry, but you can't play. Action and set-up is spot-on, fit and finish immaculate. I did loosen the two trem-spring screws in the back to raise the bridge and allow pull-up on the trem bar, and barely had to retune the thing. Wilkinson bridge performs very predictably; G string may go slightly sharp after radical divebombing, but a quick tug up on the bar always corrects it. One note: this guitar came to me with two graphite string guides holding down the first three strings, and with compensated string-tree heights. One reviewer mentioned a problem with the D-string coming off the roller nut -- no such problem here.

Just got the guitar, but it's clearly more durable than my Strat. I'm not worried.

Won't be needing it.

I've played for 40 years, owned 3 PRS's, 10 or so Strats, 3 Les Pauls, countless others. I've always been skeptical about perceived guitar values, and this guitar only increases that skepticism. In cost/value the so-called cheap imports continue to eat our lunch. Yeah, I'd buy this guitar again, at full price.

2000's made in Korea, 21 frets, solid body electric, vol, tone, 5-way selector, HSH config, Mighty Mite pickups, passive electronics, light swamp ash body, birdseye maple neck, strat style body, wilkinson vs50II bridge,roller nut, sperzels, Dunlop Strap locks.

I've listed to Hiram Bullock and have always wondered why such a talented guitar player has such a think lousy sound, now I know why, this guitar (probably the pickups) is very thin shounding and does not feel alive in your hands as others would. Hiram does claim on his website to actually play this same guitar, stock, as it is, at least that is the assumption we make from reading his statement, I am surprised by this since it is very weak sounding and noisy like crazy due to the quality of the electronics, even small particles of dust render this "guitar" noisy and useless. It was loaded with features, which is why I bought it to begin with but I now regret spending my hard earned cash on this toy! Beware of marketing gimmicks!! there are also apparently 2 versions of this guitar which I have not tried one with the graphtec nut and the brown sunburst one, I cannot comment on these, I ordered the 2005 model, the one with the grapthtec nut but they still sent the older wrong guitar with the roller nut. By the way stay away from the roller nut as it is very noisy when you bend strings, there is string talk between the metal parts of the nut and strings. This again is not a good thing feature wise in a "pro" gutiar. The guitar is played through a Berhinger Blue Devil on various settings, clean and dirty, I also use a Tech 21 GT2 in various modes also. The guitar sounds extremely thin with no bottom, very tinny, noisy pots and 5-way not matter how much I clean them, Sorry Hiram this guitar sucks Big Time!

It's a shame because right out of the box the guitar looked and felt great while sitting with it, I really like the shape, a cool modified strat shape. The HSH pickup combo seems versatile and balanced well, just weak like crazy. A quick truss rod adjustment and the guitar seemed finished well. Roller nut noisy when string bending.

Not a live stage guitar, I would not dare, the thought terrifies me, it looks good but doesn't perform well. In addition, I know this is not just a fluke. The finish is good, dunlop strap locks recessed into the body (cool feature) I would not depend on it, nor would I use it live, ever. It would not even be my backup. I now use it a junk practice guitar.

Have not dealt with customer support.

I've been playing since jr High and owned many guitars since then too numerous to mention. I wish I would have asked if the 2005 HBS was sent and not this piece of substandard gear. Maybe they have fixed some of those issued since this particular model, Don't know. I would not even consider replacing if stolen, Actually if stolen I doubt the thief would keep it, if returned I would throw it away, which I considered many times since purchasing. maybe I could leave it on the sidewalk and have it stolen, and see if it does come back, maybe with a note that reads "never mind" or "change of heart" just for kicks. Apologies in advance to all of you happy HBS owners out there. My wishes for this guitar are: WAY!! Lower Price for this model as is qualitywise!!! WAY better pickups, graphite nut and quiet electronics. Everything else I'd keep but for now It's gotta go. I will not spend a dime to upgrade what should have been correct to begin with. Especially in what CORT claims to be signature model. Do these issues also plague Hiram Bullock's guitars? I wonder.

2004 model, Birdseye Maple Neck, Sperzel Locking, Wilkinson Trem, Mighty Mite Pickups, Ash Body, Graphtec Tremnut, Etc......

I play in the studio and in the praise band. Just sold a Strat and was looking for something with a little more versatility. Played some of the newer Am. Deluxe Strats, a ton of other guitars from different companys. The HBS was the most versatile in sound. The humbuckers are smooth and sweet in positions 1 and 5, easy to get harmonics but not too harsh. Positions 2-4 are spot on Strat. The single coil has nice output and is crystal clear.

Out of the box it was set up perfectly. Nice low action. trem was spot on. Neck set good. Plays as well as any bolt-on neck guitar that I have ever picked up. The only change I made was to take off the 9's and put on a set of 10's. Personal preference of course. body was beautiful also.

Seems to be made as well as any guitar I have seen. The only thing missing is the expensive name and price tag. Only time will tell how it will last but I foresee no problems here.

Have not had any dealings with them but as large of a company as they are I can't see any problems her either.

I have been playing for 17 years and have owned various strats and other guitars. This seems to be the best value that I have come across in a guitar. It's loaded with features and it sounds and plays like a guitar costing much more. I don't think you will be disappointed in this Guitar>

Korean-made 2003. features explained pretty well already. h/s/h configuration for types of muse I play.

Sounds great with 60s/70s blues and rock, but also works great with more laid-back stuff as well. I use it with a Rivera 30 watt combo, through which it sounds brilliant. I can't find anything to complain about, although if you want classic Strat sounds you obviously need single coil pu's. I play all styles and find it to be he most versatile guitar I've ever owned.

The guitar arrived perfectly set-up and in tune straight out of the box. I suspect that the Australian distributors do a better job than the US ones do. I think they care a little more.

This guitar has been used live for 8 months without skipping a beat. It is truly built like a brick outhouse. Not a scratch on it yet, but I look after my guitars. Locking strap buttons are great although can be a pain in the ass when putting the guitar away at the end of the night. I NEVER gig without a backup and neither should anybody else. Guitarists who don't have a spare guitar will never play in a band with me. My spare is a 93 US Strat, which isn't a patch on the Cort. I'll never buy a US Strat or Gibson ever again. Maybe a G & L though!

I've dealt with both the importers & Cort direct in the past, and found them to be both helpful and knowledgable. Believe me, if you're friendly to them, they will be to you, too.Unfortunately some people think they know better than the company that makes the product which is pure bull----. These guys handle more guitars in one day than any of us would handle in a lifetime, they know something about them.

I've been playing since the age of 4, and I'm 42 now. I also own a 93 US Strat which is a pile of snot, and a Martin D-16 which is wonderful. If this guitar was stolen I would most certainly buy another one, without hesitation. I originally bought it to backup for the strat but I use it all the time. I love the glossy chunky neck.
I'm thinking of buying another one and dumping the Strat.

-Locking Tuners
-Dunlop Strap Locks
-Roller Nut
-Wilkinson Tremolo
-Smooth Birds Eye Maple Neck
-Swamp Ash
and tons of other shit stock!!

Sweet fucking humbucker sound not super twanying but just right for basically everything

The action is the lowest that I've ever play. Pickups can move either direction up or down about a quarter inch either way. Super perfect finish and alignment.

I've played it at many shows and even taken in crowd surfing and shit hold up so well the finish is perfect and the hardware and strap locks will last years!!!

Nice ppl they know jack shit but nice ppl

fucking awsome i rank it right up with my gibson 67 flying v and my les paul its awsome

I bought this from a pawn shop totally based on the components this axe is decked out with. Locking tuners... Wilkinson trem... roller nut... pickup variety... curly maple neck... ash body... stuff you usually pay a ton extra for! At $100 I first thought of just picking it up for parts, but now that I've cleaned it up I think I might keep it as-is (except cover up the Cort name... black headstock). My opinion of Cort guitars has been pretty lousy up until now. This appears to be a solid guitar.

No complaints on the pickups, but I would classify them as average sounding. However, the versitile pickup selection on this one is nice. I'm an oddball kind of player, so I like unusual combinations. This will be a nice addition to the tone menagerie. I have a hot-rod tele USA, a frankenstein tele rigged with a big fat P-90 in a middle position (crazy!?!), a punked-out modern Mosrite copy, and a reissue Jazzmaster that was another $100 pawn shop steal. A sound for whatever mood I happen to be in!

Low action straight from the pawn shop (who leaves their guitars splayed out on the floor, mind you). Must be pretty solid to stand up to that kind of abuse. For tone, I recommend heavier guage strings. The finish seems nice and durable, but had a few imperfections that look like it was sprayed that way.

Feels solid. For the price I paid, I definitely won't cry over dings and dents. This will most likely be the guitar to drag along to the friend's house to goof around with. Again, I expect alot from the quality of the components.

I still can't believe that I bought a Cort guitar. I wouldn't buy this guy new, but for the price I paid I don't think I can go wrong. Whoever wrote the review at the bottom of this list had to be a sales rep for Cort! All that hoo-haa about being like "guitars costing thousands more." Also, the guy who gave it all "1" ratings and called it total crap is full of it himself. The bottom line... I would recommend it to one of my students (all punk teenagers and the likes) if they could get a deal on one. I would recommend it for people looking for alot of features without the price.

This guitar has a 2 piece swamp ash body, 1 piece birds eye maple neck, and rosewood fretboard. H/S/H configuration with V50 Wilkinson tremelo and Schaller locking tuners. I have modified this guitar extensively. I bought it used off of Harmony Central, and someone removed the locking tuners, and put in EMG Select pickups(the worst ever). They even removed the Schaller locking straps. I have added a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge, Van Zandt Blues single coil in the middle, and a Tom Anderson H2+ neck pickup. I put a push pull for the neck position to change to a single coil which is the best I have heard. I put Schaller locking straps back on, added 2 roller trees and put Schaller locking tuners on. I added Graphtec saddles. I believe it is Korean, which normally I would never buy, but this guitar appeared to have so many features. Of course when I got it, most of the good stuff was gone. The frets were jumbo, which I like a lot. The neck has a great c shape, and the body is extremely resonant.

I play at church, mostly lead. I am using a John Landgraff Dee Lux amp with a Fulltone Distortion Pro, A Clyde McCoy Wah, Klon Centaur, Ernie Ball Volume pedal. This guitar sounds great through this setup. I have taken this guitar to many a music store, and blown away just about everything in the store. It has a very full and warm sound. The top end with my setup is amazing, it absolutely sings. It hangs with a Don Grosh, Tom Anderson, or any similar type of guitar. This guitar's woods are excellent and after the mods I made it kills. This is an incredible deal, just mod the electronics, and add string trees, and you have a killer gigging guitar, that people will scoff at initially, till they hear it. I have had people snicker at Guitar Center, then they usually inquire.

The finish on this thing is better than most new fenders I have seen, classic 3 color sunburst, and all routing done very well. Even the cavities were shielded properly. The neck is a real pleasure to play thin enough to be fast, but enough girth to keep good tone. I took off a spring, and use 10's on it, and the thing almost never goes out of tune. The neck's frets were polished and dressed proplerly, but had to adjust the neck, this was due to the previous person who owned it I think. I also bent the tremolo bar because it was riding too high.

This is one tough guitar, I carry this around a lot, it has been banged, kicked, dropped, and it is solid as a rock, I predict years of good use. Don't know about warranty, never contacted Cort.

Not sure.

I have been playing for 20 years. I owned a music store, and have been buying, trading used and vintage gear amost as long. I have played and owned most of the well known stuff. This cannot replace a Les Paul/PRS, but it definately is a great guitar with a little work. Recommended to the beginner as well the nightly gigging person. Great guiatr for 5 times the money.