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Summer NAMM 2021: Cort introduces new Artisan C4 and C5 Plus OVMH basses
With premium specs at not-so-premium prices.
Images: Cort
Summer NAMM 2021: Cort has introduced a new bass model, the Artisan Plus OVMH, available in both a four- and a five-string configuration. The instrument proudly displays a lot of wood grain, incorporating ovangkol, walnut, maple and mahogany into its construction.
The new OVMH basses have a more rounded body shape, one that was previously only available on Cort’s premium Artisan A models. It’s constructed with a core of maple (although it may look from the front like a neck-through instrument, it’s actually bolt-on), separated by walnut binding from mahogany wings. The wings themselves are topped with ovangkol. Cort describes ovangkol’s sound as sharing characteristics with “rosewood and bubinga, with a slightly fuller midrange and a top-end that’s not as bright sounding, while the strategically placed maple centre makes up for the missing highs. The combination of ovangkol and maple, together with a warm-sounding mahogany body, provide an ideally balanced tone.”
The bolt-on neck is made from Canadian hard maple, a slightly stiffer variation of the wood for some extra stability. This is topped with a jatoba radius, with a 400mm / 15.75-inch radius and 24 frets.
Metal hardware consists of a MetalCraft M bridge, a high-mass saddle solution that allows for through-the-body or top-loaded stringing. At the other end of the 34-inch scale length are black die-cast non-locking tuners.
Electronics in both the four- and five-string’s cases are a set of Bartolini MK-1 pickups, controlled by a Markbass MB-1 preamp, with knobs for pickup balance, master volume and a three-band EQ. There’s also a toggle switch to switch between active and passive operation.
The Artisan C4 and C5 Plus OVMH basses are available in Antique Brown Burst, a mostly transparent finish that shows off the full range of woodgrains on offer.
The two models list for a relatively affordable $449.99 for the C4 and $499.99 for the C5. Find out more at cortguitars.com.