From elegant aesthetics and Fishman electronics to revived limited-edition instruments and high-end wood treatments, Cort has pulled no punches with its 2023 acoustic collection
Across the board, Cort has turned its attention to eye-catching aesthetics and robust spec sheets, with the six-strong collection offering both ornate visuals and high-end appointments.
The standout six-string from the drop is the Roselyn Redux. Inspired by a previous offering from Cort’s Masterpiece Series, the guitar moves the soundhole to the upper bout – and adds an extra one on the side – and places an elegant portrait of a woman holding a rose underneath the strings.
Cort Roselyn Redux (Image credit: Cort)
A complementary vine inlay also makes the cut, with the Roselyn Redux boasting a top-notch spec sheet befitting its high-end appearance. In terms of build, a master-grade solid European spruce top is paired with AAA solid pau ferro back and sides, as well as a five-piece neck composed from mahogany and walnut.
It flashes an ebony fingerboard, hand-rolled fret edge treatment and a Graph Tech TUSQ nut, and accommodates LR Baggs electronics with soundhole-mounted controls. As for hardware, it’s got Gotoh tuners and an ebony bridge with ebony bridge pins.
Cort Modern Black (Image credit: Cort)
The Roselyn Redux isn’t the only new Cort acoustic to flash a side-mounted soundhole, with the Modern Black – inspired by modern jazz instruments – following suit. The Trans Black Gloss six-string uses master grade solid European spruce for the top, mahogany for the back and sides, and comes loaded with Fishman Matrix Infinity electronics.
It’s also worth noting the Ergo-A Asymmetric walnut neck, Graph Tech Black TUSQ nut and custom block inlays, as well as the ebony fingerboard and Dovetail neck joint.
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Cort Abstract-Delta (Image credit: Cort)
The rest of the drop is more conventional, with the Abstract Delta reviving Cort’s Abstract Limited Edition, which arrived in 2018. A whistle-stop tour of its spec sheet reveals a solid Sitka spruce top in Natural Glossy finish, AAA solid pau ferro back and sides, and a slightly deeper OM-shape body.
Peep the headstock and you’ll also see some quirky triangular designs on the headstock – composed from ebony, ovangkol, walnut, maple and padauk – which are fixed atop an ebony fretboard-equipped walnut neck.
Once again, LR Baggs electronics make the cut, with the Abstract Delta also flashing triangular inlays and a specially designed rosette.
Cort Gold-Passion (Image credit: Cort)
Two Gold Series six-strings have been included in the drop, with Cort unveiling the single-cutaway dreadnought-shaped Gold-DC6 and Modern Concert Body-sized Gold-Passion.
Taking them one at a time, the Gold-Passion is dubbed a successor to 2020’s Gold-Edge, featuring a bevel cutaway that supposedly contributes to “enhanced playability and responsiveness”.
Build-wise, it boasts an Aged to Vintage torrefied Engelmann spruce top, AAA flamed maple back and sides, and a hard maple neck with ebony fretboard. Other notable specs include a “sonically enhanced UV finish”, which allows the wood to breathe and vibrate more freely, and LR Baggs electronics.
Cort Gold-DC6 (Image credit: Cort)
The penultimate acoustic, the Gold-DC6, is a cutaway version of Cort’s incumbent Gold-D6, and as such arrives with many of the same specs. Highlights include a Sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides, Fishman's Flex Blend system with top-mounted controls, a walnut-reinforced neck and a Macassar ebony fingerboard.
Last but not least is the GA1E. Available in Open Pore Natural Satin and Open Pore Sunburst finishes, the single-cutaway model is marketed as an accessible workhorse with a Grand Auditorium body that can excel as a studio and stage six-string.
To achieve this, the GA1E recruits a no-nonsense blueprint, which comprises a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, Cort CE304T electronics, and a mahogany neck topped with an Ovangol fretboard.
Cort GA1E (Image credit: Cort)
Hand-scalloped X-bracing, die-cast tuners, and a black/white/ivory rosette also make the cut.
Prices are currently kept under wraps, but we imagine it won’t be long before Cort and retailers start stocking the six new six-strings.
For updates – and to find out more about each model – keep your eyes peeled on Cort’s website.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
