“This innovative instrument transcends boundaries, offering a sonic palette that's as diverse as your musical vision”: Cort and Hedras collaborate once again for the Triality X700 – an HSS twist on the pair’s progressive playing platform
Following the Duality and Mutility, this new offering looks to stretch beyond metal and rock realms and cater directly to the gigging guitarist demanding a do-it-all workhorse
Cort has once again partnered with progressive metal guitar powerhouse Hedras for another new electric guitar, which has been introduced as the Triality X700.
Those who have been following Cort and Hedras’ collaborative efforts over the years will know the fittingly named Triality is the latest installment of the pair’s burgeoning partnership, following the flagship Mutility X700 from 2021 and 2022’s updated Duality II.
This time out, Cort has once again set its sights on producing an instrument that’s capable of blurring boundaries and pushing the limits of ergonomic guitar design, with the Triality X700 said to be suitable for a huge range of styles and genres.
In the brand’s own words, the Triality X700 is “built for exploration”, and “conquers prog, math rock, R&B, neo-soul, worship, and beyond”.
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(Image credit: Cort)
(Image credit: Cort)
“Step beyond the ordinary with the Cort Triality X700, a guitar designed to ignite your creative spark,” Cort continues. “This innovative instrument transcends the boundaries of its predecessors, the Cort Duality and Mutility lines, offering a sonic palette that's as diverse as your musical vision.”
Unlike the previous two models, the Triality opts for an HSS configuration – as opposed to a straight HH alternative – which comprises Fishman Fluence pickups. It’s a versatile combination that vows to supply Strat-style cleans and shred-ready growl.
But the double-cut body remains, though does so with another new core ingredient: here, virgin raw ash is used for the body, rather than mahogany or sassafras, and is paired with a roasted maple neck and fretboard, as found on the Mutility. The former, it should be noted, has been profiled to promote speed and precision, while the latter sports a 15.75” radius.
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(Image credit: Cort)
Elsewhere, 24 stainless steel frets make the cut, as does proprietary Cort chrome hardware: a CFA-III tremolo bridge and staggered locking tuners. In terms of aesthetics, two versions are available: Open Pore Vintage Burst and Open Pore Black Burst.
As for why he opted for an HSS configuration this time around, Hedras tells Guitar World, “Since I moved to Dallas TX, I started gigging so much, so I started needing more of an authentic single-coil sound for rhythms.
“Dallas has a big worship, R&B, neo-soul, hip jazz scene, plus the usual blues, so I needed badly that spank and crystal glassy tones required in many of these gigs,” he goes on. “That's how the idea of using the amazing Fishman HSS Fluence happened.”
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(Image credit: Cort)
(Image credit: Cort)
That tonal tweak has, according to Hedras, resulted in a guitar that stands out among his previous Cort collaborations: “The roasted maple neck really gives a unique fast attack and spank resonance to Triality.
“The Open Core Ash body gives a balanced warm and rounded sound,” he expands. “Acoustically it sounds very different from Mutility and Duality. I would describe Duality as meticulously crafted for lead players, Mutility as the modern high gain low tuning djent-y machine, and Triality as the classic gig and recording axe.”
“The Cort Triality X700 is your refusal to be confined by genre,” Cort echoes. “It's an invitation to unleash your creativity and embark on a journey of unprecedented sonic exploration.
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.
