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Cort Bass'

Arnie

Arnie

May 14, 2005
656
81
Kingston, NY
#1
Hey Guys, I have been noticing Cort Curbow bass' on ebay lately. Any feedback on these? I remember "back in the day" you wouldn't be caught dead with a cort instrument, but maybe times have changed?? I noticed a bassist on a cruise we took last year playing a nice 5 string bass (obviously high end from the appearance) but upon closer inspection I saw the name Cort on the headstock, and I almost fell over LOL. I expect their higher end instruments ($1000.00 and over) to be decent but what about these?

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
I played a sweet looking Cort at the Bass Place in Tempe yesterday. It had a birdseye maple top and a bound maple neck with block inlays, looked incredible. I didn't get a chance to really crank it up but it sounded pretty good at low volume. You can see it on there web site under 4 strings.
 
#3
I have a 5 string Cort Action V, and I love it. I played a 6 string Cort Curbow, and it sounded real good. It looked uber fugly in my opinion, but it sounded fine. It wouldn't sit on my leg either. The neck was bad too, but that could've been because it's a 6 string.
 
#4
Here I go again, championing Cort Curbow basses! I have a 4-string fretless that I like better than anything else I've ever played. I like everything about it, it's fast, feels great, looks like a beautiful piece of art, and has the sound I've looked for in other basses for years. It IS small, but that suits me because I'm a small person, and is one of the reasons I looked at it in the first place. I bought it right from Greg Curbow, and he and Simon were great to deal with, as well. Cort Curbow basses will always get my vote! :)
 
#7
I had a Curbow 5, and a cheaper 5 (forgot the model but it had a MM and a Single coil pickup and only cost a little more than $200 from Dr. Cluck on Ebay). My mixed emotions:

Both basses looked great and seemed rock solid in construction. I really liked the sound of the MM pickup on the one I forgot the name of, but both basses were too noisy for my taste. I'm learning however that I seem to have a problem with noise that others don't mind or ignore. I hate when a bass has any kind of electical hum - and most basses with single coil pickups do that. My curbow hummed also, which is why I ultimately got rid of it, but again - what bothers me is nothing to some.

the other thing that I noticed was consistent with both basses is that bridge didn't go low enough to accomodate the action I like. the neck was buzz free, but I couldn't lower the sadlles anymore. Not quite sure what was up with that. I wound up shimming the neck which worked great, I got super low buzzless action - but it threw off the way the neck sits in the body and my nail would get caught if I was slapping.

String spacing on the cheaper Cort was HUGE, spacing on the Curbow narrow and just to my liking. uhh.... not sure what else. I'd say if yer interested in buying one check it out in a store. If the action and bridge thing is cool, and if the electrical buzz doesn't bother ya none - they're great basses, at a great price. IMO of course.
 

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