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The CORT Club (Part 2)

#921
Nunovsky said:
I'm using a preamp made here in Portugal by a local company called MS Preamps. They were suggested by a local luthier that has started recently to work with them. This guy has used a lot of diferent preamps on his basses, according to the wishes of the clients, and he says that these are some of the best he's used so far, so I took his advice very seriously and was convinced after talking a bit with the guy behind MS Preamps.
Just to clarify, the pickups aren't Bartolini, only the original preamp. The pickups are by Cort and the model is called VTB-SB. I really like their tone.
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I'm playing a Cort NJS4 that I recently bought from a TB'er and also liking the sound the Cort pickups in this bass. I've played it at two or three shows and it's given me terrific sound with the pickup blend control typically right in the center and sometimes just a mild bump of the mid control with that knob pulled "up" (I think that position centers the mid control at 800 Hz, but not positive).

I absolutely notice the same effect on the overall volume output of this bass with the mids boosted or cut in either the "up" or "down" position. I don't get substantial mid-scoop with the pickup blend in the middle with this bass compared with other J's I've played, but I do like to nudge the mids just a little bit to keep them present in my tone when playing both pickups full up. Mids get a bit louder, but the overall signal also gets louder.

I have an Aguilar OBP-3 that I tried in another bass a little while ago. The preamp's function was nice enough, but it didn't help the rather weak fundamental sound of the bass I tried pairing it with (Korean Lakland Skyline 44-02). Kept the preamp and found a new home for that bass. I might eventually try the Aguilar pre in this Cort, but right now I'm still getting to know the bass. It sounds quite good as is despite the mid control affecting the overall volume - I don't do significant boosting or cutting, so perhaps I don't need to fix what isn't exactly broken.

Of course I'll probably want to scratch the curiosity itch and try it a couple of months down the road...
 
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#922
Wow... Someone just scammed Guitar Center in Mesquite, TX and sold them a Cort NJS5 as if it were an Elrick... Check out the price ($2,400)!
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#924
nnnnnn said:
Or someone sold them a Cort as a Cort and then they jacked up the price because it says "Elrick" on the back.
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Good point, I thought about that but I've sold to Guitar Center recently, that's not how it works. When they buy the instrument, they need to find it in their used gear system. They will pay you 60% of what they can sell it for. Their selling price depends on what's in the system, it's not decided after. If it isn't in the system, they do a comp (Reverb) of what it has been sold for recently and enter it. Probably that GC employee found an Erick NJS and entered it like that. The seller thought "great, I'm selling it back to them for the same price I got it for!".

I shouldn't have used the word "scammed", I'm sorry, that was harsh, it probably wasn't like that. It was just a confusion between the different models. But I doubt the person said "there must be something wrong, are you really paying me its full price?" :)
 
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#926
_sky_ said:
Hello there,

I´m probably going to enter the Cort Club with a A4 Ultra Ash...is there any proud owner who can speak about the bass?
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I am really curious about the Cort A4 Ultra Ash also....The reviews on youtube are in favor of it and it seems well liked but I wish all the reverb listings would put the weight and an actual pic of the A4 being sold...Seems like all the reverb listings I could find are using stock Cort images.
 
#928
Hey guys,

I finally decided I had it with the MK-1's in my B4RM so I pulled them out along with the preamp to replace them with a set of EMG J's. The bass sounds so much better, it's not even funny. The MK-1's are just lifeless, especially since I play flat wounds. Now with the EMG's it's like I have a whole new instrument that sounds hella great! Fingers, slap, pick, everything sounds defined and punchy.

The fitting solution is temporary until I manage to 3D print some covers to make it less ugly.

The electronics are standard 25k passive EMG, 2 volumes, 2 tones plus a master tone. The switch is a dummy, it does nothing but plug the hole of the original active/passive switch.

WhatsApp Image 2023-09-13 at 15.44.15.jpg


Next change, the side dots. These cream dots are basically impossible to see against the lightly colored roasted maple fingerboard so, I ordered some Luminlay to replace them.
 
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#930
llmk said:
Hey guys,

I finally decided I had it with the MK-1's in my B4RM so I pulled them out along with the preamp to replace them with a set of EMG J's. The bass sounds so much better, it's not even funny. The MK-1's are just lifeless, especially since I play flat wounds. Now with the EMG's it's like I have a whole new instrument that sounds hella great! Fingers, slap, pick, everything sounds defined and punchy.

The fitting solution is temporary until I manage to 3D print some covers to make it less ugly.

The electronics are standard 25k passive EMG, 2 volumes, 2 tones plus a master tone. The switch is a dummy, it does nothing but plug the hole of the original active/passive switch.

View attachment 5188534

Next change, the side dots. These cream dots are basically impossible to see against the lightly colored roasted maple fingerboard so, I ordered some Luminlay to replace them.
Click to expand...

I own an A5 Plus SC and an Ibanez SRSC806. Both are equipped with the Bartolini MK1 electronics. The Cort sounds great and everything on it works as it should. The Ibanez also sounds great but it has some quirk in the mid control. That bass has an additional three position switch for selecting the mid frequency (that may have nothing to do with the quirk) and when the mids are cut all the way it sounds strange....kind of hollow or out of phase. When I bring the mids up a little, it sounds normal.

Other than the mids quirk on the Ibanez, both basses sound fine to me and it occurred to me that two things are likely the reasons for differing opinions about the electronics. First is personal taste and I like basses that sound warm and big. Second is the amplification used. I use Mesa Subway gear and it has a lot of detail in the highs. If other players use gear that is inherently warmer sounding they may not like the tone with the MK1 electronics especially i

My Cort has EB Cobalt flats on it and the Ibanez has D'Adarrio XL's on it. Strings are also part of the deal, aren't they?

I may change out the preamp in the Ibanez. It does sound fine but does not work exactly as it should and those sorts of things bother me. That said, it is perfectly usable as it is.
 
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#932
I install a set of EB cobalt flat 2814 on my client new NJS4 , the bass sound on little aggressive side along with tighter tone (Passive mode )than my Bacchus BJB1RSM with has same VTB-ST pup (V/V only) and fresh EB 2814 loaded.
Once switch to Active mode, Man, this bass sound crispy great, and the 2 way mid work like "series wiring booster" knob. I do believe work great for bass solo stuff while on stage performance .
 
#933
This morning I A/B'd the Cort SC5 and the Ibanez SC6. The Cort has EB Cobalt flats on it and the Ibanez has D'Adarrio XL's so one would not expect them to sound the same.

The Ibanez does sound some better. The tone is more open/detailed/clear than the tone of the Cort. That said, the Cort sounds really good to me and it perfectly usable IMO.

These are the first single cut basses I have owned and I am impressed by the lack of dead/hot spots and the clarity everywhere on the necks. These really are fine instruments. Each has something to brag about as far as wood used and construction. The Cort has a nice Ash body/ Poplar burl top with some laminations between the top and the body. The top is quite thin. The Ibanez has an Okoume body and a thick burled Poplar top. Both basses have about the same level of attention to detail and finish. Both are nicely built basses. Access to the higher frets is enhanced by the SC design. Both have excellent sustain possibly due to the neck thru construction.

I am somewhat spoiled by owning basses by Roscoe, G.Gould and Modulus but these Ibanez and Cort basses are quite fine IMO.

If I were to upgrade the electronics in either bass, I would likely ship them off to Nordstrand and let them install pickups and electronics. A friend sent a bass to them and they did a superb job on installation and their electronics sound wonderful indeed. That would, however, about double the cost of my basses both of which I bought used.
 
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#934
Chuck M said:
This morning I A/B'd the Cort SC5 and the Ibanez SC6. The Cort has EB Cobalt flats on it and the Ibanez has D'Adarrio XL's so one would not expect them to sound the same.

The Ibanez does sound some better. The tone is more open/detailed/clear than the tone of the Cort. That said, the Cort sounds really good to me and it perfectly usable IMO.

These are the first single cut basses I have owned and I am impressed by the lack of dead/hot spots and the clarity everywhere on the necks. These really are fine instruments. Each has something to brag about as far as wood used and construction. The Cort has a nice Ash body/ Poplar burl top with some laminations between the top and the body. The top is quite thin. The Ibanez has an Okoume body and a thick burled Poplar top. Both basses have about the same level of attention to detail and finish. Both are nicely built basses. Access to the higher frets is enhanced by the SC design. Both have excellent sustain possibly due to the neck thru construction.

I am somewhat spoiled by owning basses by Roscoe, G.Gould and Modulus but these Ibanez and Cort basses are quite fine IMO.

If I were to upgrade the electronics in either bass, I would likely ship them off to Nordstrand and let them install pickups and electronics. A friend sent a bass to them and they did a superb job on installation and their electronics sound wonderful indeed. That would, however, about double the cost of my basses both of which I bought used.
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Love both of those designs.. they are both on my GAS list, hoping they will be somewhere to be found when i make enough €€€..
 

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