I bought a cheap Cort bass to practice with while I was working in another country for a while. It was built well, played great and generally punched well above its weight. I was going to sell it or just give it away when I returned home but I didn't want to part with it.
I have recently purchased this bass and must say it is exactly as described. The eq slightly boosted really expresses the sound. The only downside to this bass is the fast assembly. It may not bother some people but fit and finish are the final factor for buying for myself. I had to line up the tuning pegs because none were in alignment. And had a rattling sound in the eq pots. During assembly it was either not pre-drilled or used the wrong size bit and two chunks of wood were split completely off and the screws were barely attached holding the cover. The jack was also loose and I had to tighten it adding some lock tight. Minor problems but to some people it would be possible for them to look elsewhere. I must say it balances so perfectly that it feels like a 5 pound bass! Absolutely love it and after fixing the little annoyances it is now my go to bass!
Why are Cort basses not more respected? The ones I have played have all been great. I've played all over the USA and abroad and would gladly play one of these......but can't seem to find them at a dealer anymore. I've had endorsements with high end instruments in the past and honestly, some of the Corts have held up right in that category at a much lower price.
Because they're made overseas which is considered distasteful, and have zero brand equity. People ignore the former with Squier, Epiphone, PRS, etc. because they're willing to put up with it for access to those guitar models at lower prices.
@Anjohl That actually makes quite a bit of sense. They don't have the iconic name to where kids who are just learning would say, 'I wanna play a Cort!' They definitely do that with brands like Fender and Gibson.
@@Metalbass1979 exactly. But once you start getting past the name on the headstock, you'll find gems like this. These are perfect for beginners, but will appeal more to veterans players I think.
What I’ve noticed about Cort that their basses are not about price at all. I was planning to buy the JJ74 or J-H74 (Jazz and MM humb) but I just liked the sound of a cheaper C4 Plus bass. It looks great and sounds a lot brighter
Are you even aware of how happy you made this silly old fool of a metalhead when you indulged us, by saying Panga Panga twice?!?! Then you pushed me over the cliff by saying get to the chopper in your absolutely splendid accent, and it really is splendid. Thank you for your reviews, tips, knowledge and just general bass-stuff.
Great intelligent and light hearted (without being banal) review. Also thanks for using a musician to demo the bass who doesn’t look like a pretentious rock star poseur.
Bought one in plain maple and love it 👌 Play it more than my Spector currently. Some people dont like the mk1 bartolini pickups but if you tweak them right in active mode, with more bass on the tone you get a nice hi-mid tone out of it. Perfect for getting a justin chancellor type of sound for cheap price (if you play with pick). Wood and constuction is 9/10. Love the roasted maple fretboard which gives it an interesting look as well as the offset inlays closer to top of neck 👍
Seems like the Cort has learned a lot from that era when they made the Soundgears for the Ibanez. Based on the parts and the tonewood this Cort is basically at the same level as an SR500-SR800 but for an even more friendlier price
@@fredriksvard2603 I own a copy of Cort Artisan A6 Plus FMMH OPN. It has two Bartolini MK1 pickups. It's more intended for jazz/fusion type of tones, with crisp upper-mid and treble and tight lows, and of course, the characteristic sparkly, glassy, piano-like tone the Bartolinis are best known for. If you want brootal metal tones to create the nastiest breakdown from hell, this bass is not ideal. However, if you're into the more progressive/technical side of metal, it might be THE best bang for your buck. The tightness of the Bartolinis are comparable to the much more expensive Dingwalls. In fact, I think Dingwall has copied that characteristic tight low and sparkly upper-mid Bartolini tone.😆
Nice review - but I still wonder what is the main difference between the electronics of the B4 element compared to the B4 plus? Would you rather recommend the Mark bass preamp?
Did you go with the Mark Bass? It's a good one.There are a lot of great preamps today.Tech 21 Geddy Lee is great and One Control makes a nice line of bass preamps at a good price,under $150
The basses you review, especially this Cort, are subject to adjustments other than bridge and truss rod adjustment (fret levelling, for example)? What about string action?
The lighting of Gregor’s half body shot is so great. I can even see your facial hair under the kicker backlight? (And since when it becomes Gregor: Gregor, instead of everything else Gregor?)
Nice looking and sounding instrument. I had a Cort P-J Bass years ago when I was MUCH younger, played smooth, sounded nice. I got it used, it was worth every cent. Haven’t played in years, but looking to get back into it purely for for the fun and love of it....it also was very meditative for me. Maybe this instrument might be the one to start over with. 🎸
Panga panga said with authority!! Seriously though, this bass sounds killer. I don’t get the hate for the Mk1’s; sound great to me but to each their own
Indeed it is little cold. This bas feels insane in the hand. Perfectly set out of the box. It is great for funk. Just not the best for metal in term of tone.
Those Bartolinis are the bane of most Corts. They are so un-articulate. I used to own a B4 and although the sound was quite rich and full, the mud was so much - I compared it to many other basses on my setup and it came bottom last in the articulation department. Eventually although I liked the looks, ergonomics and tone, the lack of articulation just frustrated me so much that I got rid of it.
Sorry but its first i would go with cort in case it suits my sound needs. I m a huge fan of john deacon precision bass lines, but other than john deacon the other songs from other bassists are more jazz oriented or slap and pop which dont always sound great on a p bass. Unlucky p basses from fender america cost a lot for beginners or early intermediate as an hobby home thing alone. So i was going for a cort for the money and the quality, design etc but im not practical of bartolini mk and soapbars. Could i manage to replicate john deacon p bass tone around even with this bass? i would love to still use that tone even if planning to go for other kinds of songs.
I have to say that this is an incredible package, except the mk1's. I owned an SR500 for aprox. 12 years and it had the same pickups. I assume that the US Bartolinis are a completely different thing, but the mk1's don't work for me. 😅
One question: Did you use old B-Roll Material from the Artisan B4 plus video or do you think they're using the same necks for these basses? Cause at 01:34 it says "B4 Plus AS RM" Pretty sure the bass and maybe even the files are gone/archived, it just grabbed my attention, I guess
You mention that the bass souds "cold". As you know it comes in all ash and all mahogany and also in a rosewood fingerboard too. Which wood combination of this bass do you think would sound the least "cold"?
It's the electronics. Replace the MK1s with singularities and the preamp with a bart or delano and you'll be laughing. I have a 1991 cort artisan B5 which came with the mighty mite setup, and it's the same issue. Tone is a bit cold, and the unplugged tone doesn't really come through. Replaced with EMG 40jx and BTS system and it's much fuller, and more natural sounding.
GET TO THE CHOPPAHHHH!!!! 😂👍 Aber mal im ernst : Unfassbar, was für eine Qualität CORT da raushauen, ich finde die sind derzeit unschlagbar was das Preis / Leistungsverhältnis angeht...habe derzeit einen A4 plus FMMH in rot hier und bin total überwältigt von Qualität, Bespielbarkeit und Klang!
Diese open pore Optik erinnert mich sehr an meinen 1992 Ibanez TRB 200 . Der ist nur geborgt und ich brauche einen eigenen Bass der aber nicht schlechter sein soll als der Oltimer :)
I wish cort would make a 5 string version of their fretless. Also, string spacing is too narrow on a lot of models. They need a full width 19 mm on more models instead of 17.5mm
I had a 5 string Cort several years ago and I never was able to fix the volume drop when I played the open A string. I know that they are good basses so I guess that it was my bass which had some issue.
I bought one recently. The bass construction is great, but the preamp sucks. You can't leave the midrange even at flat, because if you play harder, the sound will distort. MK1 carries the Bartolini name, but it is a total shame for the brand. I bought a Bartolini XTCT to replace it.
I've bought the 5 string version and i can say that the playability is good, neck is super fast and thin, the finishes are less good but it's ok on a budget instrument. But what I found really disappointing is the electronic and the general sound. The mids and treble are clear, but the basses are too much "metallic", growling, not rounded nor smooth. Well, I didn't expect a P-bass sound, but at least something that was manageable with the electronics. I used to have an Ibanez sr300 and the sound was more versatile adjusting the pot. The .135 B string is acceptable, but I've replaced it with a .145 to get more tension, and now it sounds ok. In conclusion, I'm not entirely satisfied. I wouldn't buy it again.
![[Eng Sub] Cort B4-Element bass guitar (active and passive switch)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QPKNKydsLLg/mqdefault.jpg)
THAT is a budget bass!? Holy crow. It's more spec'd out than some of the Ibanez models I've been looking at.
I love musicians that keep Cort underrated, Gives me a great deal.
No headstock tax
I've personally found Cort basses to be consistently excellent value for money. Great brand :)
I bought a cheap Cort bass to practice with while I was working in another country for a while. It was built well, played great and generally punched well above its weight. I was going to sell it or just give it away when I returned home but I didn't want to part with it.
I have recently purchased this bass and must say it is exactly as described. The eq slightly boosted really expresses the sound. The only downside to this bass is the fast assembly. It may not bother some people but fit and finish are the final factor for buying for myself. I had to line up the tuning pegs because none were in alignment. And had a rattling sound in the eq pots. During assembly it was either not pre-drilled or used the wrong size bit and two chunks of wood were split completely off and the screws were barely attached holding the cover. The jack was also loose and I had to tighten it adding some lock tight. Minor problems but to some people it would be possible for them to look elsewhere. I must say it balances so perfectly that it feels like a 5 pound bass! Absolutely love it and after fixing the little annoyances it is now my go to bass!
At 1:34 The serial number and the model name are shown : B4Plus AS RM !!!!!! and not B4 Element !!!!!!
incincredible intro there. i feel like cort is building lots of sr500s from the 2000th there and they are doing pretty well
I enjoyed hearing you play today, Gregor.
I've really liked what I've seen from Cort
"Mr. Bass Face"!! 🤣😅🤪
I should not be laughing. Apparently, I flare my nostrils like a dragon when I play...
Frank is THE groove machine!!
Why are Cort basses not more respected? The ones I have played have all been great.
I've played all over the USA and abroad and would gladly play one of these......but can't seem to find them at a dealer anymore.
I've had endorsements with high end instruments in the past and honestly, some of the Corts have held up right in that category at a much lower price.
A lot of people believe spend more money equals better. Its cool with me tho, better deal for me.
Because they're made overseas which is considered distasteful, and have zero brand equity. People ignore the former with Squier, Epiphone, PRS, etc. because they're willing to put up with it for access to those guitar models at lower prices.
@Anjohl That actually makes quite a bit of sense. They don't have the iconic name to where kids who are just learning would say, 'I wanna play a Cort!' They definitely do that with brands like Fender and Gibson.
@@Metalbass1979 exactly. But once you start getting past the name on the headstock, you'll find gems like this. These are perfect for beginners, but will appeal more to veterans players I think.
What I’ve noticed about Cort that their basses are not about price at all. I was planning to buy the JJ74 or J-H74 (Jazz and MM humb) but I just liked the sound of a cheaper C4 Plus bass. It looks great and sounds a lot brighter
Yabba-Dabba-Doooo!!! Go Frank!!! I Bought A Cort B5 Artisan Plus Last Year & I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Cort Is Really Getting On Top Of Quality!!!🎸🎵🎶👍
In case you missed it, that's Gregor on the Gregor ;)
Dude is a master of the jam face!!! THE FACE!!!!!
Are you even aware of how happy you made this silly old fool of a metalhead when you indulged us, by saying Panga Panga twice?!?! Then you pushed me over the cliff by saying get to the chopper in your absolutely splendid accent, and it really is splendid.
Thank you for your reviews, tips, knowledge and just general bass-stuff.
Great intelligent and light hearted (without being banal) review. Also thanks for using a musician to demo the bass who doesn’t look like a pretentious rock star poseur.
Another amazing bass from Cort.
COOL GREGOR , YOU CAN SEND THAT BASS TO ME WHEN YOUR DONE ,
I WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT
Bought one in plain maple and love it 👌 Play it more than my Spector currently. Some people dont like the mk1 bartolini pickups but if you tweak them right in active mode, with more bass on the tone you get a nice hi-mid tone out of it. Perfect for getting a justin chancellor type of sound for cheap price (if you play with pick). Wood and constuction is 9/10. Love the roasted maple fretboard which gives it an interesting look as well as the offset inlays closer to top of neck 👍
Would you recommend this for a metal sounding bass or the b4 plus you showed previously?
Cort Artisan range is awesome:
I own a C6, simply amazing.
Looks beautiful and sounds great.
Nice variation about Pow in the end❤
Seems like the Cort has learned a lot from that era when they made the Soundgears for the Ibanez. Based on the parts and the tonewood this Cort is basically at the same level as an SR500-SR800 but for an even more friendlier price
Does it do metal as well as ibanez? I dont know much about basses, so i cant tell from youtube clips really.
@@fredriksvard2603
I own a copy of Cort Artisan A6 Plus FMMH OPN. It has two Bartolini MK1 pickups. It's more intended for jazz/fusion type of tones, with crisp upper-mid and treble and tight lows, and of course, the characteristic sparkly, glassy, piano-like tone the Bartolinis are best known for. If you want brootal metal tones to create the nastiest breakdown from hell, this bass is not ideal. However, if you're into the more progressive/technical side of metal, it might be THE best bang for your buck. The tightness of the Bartolinis are comparable to the much more expensive Dingwalls. In fact, I think Dingwall has copied that characteristic tight low and sparkly upper-mid Bartolini tone.😆
We need a tutorial on proper Bass Face-ing
PANGA PANGA
Nice review - but I still wonder what is the main difference between the electronics of the B4 element compared to the B4 plus? Would you rather recommend the Mark bass preamp?
Did you go with the Mark Bass? It's a good one.There are a lot of great preamps today.Tech 21 Geddy Lee is great and One Control makes a nice line of bass preamps at a good price,under $150
Could you review the B5 element please.....great review by the way
The basses you review, especially this Cort, are subject to adjustments other than bridge and truss rod adjustment (fret levelling, for example)? What about string action?
I check them before we record them and do a quick setup if necessary. But that’s it
I am a simple man. I see Frank, I watch
Hi, this one or the older one with Markbass Preamp????
No markbass pre in here
@@basstheworldofficial Thanks.
B4 or C4 for more Aggressiv Metal Tone?
Clicked for Mr. Bass Face, was not disappointed 🤘
The lighting of Gregor’s half body shot is so great. I can even see your facial hair under the kicker backlight? (And since when it becomes Gregor: Gregor, instead of everything else Gregor?)
Nice looking and sounding instrument.
I had a Cort P-J Bass years ago when I was MUCH younger, played smooth, sounded nice. I got it used, it was worth every cent. Haven’t played in years, but looking to get back into it purely for for the fun and love of it....it also was very meditative for me.
Maybe this instrument might be the one to start over with. 🎸
Panga panga said with authority!! Seriously though, this bass sounds killer. I don’t get the hate for the Mk1’s; sound great to me but to each their own
How does the mk1 work on this bass for metal? looks like ESP LCDs like 205?
Check out a RUclipsr named Tom Marello. He plays a lot of Death Metal and he plays a Cort B4. I can’t figure out how to put a link in here on my iPad.
@@13monkees thanks!!!
Beautiful bass. Wouldn't mind one in 5 string.
Indeed it is little cold. This bas feels insane in the hand. Perfectly set out of the box. It is great for funk. Just not the best for metal in term of tone.
Reminds me of the old ESH Various Bass i owned...
Thumbs for get to da chopper
the bridge saddle screw of the g string is missing, because its too short?
and they build for many other companies as well
Those Bartolinis are the bane of most Corts. They are so un-articulate. I used to own a B4 and although the sound was quite rich and full, the mud was so much - I compared it to many other basses on my setup and it came bottom last in the articulation department. Eventually although I liked the looks, ergonomics and tone, the lack of articulation just frustrated me so much that I got rid of it.
This bass dosen’t works like passive, just take off the batery and try it, and dosen’t works with inalambric system this with preamp bartolini
The colour is so basass, and so is the tone
I hope they do a single coil version of this.
Actually, the Mk-1 are single coils in soapbar size
Sorry but its first i would go with cort in case it suits my sound needs. I m a huge fan of john deacon precision bass lines, but other than john deacon the other songs from other bassists are more jazz oriented or slap and pop which dont always sound great on a p bass. Unlucky p basses from fender america cost a lot for beginners or early intermediate as an hobby home thing alone. So i was going for a cort for the money and the quality, design etc but im not practical of bartolini mk and soapbars. Could i manage to replicate john deacon p bass tone around even with this bass? i would love to still use that tone even if planning to go for other kinds of songs.
Nope, but Cort makes P-Basses if you want a cort
Impressive😎🤟🔥
can you please suggest which one is better Cort B4 Plus AS RM or Cort B4 Element?
I'm looking for a new bass but confused in between these two.
There’s no better or worse. They’re both good basses. Pick the one that speaks to you more
I have to say that this is an incredible package, except the mk1's. I owned an SR500 for aprox. 12 years and it had the same pickups. I assume that the US Bartolinis are a completely different thing, but the mk1's don't work for me. 😅
Awesome 🎸🪕
Frank likes it .. must be good
I just picked up a 5 string and I'm excited to play it when it shows up! Danke für das.
Míster 🙆🏽♂️ panga panga..... Que locura....... 😂✨🇲🇽✌🏽🕶️ FELIZ
One question: Did you use old B-Roll Material from the Artisan B4 plus video or do you think they're using the same necks for these basses? Cause at 01:34 it says "B4 Plus AS RM"
Pretty sure the bass and maybe even the files are gone/archived, it just grabbed my attention, I guess
Weight?
You mention that the bass souds "cold". As you know it comes in all ash and all mahogany and also in a rosewood fingerboard too. Which wood combination of this bass do you think would sound the least "cold"?
this one: ruclips.net/video/5WH6DcllPMY/видео.html
I feel that the bartolini mk-1 is a little "cold" (I have them in a ibanez SR500), but the eq is a easy fix for that.
@@pgs1000 I find most ibanez basses have something lacking in the tone but that's really just me
@@basstheworldofficial this sounds better than the B4 element?
Idk why I thought the Element had a better bridge
It's the electronics. Replace the MK1s with singularities and the preamp with a bart or delano and you'll be laughing. I have a 1991 cort artisan B5 which came with the mighty mite setup, and it's the same issue. Tone is a bit cold, and the unplugged tone doesn't really come through. Replaced with EMG 40jx and BTS system and it's much fuller, and more natural sounding.
I had a cort, but I couldn't cope with the small body. The original strings weren't that good either.
Weight???
GET TO THE CHOPPAHHHH!!!! 😂👍
Aber mal im ernst : Unfassbar, was für eine Qualität CORT da raushauen, ich finde die sind derzeit unschlagbar was das Preis / Leistungsverhältnis angeht...habe derzeit einen A4 plus FMMH in rot hier und bin total überwältigt von Qualität, Bespielbarkeit und Klang!
Bin auch überzeugt von cort-bässen...PLV super top...glaube selbst Jeff Berlin spielt so Teile 👍
Diese open pore Optik erinnert mich sehr an meinen 1992 Ibanez TRB 200 . Der ist nur geborgt und ich brauche einen eigenen Bass der aber nicht schlechter sein soll als der Oltimer :)
I have a new favorite wood: Panga Panga!!
Sounds like the title of a Talking Heads song
3:55 every single problems solution
Give away!!! 😍❤️
I wish cort would make a 5 string version of their fretless. Also, string spacing is too narrow on a lot of models. They need a full width 19 mm on more models instead of 17.5mm
Just your opinion mate. I much prefer narrow spacing.
Cort b5 plus Element vs Cort b5 plus ASRM .WHICH IS BETTER
I had a 5 string Cort several years ago and I never was able to fix the volume drop when I played the open A string. I know that they are good basses so I guess that it was my bass which had some issue.
I bought one recently. The bass construction is great, but the preamp sucks. You can't leave the midrange even at flat, because if you play harder, the sound will distort. MK1 carries the Bartolini name, but it is a total shame for the brand. I bought a Bartolini XTCT to replace it.
cort has always built all ibanez basses
they have built some, those with which the serial # starts with the letter C.....but not ALWAYS, and definitely not ALL
I don't think that I have a bass face yet. I need to have lessons from Frank Itt.
That thing sounds DELICIOUS!!!🤤
かっけー、じいちゃん‼️
最高‼️
Mr Bass Face looks like he's smuggling some baked potatoes in his trousers. lol
499 euros? Budget bass???
I've bought the 5 string version and i can say that the playability is good, neck is super fast and thin, the finishes are less good but it's ok on a budget instrument.
But what I found really disappointing is the electronic and the general sound. The mids and treble are clear, but the basses are too much "metallic", growling, not rounded nor smooth. Well, I didn't expect a P-bass sound, but at least something that was manageable with the electronics. I used to have an Ibanez sr300 and the sound was more versatile adjusting the pot.
The .135 B string is acceptable, but I've replaced it with a .145 to get more tension, and now it sounds ok.
In conclusion, I'm not entirely satisfied. I wouldn't buy it again.
This basa dosen’t Words in passive mide, only take off the batery and try it, it dosen’t works with inalambric system,
PANGA-PANGA!!!!
Geiles Teil für wenig Geld, freut mich sehr!
how's the neckdive?
ME WANTS A BASS FACE LIKE FRANK’S!!!!!!!!!😈
Your need to say “The Goggles, they do Nothing!” Try to work that in sometime.
well, nice try, but i love my yamaha bb more anyway =))
I wish Cort / Ibanez would stop using what looks like 5 string pickups in their 4's.
Whatever terminator says, me buy 😂
Frank Itt: Professional Face-ist
Get to the choppah?
🤦🏼♂️
Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Predator'.
I'm well aware... and I'm cringing regardless.
Frank ist alles zeit besser spielmann on bass)))