SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Cort Guitars introduces the new Gold-OC8 acoustic-electric, the latest addition to the Gold Series that unites classic stylings with modern amenities. The revamped Gold-OC8 was developed for players who seek a comfortable orchestra model (OM) body with a generous 43 mm (1 11/16-inch) nut width that’s ideal for both fingerpicking and chord fretting. With the addition of a Fishman Flex Bend System with a built-in tuner, the Gold-OC8 gives players a wide range of sonic control and superb natural tones.Â
The Gold-OC8 features a classic OM cutaway body (25.3-inch scale), a style that was initially developed in the 1920s and captures the prized pre-war era tone that’s highly sought-after in classic acoustic models. This guitar delivers a sound that’s larger than its compact size indicates and offers a level of dynamic responsiveness that’s reinforced by Cort’s hand-scalloped x-bracing. Cort’s hallmark Aged to Vintage (ATV) treatment gives this new guitar the tone of a decades-old acoustic. The torrefication process allows the solid Sitka spruce top to cure and open up more over time resulting in a big, open tone that’s bright yet natural.
The solid Sitka spruce top on the Gold Series is ideal for virtually any musical genre with a brilliant, clear high-end, warm and rich midrange, and a deep but tight low-end for a beautifully balanced sound. This premium top features superior strength and dense grains along with the flexibility to resonate freely, and is balanced by solid pau ferro back and sides that are tonally similar to Indian rosewood and are stable, abrasion-resistant, and exotic with good impression strength parallel to the grain. Topping it off, a sonically enhanced UV finish allows the wood to “breathe” and vibrate more freely to improve natural acoustic resonance.
Fishman’s innovative Flex Blend System offers volume, tone, phase, blend, and tuner functions available from three knobs and the tuner display. Gold-OC8 players can adjust the tone knob to best suit fingerpicking or strumming techniques without feedback issues and other sonic anomalies, all while enjoying the most natural acoustic sounds to the amplifier.
The mahogany neck on the Gold-OC8 is reinforced with walnut inserts that add stability while retaining the natural properties of the wood. Cort adds a DoubleLock neck joint design, a tight-fitting traditional dovetail neck joint reinforced with a bolt, to maximize the transfer of tone and boost resonance. Additionally, an ebony bridge with high-density pins enhances the transfer of string vibrations throughout the soundboard top, body, and neck.
To increase playing comfort, Cort developed comfortable dimensions in neck thickness and ensured consistency by using a state-of-the-art CNC machine to accurately mill each neck. Each neck is carefully finished by skilled craftsmen who dress the 20 frets to make them round, smooth, and ultra-comfortable to touch and play, an extra touch for the slick smoothness of the ebony fingerboard. Finishing aesthetics include deluxe vintage gold tuners, an abalone rosette, and white binding with triple-ply purfling.
The Gold-OC8 comes with a new Cort Deluxe Soft-Side case that combines the best attributes of a hard case with the flexibility of a gig-bag for superb protection.
Players can enjoy the premium tonewoods and sophisticated appointments of the Gold-OC8 acoustic-electric at an affordable MSRP of $1,499.99 and street price of $999.99
Learn more and get a closer look at www.cortguitars.com.
