Cort Earth Limited Edition Series LE3 IR

The Limited Edition Series is Cort's top of the line acoustic guitars made each by hand by an individual luthier.

Cort Earth LE3 (Limited Edition Series)
BODY STYLE: Dreadnaught
TOP: Solid Bearclaw Spruce
BACK & SIDES: Solid Rosewood
NECK One piece mahogany
FINGERBOARD and Bridge: Ebony
TUNERS: Gold closed case Gotoh
FINISH: Clear Gloss Laquer

The sound on this LE3 is top notch and it will hang with the best of them. Has great depth and dynamic range. Playing rock rhythm this guitar honks similar to a Collings. Balanced across the sound spectrum from bass to treble. I play light strings Diaddario EJ16's and recommend adding at minimum bone pins but preferably fossil mammoth ivory (FMI), fossil walrus (FWI) or pre-ban elephant ivory pins to give a stonger sound with increased sustain.

Since I do a lot of experimentation with saddle and pin combinations...here is a short dissertation on saddle and pin recommendations for the LE3 (at least for mine... each guitar is a bit different sounding). I have experimented with elephant ivory, fossil mammoth ivory and fossil walrus and even buffalo horn saddles with it. My conclusion is that bone saddle with (FMI) fossil mammoth ivory pins sounded best and is what I have installed. FMI saddle produces increased sustain but on this guitar seemed to lack color, sounded transparent or like maple. Fossil Walrus saddle gives nice tone with a lot of sustain but did give a thinner sound on this LE3. As for pins, I didn't try fossil walrus pins but they likely would be as good maybe better then the FMI. Also tried (pre-ban Elephant Ivory pins which sounded good but FMI pins sounded better to me.

*At minimum, keeping original bone saddle, would recommend replacing the plastic pins with bone or ivory pins to increase sustain. Ivory pins are frosting on the cake. Fossil wooly mammoth ivory (FMI), Fossil Walrus Ivory (FWI) and pre-ban Elephant Ivory pins are available.

Neck set is perfect. Excellent playability. Action was set very nice, quite low (I did though lower mine slightly more and adjusted the neck). Meticulously built instrument with fine workmanship and inlays. 43 mm neck width may be just a hair wider then standard 1 11/16".

This guitar is well made and should respond as well as other well made high end acoustic guitars and last a lifetime. In fact, these LE models are braced a bit more solid that is why they have a great dynamic range.

No problems...so no need to contact.

Playing guitar at least 30 years and have owned too many to count.

I am happy to report after owning this guitar for over 2 years that it is a real keeper. These Limited Edition Series models are as good as any guitar manufactured today. Very well made, excellent fit and finish with very nice inlays on the fretboard and on the body. I have owned a lot of better quality high end guitars including in the Martin line-up the D-28, HD-28, D-35, D-42. Also many other non-dreadnaught Martins including SP000-16R, JC-16GTE, 000-28EC. Also a Collings D3. Taylor Limited Edition Brz Rosewood 810. Taylor 710. Taylor 814 and 812. Taylor 510C and 512. Takamine NV360 (two) and several other Taks. Alvarez Yairi DY200 and more Alvarez Yairi???s then I can count.

I also do some guitar technical work for others, so install bone, ivory, fossil ivory saddles and do adjustments, action etc. and have played a lot of other guitars.

I wouldn???t say that this guitar is better then a Collings D2H or D3 or the Martin D-41, D-42???. for it isn???t but I might say that if you put light strings on a Collings D2H or D3 or a Martin D-41, D-42 and play them for 2-3 weeks and do the same on the Cort LE-3, after three weeks of play the Cort will sound better, more focused. That is because those guitars are built to use medium strings (recommended by manufacturer). After the strings stabilize, with lights the sound has lost much of its focus (strummed chords give a blah blah blah sound). The Cort???s seem to stay well focused with lights. It seems to be a craze now days that people believe their stings need to be replaced after a month of playing (in fact their guitar probably needs medium strings). Acoustic guitar strings are definitely not worn out after a month. On this Cort after a week or two the strings have reached a stabilized state and will sound fine for a year or more of playing. [On piano???s, similar material strings may last the life of the piano]

I also own two of the Brazilian Rosewood LE-2???s, one with cutaway and Fishman onboard blender with tuner, the other without cutaway or electronics. These guitars are made from high grade Brazilian Rosewood and like the LE3 are fine guitars. Also a mahogany dread called the PW-E which is also surprisingly good for the money.

So although I definitely like my Brazilian Rosewood LE2's better then this Indian Rosewood LE3. Will keep this guitar. Of course, as you may have experienced, if you keep buying no matter what you have it might have to go as you acquire more, you only have so much space and so much money, unless of course your rich.... and in that case you can try out the Bourgeois D-150???s, the Golden Era Martin???s Collings D???s of Brz Rsw as well as the numerous other high end and VERY high priced dream guitars.