Cort Parkwood PW-370M

Single cutaway electro-acoustic with a natural coloured solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. Rosewood fingerboard with small dot markers. Black faced headstock with tasteful Cort logo and mother-of-pearl diamond inlay. Cream binding around body, headstock and fingerboard, and a subtle cream & mahogany coloured soundhole decoration. The grain of al the woods is stunning, particularly the back and sides.

The description, however detailed, cannot do justice to how beautiful this guitar is.

On top of all that the guitar is equipped with a set of black and silver Grover tuners which do their job perfectly and complimet the look of the guitar very well.

The real winner here though is the Fishman system. It's a Fishman Prefix Premium SOB which I'm told is one of their very best systems and is currently used on all the very best electro-acoustics. This thing has it all. It has a pickup and an internal microphone, both with their own unique sound, and a blender which allows you to mix the two sounds. It also has a notch filter, a phase button (for dealing with feedback issues) , a four band EQ and an on board tuner. I cannot think of any other features you could want/need.

All in all, a phenomenal package, especially considering the price. All these features on an American-made guitar would set you back three or four times the price of this guitar.

I purchased this guitar because I wanted one acoustic which could 'do it all'. It doesn't disappoint.

Unplugged the guitar has a rich and full sound, but not at the expense of clarity. It doesn't have too much bass (which I've found some solid wood acoustics can suffer from), nor does it have too much treble (which was my main gripe with my previous electro-acoustic). The beauty of this is that it sounds great when strumming along or playing more intricate parts.

Plugged in you really do appreciate the quality and versatility of the Fishman system. It sounds every bit as good as it does unplugged, and thanks to the pick-up/internal mic combination you get a wide range of useable 'voices'. Feedback shouldn't be a problem either thanks to the notch filter and phase button. I've had some serious volume very close to my amp and it's not been a problem.

A guitar that sounds as good as it looks. You may ask, in that case why I'm giving it a nine rather than a ten, to which my answers are:

a). A ten would imply nothing could sound better, and I'm not naive enough to think that this Korean made electro-acoustic sounds better than a vintage Martin (or equivalent).

b). A brand new solid wood acoustic guitar will never sound as good as one which has had time to mature. I've every confidence in ten years time this guitar will sound even better.

A nine it is then.

This guitar was set-up perfectly when I purchased it. The action is beautiful, the frets are smooth and well dressed and I've not found any flaws at all (and I'm a fussy bugger!).

Don't be put off by the fact the guitar was made in Korea. The truth of the matter is that Cort's quality control far outstrips many (if not all) of the other big manufacturers. As an example I recently purchased a USA Gibson Les Paul Studio, I love the guitar but the standard of the Cort off the shelf puts it to shame. Gibson (and the other big names) could learn a lot from these supposed 'inferior' manufactuers.

I would go as far as to say that in terms of action, fit and finish this is better than any guitar I've previously owned (the count currently stands at 12).

I've not had it long, but you can tell from just picking it up that it is built to last. It's a solid guitar which would survive all but the worst abuse.

I've bought it with the intention of gigging it, and would have no qualms about doing so without a back-up. Which, incidentally, I'll have to do as it's now my only acoustic!

Not had to deal with them, and I honestly don't anticipate having to.

Even so, my friend works for Cort, so I don't envisage any problems!

I bought this guitar on the recommendation of a friend (who works for Cort), and all I can say is it's one of the best (if not the best) guitar purchase I've ever made.

I'm hugely impressed with this instrument, it sounds fantastic, has all the features you could ever want and it comes at a very good price. To get a similarly specced US acoustic you would be looking at at least three times the price. From a value for money standpoint it cannot be beaten.

It it was lost/damaged/stolen I would replace it in an instant, no question.

Don't be put off by the fact it isn't a Martin/Taylor/Guild/Gibson, this is a superb instrument. Brand snobbery means missing out on quality instruments such as this. I was speaking to the guy who has been repairing one of my instruments (and properly setting up my USA Gibson Les Paul Studio!!) and he simply said that Cort are making acoustic guitars on a par with anyone on the planet at the moment (obviously with the exception of very low output, top-end luthiers) and at a price which makes them affordable to anyone.

I would recommend this to anyone with one proviso, go to your local guitar shop, pick up the instrument, play it, listen to it. Avoid scouring the internet (especially ebay) for bargain guitars that you won't get to see before you've parted with your cash. The best instrument is one which feels right for you. Every guitar is different, my Cort will feel and sound different to the next which means it is essentail to try before you buy. It may cost you a little more, but it will ensure you get an instrument you're happy with, and it will support your local music shop.