Cort B4 Artisan

2006 model Cort B4 Artisan

Features:
-Made in Korea
-24 frets
-Bartolini MK1 soapbar pickups, neck and bridge position.
-Bartolini 3-band active EQ...Bass, Mid, Treble. One master volume and pickup pan knob.
-Active/Passive switch (great feature!)
-Mahogany body
-Natural finish
-Bolt-on African Wenge neck (mine is actually a 5pc. wenge/maple combonation neck like the previous reviewer's).
-Black cast bridge, similar to a Hipshot. Cort calls it the "EB12" bridge on the website. Not revolutionary or anything but a vast improvement over the flimsy crap bridges im used to dealing with.
-Hipshot-liscensed open gear tuners.
-Neck feels to me like a slightly beefed-up fender jazz neck. Comfortable and fast. Standard 34" scale. Website doesnt mention the fingerboard wood but im assuming its rosewood.

For its very reasonable price, the B4 is pretty feature loaded.

I currently play in a rock band and also play some covers so I needed a bass with good punchy tone and versatility. I run the bass into a Tech 21 Bass Driver DI and a Korg DT-10 pedal tuner, then into a Hartke HA3000 solid state head and Tech 21 4x10 cabinet. The bass is usually dead silent with the exception of some minor hiss with the treble knob near to max. But thats very typical of most active basses. Im a big fan of the Bart MK1 setup, a very good comprimise between vintage and modern tone. Nice growl in either active or passive mode(not monster growl like a Warwick but it comes decently close). Toying with the 3-band active EQ and pickup knob yields a nice variety of tones. Growly rock, burpy funk, muddy reggae, smooth jazz, bright slap, etc.

For the price paid, I am very pleased with the sound and versatility.

I never thought that I would say this about any mass-produced import bass, but the factory setup was pretty damn good! Didnt have to touch the truss rod. May or may not need some fine tuning once I get around to replacing the factory stings, but for now its just fine. Nice low action with no buzz. Quality hardware, no sharp frets, no loose or wobbly knobs/jacks/pots, etc. The only thing that concerned me was the fact that when the bass is plugged in and you switch on the active EQ, there is a loud "pop". So make sure to roll off the volume before doing so, so not to damage your speakers. This is my first bass with a passive/active switch, so im not sure if that is commonplace or if its just the B4. Regardless, its only a very minor inconvienance.

The B4 is perfectly balanced and surprisingly light. When compared to the Cort my fender jazz felt like wearing a boat anchor.

I havent gigged with it yet (as we are currently busy auditioning new lead players) but I dont see any reason why it wouldnt withstand the rigors of live playing. On the surface it doesnt seem as bullet-proof as my Fender jazz was, but only time will tell. Im being careful to try to avoid dings to the natural finish as id imagine it may dent easier. The stock strap buttons looked solid but I havent really used them. Call me paranoid, but every bass ive recently owned have gotten the stock strap buttons removed and straplocks permanently screwed in with epoxy.

Id definatly gig it without a backup. The Active/Passive switch means no more worrying about your battery crapping out during a gig.

Ive been playing bass about 6 years. I have owned in the past several old Peaveys, Yamahas, various amps, and most recently a standard Fender Jazz bass which I traded in for the Cort B4. If it were stolen id probably look for another, although it would be hard to find one at the price I got mine for.

Overall the B4 has very nice style, tone, and playability. The build quality easily rivals basses twice it's price. A semi-pro bass for $350 is practically unheard of. There are some suprisingly good instruments coming out of Korea these days, and the B4 is no exception. In my opinion the B4 beats the pants off anything Ibanez, Yamaha, or any of the other asian manufacturers are offering in the same price range. Get one of these babies before Cort realizes what a sweet product they have and jack up the price!

Not sure what year, but probably 2005. Korean made. Features can be found everywhere, but UNLIKE the Cort official website pictures, mine has a Wenge/Maple/Wenge/Maple/Wenge neck instead of all Wenge. The maple stripes are visible from the front between the fretboard and neck pickup. I'm not complaining, just pointing it out that they may have switched from all Wenge to a mixture at some point (or the other way around?) Mine has the AOL Ash Natural Oil finish and Bartolini MK1 pickups/preamp. I've read that some had Mighty Might pickups, so be aware for that if you're shopping.

The only complaint about the hardware is that the bridge isn't some world-class Warwick, Alembic, or neck-through Fender deal. Hey, it's not perfect, but pay attention to what I'm comparing it to. It's not a $4000 instrument.

The sound is a fantastic modern bass sound. I play with it on passive 95% of the time through a Sansamp Bass DI, or even bypass the Sansamp. In passive mode, it has a very nice, full midrange with plenty of treble to make your slap style come through with clear attack and percussion. The low end is present but not strong - I actually prefer this, because I think it's easier to get a great sound by boosting the lows after you dial in everything else.

Switching to active mode often causes a loud click, as others have noted. What I LOVE about the Bartolini preamp is that with the EQ knobs set to the center detent, there is NO tone change between active and passive. This lets you play with passive and say, "Hm, a little more mid and a little less treble would be nice" and you immediately know how to fiddle with the knobs to get exactly what you want. If I were playing live and for some reason didn't like my sound, I would not hesitate to drop out, cut the volume, go active, and readjust my EQ in the middle of a song. There is no guesswork here.

As far as the pickups go, the neck pickup has a nice, fat bass THUB or THUMP that sounds similar to a passive Jazz with the tone turned down. I'm not so fond of the bridge pickup by itself, but I don't care for any bass bridge pickup by itself. However, with the pickup blend right in the middle, they combine to form an extremely well balanced growl that is not unlike a Warwick or a Tobias.

Please note that I'm using the word "similar." I'm not saying this bass will replace your '62 Jazz, Warwick, or Tobias, but that it gets close enough to convince your average audience member. I have yet to get a reasonably good Precision sound out of it.

I'm keeping the price in mind when I rate the sound, and again, bear in mind what I'm comparing it to. It's not a $4000 instrument.

The neck had a little more curve in it than I'd like, and the action on the G was set low enough that tension at the bridge saddle is a little problem. Still, nothing here is a show stopper. I've straightened the neck a little and the G string saddle isn't a problem, it's just not perfect.

Everything about the bass is indicative of at least great quality control at the Korean factory. It's not made from exotic wood snatched from a dragon's cave, but there isn't a thing wrong with the instrument. Frets are well dressed. The neck is cosmetically superb. There are no gaps around the neck and this bolt-on has loud, usable sustain from a regular note for easily 10-15 seconds, longer if you use compression and are going for a world record. Knobs, tuners, and jack are great, but there is the aforementioned click on the active/passive switch.

The separate, flip-out battery compartment is top quality but not jewel encrusted. Eh, whaddya gonna do?

I have not opened the control cavity, but I practice near a large TV and several computers and interference has not been a problem. In practice, it's at least adequately shielded though I haven't looked.

I have no doubts about the durability of the bass. I use it almost strictly in the passive mode, but in active mode you can swap the battery without a screw driver.

NA

I've been playing various stringed instruments for 19 years. I have no regrets about this instrument, but it doesn't fit in the SKB Freedom case I had intended to use (the angled headstock hits the back of the case), so I wish I got at least a gig bag thrown into the deal.

I would seriously consider buying a 2nd simply because the Cort B4 is an under-rated Korean gem. I wouldn't trade it for 2 MIM Fenders. I love the feel of the 5 piece neck and the clean, strong sound it puts out.

I was shopping for a couple of weeks for a birthday present for myself, playing everything from two used Alembics ($1500 and $1000) through every Fender ($1200 down), a used Pedulla ($1200), a US Masters ($800 and a CLOSE second to this), before pulling this Korean bass off the wall just to see what was up, and took this one home. Budget was not an issue for me - I simply wanted to buy THE bass that grabbed ahold of me when I played it and couldn't put down. As much as I wanted the prestige of owning an Alembic or another American hand-made instrument, this Cort was the guy.

Considering the price I paid, I can't give this anything but a 10 overall. Obviously it won't hold up to a $4000 custom made number, but hey, "overall" includes the price.

Just got this a month or so ago, So I assume it's made late 2005 or early 2006. Made in Korea. 34" 4 string, 24 frets with offset dots which look abalone or pearl (if not they a cool looking replica!) Ash body, African wenge 5 pc neck. Actice / passive electronics with vol, blend, bass, mid, treb and a switch to kick the active on or off. 2 Soapbar pickups (Bartolini's with the Bartolini MK-1 preamp. It has a soft, natural finish that's beggin' me for a tung oil rub down, but we'll see. Neck is fairly thin, altho not jazz-thin, but I find it exteremly confortable.

I love the sound on this baby! I play everything from punk/pop to funk to blues & Rock and the tone range has been great. Between the active / passive switch to the blend I have been able to dail in anything I've needed at the guitar. I prefer to run my amps pretty flat and EQ from the bass. (I mean, it right there in your hands, why keep running back to the rig?). Right now I am using it with my Fender M80 160W combo through a 15" with my Peavey 4X10 slaved onto it. I run everything through my Zoom BFX708 pedal. I use one distortion setting for a couple songs, but I like this for it's compression settings when recording or gigs. Signal is studio quiet on any combination I've used. We are going in to record our 2nd CD and I'm really looking forward to using this bass. I've coaxed nice bluesy thump to in-your-face spank. I've played a few basses that have have a wider tonal range but not many, and they were all over $1K. No gigs with it yet, but our next is April 8 so we'll see then. The strings that came with it were nice, but the spank really came out when I dropped Elixers on it.

Set-up was nearly spot on. I lowered the action just a hair and had to set intones on just the A and G strings (by about a 1/4 step, so I could have gotten away with it as was, but I like my octave slides to end where they start. Pickup height was good, just had to lower the bridge pickup after I adjusted the action. Wood is great and grat looking, it appears to be a more expensive guitar than it is. The active / passive toggle has a little 'click' to it, which is unfortunate, since I'll have to switch it out with a silent one before we record next. I have 3 songs where I play most of it passive and boost the signal with the active circuts for some intro's, outro's, solo's and bridges. But for $300 and a trade witha used OLP MM2, I can live with that!!

It's held up against 3 practices a week, plus homework. It's been great so far, even in Ohio winter the neck has been stable. The finish being natural seems vulnerable, but so far only one drop out of the stand (Thanks vocalist!---you know who you are Cass! :)) and no damage. Strap buttons were secure but the straplocks had to take their place. I'm paranoid, so I have almost NEVER played without a backup, but I would have no problem taking this one alone (but I WILL have back up strings!)

No experience, can't really say. I've been setting up my own gear for 20 years, so unless something major happens, I'll never know.

I've been playing 25 years and have a 15 yr old Samick 4str that have been rehabbed with Carvin Active / Passive electronics like their LB70 series. I also have 2 Galveston basses, A hazze Wazeen gold metal flake 4 str with 27 frets (it was so ungly I had to have it) and an acoustic / elec 4 str that just smokes. Fender Jazz Deluxe V (mexi) and a 1967 Teisco EP-11P hollowbody 6str. My amps are Peavey and Fender (115w and 160W respectively) I run my rigs with 2 15's and a 4X10. I spent months trying out everything from Ibanez's to Fender's (The Geddy rocks and I love the Marcus Miller by the way, it was my 2nd choice, but this was less that 1/2 the price!) This gave me all the tones and action I was looking for, in a great looking bass at a great price. I looked at Cort as a beginner-player guitar company. But in researching this bass I see T.M. Stevens (James Brown, Steve Vai, et al) and Josh Paul (Suicidal Tendancies, Infectious Grooves) have their signature lines here I figured it can't be all bad! Plus when I had the salesperson bring this down and I started to play around with the controls I think he knew the jig was up cause it must've shown on my face. He loked at me and just said... "Need a gig bag or case for that?" LOL. I'd recommend this to just about anyone. Action beats any 'starter' bass and it looks and sounds and feels like a much higher end bass. I'm lovin' this thing. If it were stolen I would hunt the person down and beat them with the Jazz V. (It's durable and one HEAVY piece of wood!) It's a deal at twice the price!

Ash Body, Wenge neck, Bartolini MK1 pickups and Preamp, Rosewood fretboard, & 2 piece fortress bridge. The features on this bass are similar to what you might find on a warwick bass. The bridge is a knock off of the 2 piece bridge that warwick uses. The wenge neck is quite nice. It features a ver rough grain that wenge is known for having. The satin finish on the natural ash body is quite nice. It makes the bass look more expensive than it actually is. The Bartolini's are the lower end barto's, but they still sound very good. It features a 3 band EQ. Controls are VOL (push/pull active/passive), Blend, Bass, Mids, & treble. The neck on this bass is in between a p-bass and a jazz bass. It is very comfortable to play.

You can dial in a variety of sounds on this bass. It you want a growling, warm, bright, mellow, or powerful tone. The bass can get it for you. The electronics on here are very quite. I like the sound of the bass through my rig. My rig consists of:

Peavey T-MAX 550watt head
(2) Peavey 115BWX
Ampeg SVT-610HLF

The music I play requires a thick but yet bright bass tone. I play Old School Metal and hardcore. So When I play through 6x10's and 2x15's, I get a thick sound that could shake God's Balls. This is definetly not a p-bass.

Action is nice after personally tweaking the setup. The pickups are adjusted very well. The only thing I didn't like about the basses neck was the fact that they fretboard is rosewood. The Wenge Neck is capped with a rosewood board. Instead of a solid 1 piece wenge neck, like warwicks have. But hey this is no warwick. They reccomend you use tapered end strings, but however you can use standard strings with it. But you will have to drop the action a little bit.

Well I haven't played any shows with it yet. If you would like to know about reliability e-mail me.

I don't use customer support. It seems to be easier to just fix it yourself.

Excellent bass. If you are looking for a warwick style bass but for a lesser price. This bass blows the RockBasses away. this is an excellent buy for someone who likes the looks of a custom exotic bass, but without the pricetag.

No idea when it was made but im shure its not old, maby made in 2000 or near it. The bass is a 4 strings 24 frets with 5 controles ( Bass,Med,Trebble,Tone and volume) and an active/passive switch.
It's made of Mahogany withe a Rosewood fretboard on an African wenge neck (looks great!!). The bridge is a nice looking fortress bridge.

I play on a Torque 65W combo and eaven with this small amp it sounds great, a very bright sound and since its active with 3 way equalizer u can do a lot of tunning...

The set up was OK but i had to change the settings a bit to my playing stile. And a pickup was strangely placed but i was told it was normal so...

Its a very nice bass but since there is no "painting" (Oiled finishing) it can be scrached easely if you dont take care of it!
The strap buttons could be changed too but not so necesary.
I only adjusted the neck when i bought it.

Never got any problems hopfuly

I played for a few months, and this bass is my first one and i love it!! Its surely not a flea bass or a stingray but for the price its a good bass i think. I will never sell it (eaven when i'll get a flea bass...) but im not shure i would buy another one if it was stolen.
If you are loocking for a good bass to start playing this is the one!

Pickup features: 2 Active pickups with on/off switch
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: B4 Artisan
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Good clear sound, can be changed a lot in active mode.
Tone: You chose .
Sonic evaluation: Whith a Torque T65 1EB its nice but it must be great with a big amp!! And with the bass, med, trebble and balance buttons you do whatever you want.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: All kind.

Comments: This is my first own bass and i would change it for nothing!! The best i ever played on. But only 9/10 cause nothing is perfect!

The b4 is a 24 frets 4 string active bass, it has swamp body and wenge neck (bolt on). The eletronics are bartolini mk1, with high,mid,low,balance,volume controls and two soapbar pickups.
the bridge is the strange cort "fortress", which is quite different from everything else I've seen. the controls are very easy to use and the neck is very playable (not very thin, to say the truth).

The sound is very good, perhaps it hasn't the feel of a jazz or music man, but the quality is impressive. the controls perfectly shape the sound with little variations on the knobs. by fingering near the bridge it is possible to get a nice distorted sound, and by pulling up the low knob and playng near the neck it is possible to get a warm boomy sound.

I've never had a problem in 8 months, but this is a too short time to rate an instruments reliability

This bass is not as good as a music man or jazz bass... but it costs an half of their price! I think I've made a great bargain buying this instrument, the sound is very good and the neck is marvelous, with perfetc reachability to all the 24 frets. I play it through a gallien krueger 400rb head and I never had a problem with it