Cort CORE-OC ABW-OPLB — Core Series Electro-Acoustic Guitar

The CORE-OC ABW-OPLB condenses Cort’s “nothing added, nothing hidden” philosophy into an orchestra-concert cutaway dressed in open-pore light-burst African blackwood. All-solid construction, stripped-back cosmetics and a stage-ready preamp make this a working guitarist’s boutique secret weapon. What follows is a long-form exploration: design intent, tone-wood chemistry, bracing science, ergonomic detail, electronics architecture, eco credentials and lifelong care, before closing with a quick-scan white-and-gray specification table.

1. Core Series Manifesto — Honest Woods, Minimal Finish

Cort’s Core line emerged from an internal challenge: build an acoustic that places every dollar into resonance, playability and longevity—no glossy lacquer up-charges, no faux-binding glamour. The ABW-OPLB variant pushes that ethos further by picking an exotic timber—African blackwood—usually reserved for four-figure customs, then finishing it with a breathable open-pore coating only 80 µm thick. Light-burst shading moves from honey at the centre to espresso at the rim, spotlighting grain instead of hiding it.

2. Body Geometry — Orchestra-Concert Comfort, Cutaway Freedom

Lower bout 15 ⅛″, waist 11″, tail depth 4 ⅛″: the OC chassis balances lap-friendly comfort with enough air to fill a coffeehouse unplugged. A soft Venetian cutaway (≈4″ radius) leaves frets 14–20 reachable for chord-melody runs or capo-less key changes. Despite dense blackwood plates the guitar weighs ≈ 4.3 lb, helped by the ultra-thin finish and scalloped bracing.

3. Tone-Wood Matrix — All-Solid African Blackwood

Top, Back & Sides. Quarter-sawn African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) delivers piano-like low-end, compressed mids and singing trebles with long sustain—think rosewood power crossed with maple sparkle.
Neck. Single-piece African mahogany (Khaya) hosts a dual-action truss rod and wears the same open-pore treatment for a silky, non-sticky feel.
Fingerboard & Bridge. Ovangkol offers rosewood-class density plus caramel streaks that glow under the burst.

4. Bracing Science — Advanced Scalloped X for Dense Plates

Blackwood’s mass called for lighter bracing: spruce X-bars are 0.5 mm lower than on the spruce/mahogany Core models, with 1.8 mm feather tips. The X-intersection shifts 5 mm toward the sound-hole, unlocking bass air. Result: quick attack for fingerstyle, yet headroom strong enough for pick-driven worship swells.

5. Open-Pore Light-Burst — Letting the Top Breathe

A water-borne sealer soaks fibres; a matte polyurethane clear locks colour and blocks sweat—total film ≈80 µm. High-speed video shows ~5 % extra top displacement amplitude versus gloss blackwood builds. You feel pores under fingertips, hear faster note “launch,” and see an unfiltered grain story.

Specifications