Cort SFX-ME OP — Super-Slim Mahogany Electro-Acoustic with Gig Bag

The SFX-ME OP distils Cort’s “Slim Folk Crossover” concept into a feather-light, all-mahogany package no thicker than many electrics. An arched back compensates for the 83 mm body depth, an aggressive Venetian cutaway unlocks the 24th fret and a fast C-neck blurs the line between acoustic and stage-strat. Add the CE304T preamp, open-pore resonance and the included padded gig-bag, and you have a couch-to-club travel companion purpose-built for the modern singer–looper. Below is a ~3 000-word examination—design ethos, tone-wood chemistry, bracing maths, ergonomic engineering, electronics roadmap, sustainability snapshot and lifetime care—followed by a white–gray specification table.

1 | Birth of the SFX Platform — Why Slim?

Cort launched the SFX line in 2007 after surveying electric players who dreaded 5″-deep acoustics on small stages. Requests repeated: “keep the acoustic air but ditch the flabby box,” “give me shred-neck access,” “make feedback a non-issue.” Engineers answered with a super-slim 83 mm body (≈3 ¼″), a 25.3″ scale to preserve acoustic snap and a fan-shaped arched back to recoup lost air volume. The ME (Mahogany Electric) variant chooses warmth and mid punch over spruce sparkle; the OP tag (Open Pore) keeps finish mass low so the thin plates move freely.

2 | Body Geometry — Slim but Loud

Dimensions: 15 ¾″ lower bout, 11″ waist, 3 ¼″ uniform depth. The arch back reaches 12 mm at apex, deflecting internal reflections toward the sound-hole like a parabolic shell. A bold Venetian cutaway (2.8″ radius) clears the 17th-fret heel entirely, granting full-scale solo phrasing. At 3.7 lb (≈1.68 kg) the SFX-ME feels lighter than many semi-hollows, curbing shoulder fatigue during three-hour busking sets.

3 | Tone-Wood Matrix — All-Mahogany Warmth

Top • Back • Sides. African mahogany (Khaya) quartersawn, air-dried eight months then kiln-balanced to 8 % moisture. Mahogany’s higher internal damping shortens sustain tails—essential when loopers layer eight tracks deep.
Neck. One-piece mahogany, dual-action truss rod, finished in the same open-pore matte for sweat-free slide-ups.
Fingerboard & Bridge. Ovangkol (≈rosewood density) oiled only—never pore-filled—so note attack stays immediate.

4 | Internal Engineering — Fan-Braced Hybrid X

The shallow box cannot host full dread braces. Cort employs a hybrid X whose lower legs taper into fan braces that parallel the arch. Crest height 2.4 mm, wing tips 1.6 mm. Micro-cross-bars under the upper bout stiffen the thin plates against feedback at 400 Hz, enabling louder stage monitors before howl.

5 | Finish Logic — 65 µm Open Pore

Two passes: water-borne pore sealer and satin urethane. Total film mass ≈65 µm, roughly one-third of gloss peers. Players gain: 6–7 % top-plate deflection, 2 dB perceived loudness boost, zero mirror glare beneath ring lights.

Specifications