When we think of Cort we might think affordability, generously spec’d acoustic and electric guitars at that hotly contested midrange price point, but that’s not the whole story – and it’s not the story with the Indonesian brand’s latest model, the limited edition KX700 TT.
This is Cort showing off, turning its luthiers loose on a high-performance design that could be the ideal metal guitar for the player who obsesses over intonation (we’re looking at you, Erik Rutan), because the TT in this model’s designation stands for True Temperament, the fret technology that promises “unmatched intonation and playing precision” and is loved by the likes of German fusion virtuoso Martin Miller.
We’ll get to the highlights of the KX700 TT’s spec in a moment (the Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers, the Schaller Hannes 6 bridge, the ash-topped mahogany body…), but its True Temperament technology deserves a bit more of an explanation.
Admittedly, it looks a little weird, maybe even wrong, because on a True Temperament fingerboard the frets are curved. But this is clever engineering at play, effectively negating the intonation issues found on a regular fretboard, and in the words of the Swedish company it allows “for pitch-perfect notes in every key across the entire fretboard”.
True Temperament CEO Anders Nicklasson says he is delighted by this limited edition partnership, and so he might. This is an excellent showcase for what his company’s tech can do.
“Cort’s dedication to craftsmanship and their global reach make this an ideal partnership,” said Nicklasson. “Together, we are offering musicians a guitar that combines Cort’s renowned design with our innovative fretting technology, ensuring perfect intonation and a truly superior playing experience.”
No question, the True Temperament fingerboard is a pro-quality feature on a high-end electric guitar replete with them. Those stainless steel frets will be nice and slinky, too, not to mention hard-wearing. And the KX700 is designed and engineered for performance.
It has a five-piece roasted maple and walnut neck that’s bolted to the body with an unobtrusive sculpted heel for easy access to the top of the fretboard, and carved into a speedy D profile that measures just 19.5mm deep at the 1st fret, 21.6mm at the 12th.
The body is solid African mahogany with a solid 15mm ash top. Finished in black, the top reveals all the open grain of the ash. Again, there is generous sculpting in both cutaways, and a generous belly carve so the guitar sits right next to your body.
Cort has gone all in with the premium hardware. You will find locking tuners on the headstock and that six-saddle Schaller Hannes 6 bridge is a serious piece of engineering. The Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers are hooked up to a mini-toggle switch to select full humbucker or split-coil modes. There is a push-pull feature on the volume knob to select the two pickup voicings, plus a three-way pickup switch and tone control.
The KX700 TT has a 25.5” scale length, and the radius on that TT ‘board is a shreddable 15.75”. Luminlay side markers glow in the dark to help you navigate under stage lighting.
But understandably, it’s the True Temperament fingerboard that pull focus here, and if you need some more convincing, Martin Miller told MusicRadar last year why he his True Temperament-equipped Ibanez is his go-to electrc in the studio.
“It’s a guitar that I’ll mostly be playing in the studio, especially when I am tracking chords, inversions, especially with distortion, you get all kinds of weird overtones clashing if you use a regular guitar,” said Miller. “Like an inverted major triad just sounds weird on a regular instrument, and you forego that problem with a True Temperament neck.”
Miller believes a lot of players haven’t tried a True Temperament neck yet because guitarists are stuck in their ways. There is a natural suspicion whenever something radically new comes around.
An inverted major triad just sounds weird on a regular instrument, and you forego that problem with a True Temperament neck
Martin Miller
“The True Temperament is not a digital solution. It is a mechanical, physical solution, and just like the EverTune bridge. I think they are both fantastic inventions,” he said. “I wish people understood them better. There are so many negative prejudices that these products face. ‘You can’t bend on an EverTune. Your bending will be weird on a True Temperament instrument. That looks weird. That’s going to be difficult to play.’ Well, have you tried it? It takes a minute to adjust, and then you’ve got it, and you never feel it. You can close your eyes and you’ll never feel it.”
You can find out more about this innovative fretboard technology at True Temperament. And you can get your hands on it with this new KX700 TT, which is available now from selected Cort dealers, priced $2,499. See Cort for more details.
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