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The Cort GA4 is a solid, well-built acoustic electric guitar marketed towards the beginner and a gig-ready option for the working musician
When you go to the Cort website, you will find the GA4 in the “Guitars For Beginners” category. Drill down, and the GA4 falls under – Perfect for: beginner, fingerstyle, singer/songwriter, stage performance. It is a beautiful and well-made guitar that is perfect for the beginner – I wish I had such an instrument when I was starting out – and…and, the seasoned professional. But, it isn’t perfect, and I will get into that shortly.
Let’s start from the beginning – who is Cort?
Cort is the retail brand of Cor-tek manufacturing. Cor-tek was established in 1973, and if you’ve played a guitar that was made in Asia and marketed by a major guitar brand, chances are good that Cor-tek made it. They build and/or have built instruments for: Ibanez, Fender, Schecter, Musicman, G&L and many more. Needless to say, they know how to make guitars, and buying the Cort brand rather than the big names will get you a great instrument at a lower price.
A beginner guitar?
Well…kind of. $449.99 might be a little steep for the true beginner teen who has the option of buying – er, parents buying – many options under $100. But we long-time guitar playing people are painfully aware of how torturous those “bargain” guitars are and how discouraging it is to try to play that unplayable warped 2×4 with strings. The GA4 is a playable guitar that sounds good and will remain useable, based on the track record of Cor-tek, for years of enjoyment.
And, and, AND…this is not strictly a beginner guitar. This is the perfect gigging guitar for many levels of players, albeit with some refinements to playability – lower the nut, polish the frets. I’m impressed with the smooth sound and simplicity of the Fishman® Presys VT with Fishman® S-core under-saddle pickup.
Specs
| Top Material | Torrefied Solid Sitka Spruce |
| Back & Sides Material | Mahogany |
| Body Shape | Grand Auditorium |
| Cutaway Style | Venetian |
| Construction | Dovetail Neck Joint |
| Bracing Pattern | Advanced Scalloped X-Bracing |
| Scale Length | 25.5″ (648mm) |
| Electronics | Fishman® Presys VT |
| Pickups | Fishman® S-core |
| Binding | Herringbone |
| Sound Hole | 95mm |
| Rosette | Herringbone |
| Bridge Material | Rosewood |
| Bridge Pin Material | Ivory with Black Dot |
| Nut & Saddle | Genuine Bone |
| Nut Width | 1 3/4″ (45mm) |
| Neck Material | Mahogany |
| Neck Shape | C Shape |
| Neck Thickness | 1st Fret: 21.5mm / 8th Fret: 22.0mm |
| Neck Heel Shape | Triangle Heel Shape |
| Truss Rod | Dual Acting / 4mm Wrench |
| Fingerboard Material | Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Radius | 15.75” (R400) |
| Number of Frets | 20 Frets |
| Inlay | Dot |
| Head Shape | Cort Basic |
| Tuning Machines | Vintage Open Gear |
| Strings | Elixir® Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb Light 12-53 |
| Colors | Natural Semi Gloss (NSG) Black Top Semi Gloss (BTSG) |
| Special | Torrefied Spruce Bracing |
Trees and Bones
Solid Sitka Spruce top, Rosewood bridge and fretboard, Mahogany neck, bone nut, bone saddle and Mahogany veneer back and sides…a lot of organic materials here. And that’s where the sound comes from, and the feel. Fishman electronics and Elixir strings complete the package.
Tortured vs Torrified
Yes, the wood is tortured…but in a good way. Torrefaction, also known as thermo-curing or roasting, is a process where guitar tonewood is heated in an oxygen-free environment to remove moisture, oils, and volatile compounds, essentially mimicking and accelerating the natural aging process of wood. Does it work? I don’t know, but the solid Sitka spruce top looks good and sounds good on the GA4.
Where to buy:
Conclusions
Parents – please buy your kid this guitar rather than a $50 Amazon special. 10 times the price and 100 (1,000?) times better. They may even learn to play it. Long-time guitar players, pro and otherwise – this is a capable guitar worthy of your consideration as a gigger, back up and travel guitar. I found the GA4 to be inspiring, and a fun new addition to the stable.
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