New models combine all-solid construction, exotic tonewoods, and stage-ready electronics in a streamlined, performance-focused platform.
Cort announces the expansion of its new Core Series acoustic guitars, a lineup of all-solid instruments designed to emphasize tonal integrity, choice of material, and player-focused refinement. Featuring semi-gloss, UV-cured finishes and a selection of exotic tonewoods, the series adds the new Core-GA Formosan koa and Core-OC Maple to previously released Core-MC Ovangkol, each built to deliver distinct tonal characteristics within a consistent design philosophy.
At the foundation of the Core Series is all-solid construction paired with hand-scalloped X-bracing and a dovetail neck joint at the 14th fret. The Core-GA Formosan koa pairs a solid spruce top with solid Formosan koa (Acacia Confusa) back and sides, offering warm response and harmonic depth supported by the resonance of a fully solid body. The Core-OC Maple features a solid spruce top with solid sycamore maple back and sides, delivering a bright, articulate voice with strong projection and dynamic response. The Core-MC Ovangkol combines a solid spruce top with solid ovangkol back and sides, emphasizing clarity, depth, and a wide dynamic range. Across the series, the ultra-thin, sonically enhanced UV finish is designed to preserve resonance while adding a vintage-inspired burst aesthetic.
Neck construction and playability are tailored to each model while keeping a consistent feel. The Core-GA Formosan koa features a mahogany neck with a Comfort C profile, paired with a rosewood fingerboard (15.75” radius) and a 25.5” scale length. The Core-OC Maple uses a hard maple neck in a Comfort C profile, also matched with a rosewood fingerboard and 25.5” scale. Both models feature 20 frets and genuine bone nuts, with widths of 1 3/4” (45mm) on the GA and 1 11/16” (43mm) on the OM. These specifications are designed to balance comfort and precision across different playing styles.
All Core Series models are equipped with Fishman® Presys VT electronics, featuring discreet, side-mounted controls for volume and tone. This onboard system is designed to provide straightforward amplification while keeping a clean acoustic signal, allowing players to transition easily from studio to stage environments.
Added appointments across the series include genuine bone nut and saddle construction, rosewood bridges, and vintage open-gear tuning machines for smooth and precise operation. Aged white ABS binding and black-and-aged white ABS rosettes contribute to a cohesive visual identity, while Venetian cutaways enhance upper fret access on applicable models. Each guitar ships strung with Elixir® Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb Light strings (12–53) and includes a Cort gig bag.
The Cort Core Series acoustic guitars are available now. For more information, visit www.cortguitars.com
As creativity doesn’t move within the confines of specific timelines, it didn’t take Richie Kotzen long to start working on new music. Fresh off a world tour, inspiration struck and he immediately went into the studio, breathing new life into a track he had been sitting on, patiently waiting for the just the right moment to complete. Today Richie Kotzen surprised fans with the digital release of his newly recorded song, “Catch a Star .”
“After coming off the road with Smith/Kotzen, I fully intended to take a long break from live performance and recharge creatively” says Richie Kotzen. “While going through old archives, I rediscovered “Catch A Star” in a semi-completed form and for whatever reason, the direction suddenly became obvious to me in a way it hadn’t before. Once that happens as a writer” Kotzen continues, “you must trust your instincts and follow the momentum. That’s exactly what happened with this song."
Playing all the instruments on “Catch a Star,” Kotzen digs into his Philly musical roots with soaring verses, soulful melodies and choruses, and driving rhythms, as he pushes both his guitar and bass techniques and style in new and innovative directions.
“What I love about “Catch A Star” is how direct it is” says Kotzen. “The chorus arrives immediately, the arrangement stays intentionally simple, and the focus is really on the melody, lyric, and atmosphere. This is also one of those recordings where I handled every instrument and vocal myself, layering each part individually in the studio. In the past, I probably would have held onto a song like this until I had enough material to complete a full album, but these days I feel more inspired by releasing music in real time rather than waiting indefinitely for a larger project to materialize."
While there are currently no immediate touring plans, Richie Kotzen continues to create and wanted to share “Catch A Star” with the people who have supported and accompanied him throughout his musical journey.
“If it eventually leads to a full-length album, great” states Kotzen, “and if it doesn’t, for now, that’s fine too.”
The legendary Vox AC30 is, without doubt, one of the most versatile amps from the golden age of tube tone. Whether used by the Beatles for British Invasion sounds, Brian May for heavy rock, Rory Gallagher for blues, Peter Buck for jangle, or Mike Campbell and Tom Petty for driving, American rock 'n' roll, it has remained a top source of lust-worthy guitar tone for more than 65 years, and a perennial standard onstage and in the studio.
The brand’s long-time owner, Korg, has now made the AC30 even more versatile—while retaining the essentials of the vintage-era design—in its new Hand-Wired model, which is available as a head (tested here) or the more familiar 2x12 combo. The AC30 Hand-Wired retains many key features of the classic, such as normal and top boost channels driving a quartet of EL84 output tubes ostensibly run in Class A mode (cathode-biased, with no negative feedback) and a GZ34 tube rectifier. But it also adds key utilities that enhance its flexibility, such as a master volume, tube-driven spring reverb, and a buffered effects loop.
Channel Crossing
The AC30 Hand-Wired has high and low inputs for each of its two channels. The first channel, normal, utilizes a lone volume control but adds a bright switch that the original lacked, and its tone can be further adjusted by the tone cut (often called hi cut) in the master section. The top boost channel features volume, treble, and bass controls, the latter two of which tap the active cathode-follower tone stage driven by a full 12AX7 preamp tube. Where the AC30 of the early to mid1960s had a tremolo effect, the new Hand-Wired offers up tube-driven spring reverb instead, which is arguably more in-demand today. (We’ll let you be the judge of that). This reverb is more tweakable than most, with controls for both tone and level.
"The AC30 Hand-Wired easily touches on classic cornerstones of Class-A British tone, while offering more versatility than many originals can muster."
As previously discussed, the amp’s master section has both tone cut and volume controls. The former reduces highs in the output stage to smooth out treble bite as desired. The latter is a nifty addition that traditional AC30s lacked, and one that many players will welcome, given how ferociously loud this amp can be. In addition to the now-requisite send and return, the effects loop has a -10dB/+4dB switch to match levels with different outboard effects, as well as a bypass switch. The dual speaker outs include a switch for 8-ohm and 16-ohm loads.
Given its impressive volume capabilities, it’s probably no surprise that the AC30 Hand-Wired is relatively big and heavy for a 30-watt head—just as AC30s have always been—weighing in at a little over 43 pounds. (The combo, with its pair of Vox/Celestion Blue speakers, clocks in at over 70 pounds). Physical dimensions are 27.76"x10.35"x11.89" (including the feet).
Hefty transformers and a large, well-packed chassis all contribute to the amp’s weight. But they also enable the stout performance AC30s are known for. Inside, the Vietnam-made/UK-designed circuit’s components are hand-soldered across a sturdy turret board displaying tidy construction. Getting your peepers in here requires the removal of ten screws from the back panel and sliding out the chassis. Replacing any tubes necessitates the removal of four more screws. It’s a labor-intensive adventure, as was often the case with Vox amps in the past, but it would have been nice to see this maintenance feature simplified. There’s also not a ton of air space or much ventilation for all those hot-running tubes, but again, such has often been the Vox way.
While the circuit generally honors the vintage original, it’s intended to pay tribute to it rather than faithfully replicate it, and a few values have been changed here and there—most notably, perhaps, in the shape of heavier filtering in the power stage. In addition to the power cable and reverb footswitch and its cable, the AC30 Hand-Wired Head comes with a proper speaker cable, an important accessory that many makers neglect.
Copper Blues
For this review, I hitched the AC30 Hand-Wired Head to a 2x12 cab with Greenbacks, a 1x12 with a Celestion Alnico Gold, and another 1x12 with an Eminence Platinum Series Neo. In each case, the AC30 Hand-Wired easily touched on classic cornerstones of class-A British tone, while offering more versatility than many originals can muster. While the top boost channel takes most of the bows, many players appreciate the warmth, richness, and headroom available in the normal channel. My Telecaster loved it. Thick and gutsy when pushed, this felt like the place for meaty Heartbreakers riffs and crunching alt-country, and proved very easy to get along with.
As plenty of guitarists have discovered with AC30s of old, the top boost channel takes careful dialing in to work with a Telecaster or other bright single-coil guitar. But when you get there, it rewards with extra chime and jangle, and high-end sparkle that no other amp quite matches. An ES-335 is a great match for the lively brightness and tactile responsiveness of this channel, too, and the humbuckers very easily pushed the output into the hot-lead zone. With the top boost channel’s volume up to noon and beyond (and the master volume reined in as desired) the overdrive tones might sound a tad fizzy—particularly if the AC30 is a new experience for you—but it’s a sound responsible for countless classic solos, and it cuts through a full band mix with ease.
The spring reverb, which is the new addition in the classic AC30 recipe, is lush and three-dimensional, and sits nicely even in heavy doses, without washing out the amp’s character and responsiveness. The effects loop also works well, and its dual-level switch makes tailoring it to a variety of rack and pedal units a relatively easy thing.
The Verdict
The new AC30 Hand-Wired Head does a great job of capturing several essential voices from the hallowed originals of the early to mid 1960s, while adding features that, these days, are considered essential rather than luxuries. It’s big and heavy for a 30-watt head, but AC30s always were, and the tones are absolutely timeless.
Vox
AC30 Hand-Wired 30-watt Tube Amplifier Head
Handwired using the highest-quality components, the Vox AC30 Hand-Wired Head’s brilliant British-style tube tone and traditional construction re-creates the magic of Vox’s vintage early-1960s heyday.
Airline Guitars has officially entered the pedal world with the Dirty Birdy Fuzz — a limited-run analog fuzz pedal built for everything from glassy cleanup to full-blown sonic misconduct.
Inspired by vintage fuzz circuits – specifically the Sovtek era Triangle Muff – and tuned for players who use their volume knob to control their sound, the Dirty Birdy reacts dynamically to your guitar's output. Roll back the volume knob and it cleans up. Open it up and it gets nasty. The THRUST control pushes the circuit from controlled breakup into full turbulence, and an internal trim lets you dial in additional sustain if you want to go deeper.
The Dirty Birdy’s analog circuit offers a surprising range of tones and stacks well with other pedals for even more sonic mayhem. It features true bypass switching and is powered by standard 9-volt external power (no battery compartment).
The Dirty Birdy’s retro styling is available in three limited-run finishes — Transistor Radio, Seafoam Sparkle, and Vintage Pastel — each one collectible by design. Street price is $99.
For more information visit airlineguitars.com. MSRP: $99 USD |airlineguitars.com
Hello, and welcome back to Mod Garage. Last month, we finished up work on the body of our Harley Benton guitar, so this time, we’ll proceed with the neck and see what can be done to enhance it.
The first thought that crossed my mind when removing the neck was, “Oh god, not another one!” The screws were still tight to the body, and had to be taken out. If you loosen the screws, take the neck off, and still have to continue unscrewing the screws to remove them from the body, that can create problems. There should be two different sized holes: a thread hole in the neck heel, and a through or body hole in the body. The thread hole should accept the recommended percentage of the screw’s thread. The through/body hole is to allow the screw to pass through and enter the thread hole, but lots of companies only want to drill one, slightly too-large thread hole; they drill the same size hole in the body and neck, which causes the neck screw to tighten to the body before it can properly snug up in the neck.
This building quirk is easy to repair, but it does require some tools, namely a thickness gauge and high-quality wood drill sets in both U.S.-inch and metric measurements. Measure the threaded area of the screw, and choose a drill bit the same size or just slightly larger. (I suggest drilling a test hole in a scrap piece of wood to test the length.) You should be able to slide the screw through the hole with your fingers without having to twist or thread it, but you should feel a bit of resistance. I solved this blip within a few minutes on our Harley Benton guitar, but you can find this problem on a lot of guitars—even very expensive ones.
Considering our guitar’s sticker price, I was really impressed with the quality of its neck. It’s made from “caramelized maple,” which is simply marketing language for roasted maple. It’s not a typical one-piece maple construction, but a so-called maple “cap neck,” which means it has a glued-on maple fretboard. Interestingly, the back of the neck sports the iconic skunk stripe typical of one-piece maple necks. There’s no real reason why a maple cap neck should have a skunk stripe: The truss rod is inserted from the top before gluing on the fretboard, so there’s no need to route the neck from the backside, as is done on solid maple necks. The stripe section is made of roseacer wood, which is another marketing-language plant species. It, too, is simply roasted maple, made using a process that darkens the wood.
Roasted maple is a popular construction choice thanks to its stability and richer color; Harley Benton simply calls it “caramelized maple.” Our neck has some nice bird’s-eye figuring on the back, and I dig the deeper brown palette, but naturally, this is a matter of individual taste. The access opening on the headstock for the truss rod looks like walnut or roasted maple, too, but is, in fact, plastic.
The 25.5"-scale neck is flatsawn and has a modern D-profile, with 21 medium-jumbo frets and a 12" radius that make it comfortable for playing open or barre chords, soloing, and bending strings cleanly, with low action all the way up the neck. The neck is sealed with a thin coat of semi-clear gloss, which feels silky and comfortable. It’s also equipped with a dual-action truss rod, a nice touch in this price range that gives you access to truss-rod adjustments from the headstock. Black standard dots are inlayed across the fretboard and on its edge, and behind the headstock’s plastic nut we have two butterfly string-trees, as well as vintage, Kluson-style tuners. The shape of the headstock is unmistakably Telecaster, complete with the Harley Benton logo in a familiar-feeling font. Well done, Harley Benton. I’m impressed.
I usually start by inspecting the neck heel to make sure it’s completely square, and expose the bare wood so I have a super-tight wood-to-wood connection when the neck is installed. Our guitar’s neck heel is perfectly even, and the layer of lacquer on it is so thin that removing it seems like a waste of time. But because I want to use standard-sized stainless-steel neck screws, I have to slightly enlarge the four thread holes to accept these new screws. It took me just a few minutes to do this using a drill press and some sharp drill bits.
That’s all for now. We didn’t spend any more money this month, so our remaining $196 budget is ready for future investments. Next month, we’ll make some moves to improve our guitar’s neck, so stay tuned.
