PG contributor Tom Butwin profiles three versatile - and affordable - acoustic guitars from Cort, Epiphone, and Gold Tone. These classic designs and appointments offer pro-level sound for an accessible price.
Cort Essence Series ES-GA4 Grand Auditorium Cutaway Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural Semi Gloss (GA4NSG)
Epiphone Slash J-45 Acoustic Guitar - November Burst
The classic J-45 has been the choice of legendary musicians ever since it was first introduced in 1942. Known as The Workhorse, it is Gibson's most famous and most popular acoustic guitar model. Now Epiphone has released a new Inspired by Gibson"' J-45"' with all of the features players want, including all solid wood construction, a comfortable rounded C neck profile, 20 medium jumbo frets, the 60s style Kalamazoo headstock shape and a gorgeous Aged Vintage Sunburst finish. The Fishman® Sonicore under-saddle pickup and Sonitone preamp make this Workhorse stage-ready too. Optional hardshell or Epilite"' case available separately. A battery is not included. To power your pickup, you will need a 9-volt battery.
Gold Tone The Bell Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural
Gold Tone’s Festival Series: The Bell stands out by blending classic craftsmanship with stage-ready versatility. Its all-solid wood construction—featuring a Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides—produces a rich, balanced tone that shines in any setting. The slope-shoulder design offers both comfort and clarity, perfect for fingerstyle or strumming. With a slim "D" neck, Fishman electronics, Grover tuners, and D’Addario strings, The Bell is crafted for players who demand tone, playability, and reliable performance—on stage or in the studio.
Featuring torrefied solid Sitka Spruce tops, mahogany neck, back, and sides, and Fishman Presys VT EQ System, these guitars are designed to deliver quality tone and playability at an affordable price point.
Cort Guitars, acclaimed for creating instruments that exceed in value and quality, introduces the Essence Series. This stunning set of acoustic guitars is designed for musicians looking for the quintessential classic acoustic guitar with fabulous tone all at an exceptional price point. The Essence Series features two distinct body shapes: The Grand Auditorium and the OM Cutaway. Whatever the flavor, the Essence Series has the style to suit.
The Essence-GA-4 is the perfect Grand Auditorium acoustic. Wider than a dreadnought, the Essence-GA-4 features a deep body with a narrower waist and a width of 1 ¾” (45mm) at the nut. The result is an instrument that is ideal for any number of playing styles: Picking… strumming… the Essence GA-4 is completely up for the task.
The Essence-OM-4 features a shallower body creating a closer connection to the player allowing for ease of use on stage. With its 1 11/16’th (43mm) nut width, this Orchestra Model is great for fingerpickers or singer/guitarists looking for better body contact for an overall better playing experience.
Both acoustics are topped with a torrefied solid Sitka Spruce top using Cort’s ATV process. The ATV process or “Aged to Vintage”, “ages” the Spruce top to give it the big and open tone of older, highly-sought-after acoustics. To further enhance those vintage tones, the tops bracing is also made of torrefied spruce. The mahogany neck, back, and sides create a warm, robust midrange and bright highs. A rosewood fingerboard and bridge add for a more balanced sound and sustain. The result is amazing tone at first strum. 18:1 Vintage Open Gear Tuners on the mahogany headstock offer precise tuning with vintage styling. The herringbone rosette & purfling accentuates the aesthetics of these instruments adding to their appeal. Both acoustics come in two choices of finish. Natural Semi-Gloss allows the Sitka spruce’s natural beauty to shine through and classic Black Top Semi-Gloss.
A Fishman® Presys VT EQ System is installed inside the body versus other systems that cut into the body to be installed. This means the instrument keeps its natural resonance and acoustic flair. The Presys VT EQ System keeps it simple with only Volume and Tone controls resulting in a true, crisp acoustic sound. Lastly, Elixir® Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze Light .012-.053 Acoustic Strings round out these acoustics. This Number 1 acoustic guitar string delivers consistent performance and extended tone life with phosphor bronze sparkle and warmth. The Essence Series takes all these elements, combines them, and exceeds in playability, looks, and affordability.
Street Price: $449.00
For more information, please visit cortguitars.com.
Cort Essence-GA4 Demo - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.Cort Guitars debuts the latest evolution of their X series electric guitars, the Mutility II.
Named for its “multiple utility”, the Mutility II brings multi-scale performance, ergonomic design, and improved features. Those improvements include new scale lengths and swapping out the old 3-way selector switch to a 5-way for increased sonic versatility.
Available in either Tactical Gray or Military Beige finishes, the sleek double cutaway body is the first sign that this guitar is built for ease of play, performance, and comfort. The deep, ergonomic contours make for an extremely comfortable playing experience. Made of American basswood, the body provides the ideal warmth and fullness needed for a wide variety of musical genres. The second sign of this being one serious guitar is the multi-scale bolt-on neck. The new 25.0” – 25.5”, multi-scale neck is made of a 5pc roasted maple and walnut laminate for improved resonance and durability. A much more comfortable improvement over the previous 24.75” – 25.2” layout. The 15.75” radius, roasted maple fretboard has 24 stainless steel frets, a 1 11/16” Graph Tech® Black TUSQ nut, and Luminlay side dots for easy play and navigation. A six inline, tilt back headstock improves the guitars sustain and completes the overall, aero look and feel of the guitar.
The heart of this guitar is the Fishman Fluence Open Core Modern humbuckers. Featuring black nickel blades, these humbuckers deliver powerful, precise tones suitable for any genre. A single master volume knob controls overall output while a push/pull tone control combines with an upgraded 5-way selector switch to provide players with a variety of tones to accommodate most any musical endeavor. Each string has its own individual hardtail bridge and saddle which feeds through the body for precise intonation, improved sustain, and greater articulation. At the headstock, each string is anchored by the Cort staggered locking tuners.
A set of D’Addario EXL110 strings, a spoke nut hotrod truss rod, and a gig bag complete this guitar, making it suitable for all playing styles, at all playing levels, in any imaginable environment.
For more information, please visit the NAMM Booth 5102 or online at www.CortGuitars.com
Street Price: $1399.99 USD.