Cort Artisan B4 FL

(Originally written by motteherbeuse/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Bass guitar made in Korea with two great Bartolini pickups, passive/active operation, five controls (master volume, tone, low, mid, high) and active/passive switch. Great natural wood finish considering its price range.

Accurate machine heads.

Slim exotic wood neck.

UTILIZATION

Ergonomic neck and good access to the upper frets. A real delight!

Weight and playability are very subjective things depending on the bassist. Given that I'm small, I carry the bass quite high with a short and very wide strap to avoid any backbone problems. That way I can easily carry the bass for three or four hours straight without getting tired (I haven't tried to play longer).

The bass sounds good in active mode with the following EQ settings: few highs and mids and more lows. At first you'll have to play around with the controls and memorize their layout (from right to left: lows, mids, highs). Once you've done that you'll get the sound you're looking for, if you have a good amp (which doesn't necessarily mean an expensive one).

SOUNDS

It's perfect for me because I play Breton folk music. I play it with a 35-watt Hartke DE (used for monitoring). It allows me to play a lot of glissandi like with a double bass. I also use it with another band as support bass to play country music with an Ampeg B50 (for monitoring), though I usually play my US Jazz Bass.

The NB4FL is good enough on its own and it doesn't need an effect pedal for the music styles I play. The only pedal I own is a Boss TU2 tuner I always take with me, especially when I tune double flat (DGDG) to play country music, which would normally require a 5-string bass. It sounds great like a double bass. I get a deep, round and clear low D sound when I set the low control to max.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using it a lot for eight months and I didn't try out any other fretless bass guitars. I only read several forums and I don't regret my purchase, especially because the value for money is very good! I recommend fretless beginners to learn by heart all intervals from one point to another (points are placed on the neck) to avoid pitch problems. More so considering that notes are not always exactly between two points. With a fretted neck, frets are always narrower so use your ears.

There have been times at the end of live gigs when people come to me and ask about my bass, even people who are not musicians. And it looks wonderful.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again and I recommend it to every bassist.

Have musical fun!

(Originally written by motteherbeuse/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Bass guitar made in Korea with two great-sounding Bartolini pickups and five knobs.

UTILIZATION

Truss rod-less neck (needless)!! Until now I've never had to adjust the truss rod of an instrument (I don't use them as golf clubs).

Great upper frets access and 2-octave neck.

Weight and playability are very subjective things depending on the bassist. Given that I'm small, I carry the bass quite high with a short and very wide strap to avoid any backbone problems. That way I can easily carry the bass for three or four hours straight without getting tired (I haven't tried to play longer).

Very good sound in active operation. At first you'll start turning the knobs around and you'll notice that you get the best sound when all knobs are turned all the way. With a good-sounding amp (i have a 35-watt Hartke) you get a very satisfying sound.

SOUNDS

It's perfect for me, I play Breton folk music. It allows me to play a lot of glissandi like with a double bass. I also use it as my second bass to play country music with another band with whom I usually play my US Jazz Bass.

The NB4FL is a good instrument on its own right and it doesn't need any effect pedals for the music styles I play. The only pedal I own is a Boss TU2 tuner I always take with me, especially when I tune my instrument in double flat (DGDG) to play country music, which would require a 5-string bass. And it sounds good: I get a deep, round and clear sound. For large stages I use an Ampeg B50 connected to the main mixer. I like very deep and round sounds, and this bass provides me that sound (however the Jazz Bass is much better)!!

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using it a lot for six months and I didn't try out other fretless basses, I only read several forums. I don't regret my purchase because the value for money is very good! And it looks very nice. There have been times at the end of live gigs when people come to me and ask about my bass, even people who are not musicians.

Channel wenge / rosewood fingerboard fretless rosewood, body swamp ash. Micro bartolini + equa active Bartolini. Beautiful finish that gives a pretty gross but look like wood is beautiful, it's just fine!

UTILIZATION

Profile typed Jazzbass although I find it can handle a finer, very playable. The bass is very light and reasoning, the interface is very well done. In use, the aspect touched very "natural wood" and its influence has come Raisonnance games, which is very nice and very inspiring. The only point that can be regarded as negative (but that does not bother me too much), is the abscence of benchmarks button (sort of false frets inlaid) that could've servire guide, but there have any points on the side, and when you play bass fretted long, instinctively we reach the right hand positions.

SOUNDS

The pickups are good, but I'm missing a little something-something anyway. I would have preferred a single microphone mounted more or less between the two micro present. But as there have a balance, we arrive at a compromise for a very natural sound. The active electronics does what it is (the acute thoroughly generate breath, but nothing abnormal), but I must clarify that I am not a fan of the modern side brings this kind of embedded electronics. So I play most often in passive mode (which nescessite nevertheless a battery) and I find a more natural and sound.

OVERALL OPINION

I am fully satisfied with this low, the ratio price / quality is excelent fun games. It is a beautiful object natural feeling pretty strange when you come, like me, 7ender the world, but in the end it is very pleasant. As a good chat, this bass is very pleasant to caress and Caterwaul bass frequencies give pleasure to the musician and listeners!
I recommend to all with little money but bassist who wants a good fretless instrument that that being an ostentatious econnomie finish just to reach a crazy feeling in your hands!
(Small precision, I re-bought this bass there as a few days, but I had a few hang year I had sold a regret to buy gear for my old band. My opinion is based on two low the same model as I know, something that does not devinnerai is considering the proximity of the purchase date and the publication of this notice)