Cort Guitar Serial Number Lookup
According to the Cort web site, in their FAQ section, the serial number tells the year of manufacture. The first two numbers represent the year. That does not seem to work with your guitar, unless. If a serial number is not in the lists or is not recognized in the serial number decoder, it does not mean that the guitar is a fake. Fake or real Conversely, it is of course no guarantee whether the guitar is real, as a serial number is easy to copy. Example of a Gibson serial number: A real serial number is stamped dark on the back of the.
Write down the serial number and any other information that you find on the guitar’s body, and keep it handy in a safe place. Go online and check your guitar manufacturer’s website for a serial number look-up link, if you know your instrument’s brand. So the serial number '02112777' would indicate a guitar produced the 2nd day of November in 1982 OR 1992 and was the 777th guitar off the production line. Like some other serial schemes, this one may require you to know something about the ESP guitars of the period because the 'Y' digit could mean multiple years.
| In 1908 Matsujiro Hoshino started a bookstore that sold books and sheet music as well musical instruments. From 1921, instruments from Europe and the USA were also imported, including classical guitars from the Spanish luthier Salvador Ibanez. In 1929 he was succeeded by his son Yoshitaro Hoshino. More and more instruments were imported such as mandolins from Italy and drum kits from Ludwig from Germany. Because the request of guitars could no longer be met, Yoshitaro decided to build guitars themselve. Meanwhile, his four sons were also part of the venture and the company Hoshino Gakki was founded. A factory was built near their headquarters for production of their own guitar line that could accommodate around 30 employees. From now on the 'Salvador Ibanez' guitar was called 'Ibanez'. The company exported many guitars to other Asian countries and in 1937 it had an output of more than 1000 guitars a month. After the World War II, during which the factory was completely destroyed, the import of musical instruments was resumed slowly around 1950. Just in 1962 was Jumpei Hoshino decided to build his own guitars again. A new factory was built where now also amplifiers and electric guitars were made. The company was named 'Tama Seisakusho' as a tribute to the wife of Yoshitaro Hoshino. Jumpei Hoshino Ibanez was now the main brand of Hoshino, but they also produced guitars for other western companies. Drum kits were also made with the brand name 'Tama'. From 1966 however, it was decided no more build guitars for other companies. This was adopted by other manufacturers, as Fujigen Gakki or Teisco. In 1967 the first Ibanez guitars were imported by Elger Company, USA. These were guitars with many buttons and switches and had no logo. In the late 1960s, the guitars were provided with in 'spaghetti-style' metal logo on the head stock. | In 1970 they focus more on producing cheaper but comparable models of the great USA brands like Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker. This was called the 'Pre-Lawsuit era'. Despite their cheaper production, the replicas of Ibanez have a high quality and are therefore a strong competitor for the USA brands. In the 1980s own designs were introduced such as the, Performer, Musician and Iceman Models. This period is also called 'Golden Years of Ibanez'. Many of the guitars from that period are popular objects for collectors. For over 50 years the guitar building company Fujigen has been a partner of Hoshino, they built the Ibanez electric guitars. Ibanez guitars have also been produced in South Korea since the early 1990s. The EX series produced there appeared in 1991. EX = 'Experimental'. Because the quality of the Korean guitars is just as good as the Japanese, they made since 1994 also other Ibanez models here. These days Ibanez guitars also made in China. Just like 100 years ago, Hoshino Gakki still has its headquarters in Nagoya. The research and development department is also located here. From the first successful copies of their own models from the 1970s and 1980s to today, Ibanez has been a solid and indispensable big name in the music industry. Headquarter Hoshino, Nagoya |
| Private | |
| Industry | Musical instruments |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973; 47 years ago (as 'Yoo-Ah company') |
| Founder | Jung-gyu Park [1] |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Yeong-ho Park (CEO) [1] | |
| Products | Electric and acoustic guitars, basses, ukuleles |
| Website | cortguitars.com |
Cort Guitars (Cor-Tek Corporation[2]) is a South Koreanguitar manufacturing company located in Seoul. The company is one of the largest guitar makers in the world, and produces instruments for many other companies. It also has factories in Indonesia and China.
Products manufactured by Cort include electric, acoustic and classical guitars, basses, and ukuleles.
History[edit]
Cort was founded in 1960 as an importer of pianos by current CEO Young Park's father. At that time, the company was called Soo Doh Piano. The business slowly evolved from a piano importer to a manufacturer and sales division then finally into a guitar manufacturer in 1973. At this early stage of the company's history, Soo Doh was strictly an OEM supplier to other foreign brand name companies. The company eventually changed its name to Cort Musical Instruments, focused on guitars as it became much more proficient at it than producing pianos and released the first Cort-branded guitars in 1982. Cort began production of headless guitars in 1984 with designs exclusively licensed from Ned Steinberger for Cort's own brand as well as for brands like Hohner and Kramer. This development helped bring the Cort name to the mainstream electric guitar market and attracted the attention of other well-known brand name companies seeking contract guitar manufacturers in Korea.[3]
Models[edit]
Cort does not have a specific model of guitar that could be called its “signature”, like the Stratocaster for Fender or the Les Paul for Gibson. Instead, Cort produces a wide variety of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, acoustic bass guitars, and electric basses.
Electrics[edit]
- Aero
- Classic Rock
- EVL
- Performer
- G
- Gene Simmons
- Hollowbody
- Sterling
- Sunset
- Master8R
- KX series
- M series
- Signature [4]
- Viva
- VX
- X
- Zenon
- Zenox
- CR
Acoustics[edit]
- Limited Edition
- Earth
- SFX
- CJ
- MR
- Classical
- Standard
- Bass
- S (90's)
- Jade
- Luce
- NDX
- Bluegrass
Basses[edit]
- GB
- Artisan
- Curbow
- Action
- Arona
- Gene Simmons Axe
- Gene Simmons Punisher
Cort Guitar Serial Number Lookup
In addition to the models currently being made, Cort has produced many others, including the 'S' series guitars (Stellar, Sterling, Starlite), the 'Viva' guitars, 'MGM' (Matt Guitar Murphy), 'Freedom' bass (Billy Cox), Neil Zaza, Larry Coryell, 'Elrick' bass, 'J Triggs' (Jim Triggs), 'Katana', and 'Effector'. Several of the earliest Corts were direct copies of popular models such as the Stratocaster.
Parkwood[edit]
Up until 2006, Cort manufactured a line of high quality guitars under the name 'Cort Parkwood'. In 2006, Cort turned Parkwood into a brand of its own and now does not feature the Cort name or logo. This is a brand sold exclusively through big box stores such as Guitar Center. Cort continues to manufacture the Parkwood brand in South Korea although it is printed 'Handcrafted in China' inside the guitar body. The Hybrid series coming from Indonesia.
Masterpiece (MMP) Series electric guitars[edit]
The Cort M-Series is as close to a signature shape as Cort gets across its range. Cort has released a limited production run of MMP series electric guitars from its own custom shop. Somewhere between 25 and 50 of each MMP model were released. So far Cort has released an MMP1, with 'tree of life' inlay up the neck and finished in antique sunburst, an MMP2 and MMP3 available in 'transparent cannon blue' and 'brown burst' finishes. These guitars are generally highly regarded [5] and appear to be heavily influenced by higher-end PRS models, in both quality standards and style.
Contract production[edit]
Cort's main production focus is not on Cort-brand guitars, but rather on contract work for numerous other companies. Generally, large companies contract Cort to build lower-priced guitars that have that company's brand on them. Ibanez, Parkwood, Squier, G&L Tribute series line of guitars are among the most well-known brands that Cort produces. In recent years, small companies known for extremely high quality (and high-priced) guitars have begun contracting Cort to produce budget line models. Avalon Guitars, based out of Northern Ireland, sold 8,000 guitars and more than doubled their income from the previous year when they contracted Cort to build a lower-priced guitar for them.[citation needed]
Controversy[edit]
Since 1997 controversy has surrounded Korean factories of Cort and Cor-Tek due to its alleged mistreatment of factory workers. Grievances include the closing of its Daejon factory with no advance warning on April 9, 2007, mass redundancies of all staff from its Incheon plant on April 12, 2007, and the firing and mistreatment of union officials and members.[6]/universal-unlock-tool-for-android-phones-on-mac.html.
On July 12, 2007 a Cort worker set himself on fire in protest, and on October 15, 2008 workers conducted a 30-day hunger strike and sit-in occupation on a 40-meter electricity tower. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian - both partners in the Axis of Justice - joined representatives of the Cort workers in a protest concert against Cort and Cor-tek on January 13, 2010 at the Nanum Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Morello said 'I fully support the Korean workers' demands for justice in the workplace. All American guitar manufacturers and the people that play them should hold Cort accountable for the awful way they have treated their workers.'[7][8]
This controversy went through various legal stages in Korea from 2007 through 2012.[9] Ultimately, Cort received favorable decisions from the Supreme Court in Korea that ended any further liability on Cort's part to the terminated employees. The court recognized that the closure of the plant in 2008 and subsequent layoff were justified.[10][better source needed]
Sources[edit]
- ^ abAbout Cort on Cort website, 16 Oct 2019
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-03-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2016-05-10. Retrieved 2016-05-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^Cort MBC-1 Matthew Bellamy
- ^'Cort: MMP-3 Masterpiece - Reviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.com'. www.ultimate-guitar.com.
- ^'Guitar Workers Protest Sweatshop Conditions; Rage Against The Machine, Wayne Kramer Support..' The Daily Swarm. January 13, 2011. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^'Rage's Tom Morello leads protest at NAMM Show'. MusicRadar. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^'Guitars should be a means to liberation, not exploitation, says Rage's Morello'. January 15, 2010. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^''Press This Guitar and Tears Will Pour Forth': A Ballad of Labour Rights in South Korea'. Global Ethics Network. October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^':: Yulchon + Newsletter ::::'.