Core-OC Blackwood
Open Pore Light Burst
Blackwood in the standard-nut body, with the simplest preamp in the range
Amazon rating
4.3 (9)Price band
$500 - $1,000
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The short version
This is the Core-GA's tonewood in the Core-OC's body and nut width, which makes it the more conventional of the two blackwood models. Blackwood is an Australian acacia related to koa, and it lands between the familiar options: mahogany's low end, some of maple's brightness, and overtones closer to rosewood. The OM body keeps things even and comfortable rather than loud, and the neck meets it with a dovetail joint at the fourteenth fret. The electronics are deliberately minimal — a Fishman Sonitone mounted inside the soundhole with only volume and tone, and no cut into the side of the guitar, which is the point: nothing removed from the body means nothing taken from the acoustic voice.
Score profile
Six axes, scored 1-10. These are editorial judgements about what this instrument delivers for the money — not measurements, and not anyone else’s ratings.
- Build
- 9.0
- Tone
- 9.0
- Versatility
- 8.0
- Comfort
- 9.0
- Hardware
- 8.0
- Value
- 9.0
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
Full specifications
| Brand | Cort |
|---|---|
| Model | Core-OC BlackwoodOpen Pore Light Burst |
| Body | |
| Body | OM with Venetian cutaway |
| Body wood | Solid blackwood back and sides |
| Top | Solid blackwood |
| Neck & fingerboard | |
| Neck joint | Dovetail joint at the 14th fret |
| Neck wood | Mahogany |
| Neck profile | C shape |
| Scale length | 25.5" (648 mm) |
| Fingerboard | Ovangkol with dot inlays |
| Radius | 15.75" (R400) |
| Frets | 20 |
| Nut | Genuine bone |
| Nut width | 1.6875" (43 mm) |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Ovangkol |
| Tuners | Die-cast with black metal knobs |
| Electronics | |
| Electronics | Fishman Sonitone with volume and tone controls |
| General | |
| Type | Acoustic-electric guitar |
| Strings | Elixir Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb Light (.012-.053) |
| Finish | Open Pore Light Burst |
| Orientation | Right-handed |
| Case | Premium gig bag included |
22 verified fields. Specifications come from the manufacturer first, then the Amazon listing, then authorised dealers — sources are listed at the foot of this page. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
The good and the bad
What we like
- All-solid blackwood, a distinctive tonewood, at a standard 43 mm nut width
- Soundhole-mounted Fishman Sonitone leaves the body uncut and the acoustic tone intact
- Dovetail neck joint and genuine bone nut and saddle
- Elixir coated strings and a premium gig bag included
What we do not
- Sonitone offers volume and tone only, with no EQ or built-in tuner
- Gig bag rather than a hard case
- Blackwood is unfamiliar enough that resale is harder to predict
Who it is for
Skill level
Styles it suits
What owners and reviewers report
Patterns we found across published reviews and owner feedback. These are summaries of recurring themes — we do not reproduce or invent individual testimonials.
What comes up most
- Owners praise the all-solid construction and the tone for the money
- The uncut body and simple soundhole preamp are noted approvingly by acoustic purists
Frequent complaints
- Some owners want EQ or a tuner rather than the minimal Sonitone controls
Recognised strengths
- All-solid blackwood with bone hardware is a specification above the usual for the bracket
Recognised weaknesses
- Amazon's listing for this item carries feature bullets describing a solidbody electric guitar, which do not apply — the specifications here come from Cort
The verdict
Choose this over the Core-GA if you want blackwood but play with a pick, since the 43 mm nut is standard width rather than the GA's wider fingerstyle spacing. Choose it over the spruce-topped Core-OC if you want a more complex, less conventional voice and can accept that it is harder to predict. The Sonitone is the trade-off worth understanding: it protects the acoustic tone by staying out of the body, but you get volume and tone only, with no EQ or tuner, so plugged-in shaping happens at the desk. A gig bag is included rather than a hard case.
Sources
Amazon rating captured 2026-08-26. ASIN B09XWNDRNY.
Strings for this guitar
All stringsIt ships with Elixir Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb Light (.012-.053). Staying at that gauge keeps the setup and the neck relief as the factory left them; going a step lighter makes bending easier, a step heavier gives more volume and tension. Anything more than one step either way usually needs the truss rod and the intonation adjusted.
- 8.2/10
Elixir · Strings
Same gauge this guitar ships with — a straight swap, no setup changes.
- 8.0/10
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Same gauge this guitar ships with — a straight swap, no setup changes.
- 7.8/10
D'Addario · Strings
XS Phosphor Bronze Coated Acoustic
Same gauge this guitar ships with — a straight swap, no setup changes.
What else you need
All accessoriesThe highest-scoring option in each category that suits this instrument. If you have never owned a guitar before, the starter guide explains what each of these is for and what you can safely skip.
- 7.8/10
Fender · Tuners
FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
The tuner to buy first, before strings, before a strap, before anything
- 8.2/10
Dunlop · Picks
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
- 7.4/10
GLEAM · Stands
The accessory that decides whether the guitar gets played at all
- 7.8/10
CAHAYA · Bags and cases
Six pockets, which is five more than most bags and the reason to pick this one
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