Finding a great looking natural finished bass, that wasn’t super expensive, wasn’t easy all that long ago. With the new B5 Plus MH 5-String Bass, Cort has brought that boutique look, feel, and sound with a reasonable price tag.
The mahogany body brings plenty of warmth, and the 34 scale bolt-on 5-piece wenge and rosewood neck is well balanced. With a satin finish that still lets the texture of the wood come through, but is still sealed, it gives the overall aesthetic a nice classy appearance that fits in almost any musical situation. The small offset abalone dots on the fingerboard are a nice subtle touch as well.
Cort B5 Plus MH
RELATED: Read our review of the Cort Arona 4-string Bass.
With tuning machines by Hipshot, and a super beefy black chrome bridge, there are no problems in tuning stability. Sometimes transitioning to a 5-string can be tough, but the string spacing and neck width feels great, and not like the low B was just added on. Running through two-octave scales are a breeze without changing position. Fretwork is great as well, with no sharp edges or any dull spots. The low B can really bring the thump, and still cut when popping or slapping. Even when playing chordal styles, there was plenty of clarity and balanced low end.
The big deal, though, is the pickups and electronics, which are by Bartolini, and are part of their Mk1 set. With a 3-band EQ, punching up (or cutting) any frequency desired is literally at the player’s fingertips. Each knob has a detent at the middle for ease of finding middle ground.
The EQ is quite expansive, and even at extreme settings, it doesn’t go into useless areas. Regardless of musical styles it’s super easy to dial in a great sound. Even with all the EQ set flat, there’s plenty of punch and warmth to build off of. A pickup blend knob and master volume round things out nicely. Sometimes though, especially in studio situations, active EQ can be too much, and there is a mini toggle that can bypass the Active EQ; unfortunately, when bypassed, the EQ does nothing, the only tonal control can be dialed in by the pickup blend or by the individual playing style. Thankfully even when bypassed, the sound doesn’t really drop off, and it does go into a really nice warm area that’s still expressive.
BARTOLINI MK-1 PICKUPS
The Cort B5 Plus MH has a nice modern appearance, great hardware, excellent electronics, and plays fantastically. With a street price of $499, it’s certainly a lot of bass for the money. 4 string players should have no problem transitioning, and for seasoned 5-string players looking for a natural looking, modern bass, it’s a great overall value. It may make a player think, “How come I don’t get as much in more expensive instruments?”
PROS:
Great looks, excellent feel, fantastic electronics.
CONS:
Might get overlooked for not being a more popular brand name.
PRICE:
$499