Bearclaw unlocked.
As a small-time guitar collector, there are certain types of guitars that I dream of owning: bearclaw, double-top, Brazilian rosewood.
Managed to check one off recently.
Got a Cort Earth 1200 from a friendly gentleman Benjamin.
Uncannily, other than our affection towards guitars, we share several other similarities. For starters, our names start with ‘B’, our spouses went to the same JC and we had our children after 30!
There was quite some work to be done when I took over the guitar.
Top was dirty and bloated below the bridge. Guitar action was considerably high (possibly due to the bloat). Fingerboard was plastered with grime, obscuring the beauty of the tree of life abalone inlay. Guitar sounded damped for a dreadnought, again possibly due to the moisture absorbed within the wood.
Restoration process commenced with removing the strings. Was delighted to find 2 pieces of shims under the saddle! Looks like action will be a non-issue once the top is dehumidified. No need for sanding of the saddle!
Next part was tedious. Scrapped off the stubborn grime on the fingerboard painstaking using the side of my fret radius gauge. Had to be extra careful around the vine inlays. Steel-wooled the frets to remove oxidation and finished by moisturising the fretboard with lemon.
Wiped the guitar top with a damp cloth followed by Dunlop cleaner and then gave it a good shine using carnauba wax.
Slapped on new EXP16s and the makeover is almost complete.
Sat it down in front of the dehumidifier and the bloat went down considerably after 3 hours. Tone was more open and resonant than before!
Now for the photoshoot! Presenting Cort Earth 1200.
Dreadnought size.
Solid bearclaw Sitka Spruce top; Solid Rosewood back & Rosewood sides.
Bearclaws accentuated under the halogen lamp!
Mahogany neck reinforced with diamond volute and fitted Grover vintage tuners.
Rosewood fingerboard with Tree of Life vine inlays streaking across the frets reaching to the headstock.
Elegant soundhole rosette: double abalone sandwiching a rosewood ring.
Exquisite abalone purflings all round the edges.
Scooped bridge design for larger string break angle = better sustain.
Rather sturdy braces underneath the top.
Now for the sound!
Despite the Sitka top, the tone is very warm, almost like an Engelmann. Reminds me a little of my Yamaha LJ16.
And now for the customary vector art. Only for the worthy guitars!
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