Cort Jeff Berlin Series Rithimic Bass Review – A Surprisingly Great Bass!

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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As one of the world’s most talented jazz fusion bassists, Jeff Berlin should need little introduction. His success has naturally led to a bass series of his own – not with Fender, Gibson or Ibanez, but with Cort. The South Korean brand aren’t particularly well-known for their premium signature guitars, but this delightful Rithimic Bass from the Jeff Berlin Series is a very worthy inclusion in our chart of the best basses under $1000, as you are about to find out.

Body And Neck

Speaking at NAMM ‘14, Jeff Berlin himself said that the Rithimic Bass is a ‘beautiful representation of nothing special’. The reason for this is because he considers it a demonstration of what a great bass should be – high quality and ultra-playable, but with no special bells or whistles. While we respect his views, we have to say that the look of this bass is indeed very special!

The double-cutaway alder body features a top made of Spalted Maple and Padouk veneer – designed by his wife – that gives a striking, rustic and very unique appearance. The all-gold hardware gives the instrument a touch of elegance, without looking gaudy. This 34” scale length bass features a bolt-on Canadian hard maple neck, with a smooth satin finish, rosewood fretboard and 21 frets. It just feels beautiful in the hands, with superb action that’s excellent for elegant lead playing.

Hardware

Matching the dramatic visuals is some excellent hardware that, again, is ‘nothing special’ in terms of innovation, but of superior quality that makes playing this instrument a pleasure. Starting with the electronics, the Rithimic Bass features two very good passive Bartolini Jeff Berlin Custom Soapbar pickups at the neck and bridge, controlled by a master volume, master tone and a blend control.

Simple, but effective. The bass also features a fantastic Babicz Full Contact FCH4 bridge – which remains one of the best bass bridges around – as well as a set of accurate Hipshot Ultralight open-gear tuners with a 20:1 gear ratio, a Graphtech Black TUSQ nut, and a set of DR DDT strings. It also comes shipped in a hardshell case. For the price, the hardware included offers very good value.

Sound

The Bartolini humbuckers are designed by Jeff Berlin himself, so you know they are going to be pretty good! There’s an abundance of sounds to be found, although the classic Jeff Berlin fusion tone can be heard through the bridge pickup. With good controls, the pickups lend themselves well to a wide range of tones, ranging from warm to bright. Classic jazz players may not find the deep warmth they are looking for with this bass, but there’s enough on offer to make this a top choice for most styles.

Conclusion

With no disrespect to Cort, before seeing this bass it would have been hard to imagine them producing such a quality instrument. But every aspect of this premium bass is top notch. Perhaps not as versatile in tone as others in this price range, but it looks awesome, sounds great, and plays like butter. If you can get past the Cort logo on the headstock, this should be one of the first on your list to try out.

For more info about the Cort Jeff Berlin Series Rithimic Bass, click here.
For more bass guitar under $1000 you might like, click here.