Sharin Band | Elli Rocks, December 27

Venue: Elli Rocks Damansara Heights 

Date: December 27, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Kombo Majlis Bandaraya Kuantan | MAKSAK Battle of the Bands 2024

Live performance by Kombo Majlis Bandaraya Kuantan at MAKSAK Battle of the Bands 

Program: Festival Anak Seni MAKSAK [FASIM] 

Event: MAKSAK Battle of the Bands

Venue: Panggung Bangsawan Melaka

Date: December 28, 2024 

Original Footage: MAKSAK Malaysia

Live Stream Capture: S. Nagaraja

D'Aminas | "Rahsia Tuhan" Practice Session

D'Aminas present their take on "Rahsia Tuhan"

Date: December 27, 2024

Location: Perumahan Dato Shahbandar, Pekan

Videography: Enche Ahmad Nizam

Song: Rahsia Tuhan

Melody: Noh Salleh

Lyrics: Noh Salleh

Single released on September 6, 2024

© 2024 Hujan Selaseh Sdn Bhd

Ito, Tok Ghani & Friends | Khatulistiwa

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Ito, Tok Ghani & Friends | Katakan

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Ito, Tok Ghani & Friends | Apo Nak Di Kato

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Kit Afero & D'Selat | Blues Kopi Jam

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Mat Ikan on Blues Harp | Blues Kopi Jam

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Ito, Tok Ghani & Friends | Panglima Awang Hitam

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Ito, Tok Ghani & Friends | Pantun Blues

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Karen Nunis Blackstone Live | Out the Door

Event: Kata Kata, Blues dan Kopi

Venue: PJ Night Carboot Sale

Date: December 21, 2024

Videography: Ayu Blues

Song: Out the Door

Melody: Karen Nunis Blackstone

Lyrics: Karen Nunis Blackstone

Artist: Karen Nunis Blackstone 

Album: Give Me Sanity [2000]

Label: Songbird Music

Cort Gold-A8 LB Acoustic Guitar | Part 2

◀ Part 1

Back of Headstock

A "CE UKCA RoHS Compliant" sticker adorns the back of the Cort Gold-A8 LB headstock, indicating that this instrument complies with both "Conformité Européenne" [European Conformity] and "UK Conformity Assessed" RoHS standards. The satin-finished back of the headstock also affords one a clear view of the six vintage-style open gear Grover tuners, as well as a volute. The function of this volute is to reinforce the transition area from the headstock to the back of the neck.

Back of Headstock

CE UKCA RoHS Compliant Sticker

Grover Vintage-Style Open Gear Tuners

Headstock Volute

Close-Up of Headstock Volute

Mahogany Neck

The satin-finished mahogany neck on the Cort Gold-A8 LB connects to the body via a tight-fitting "traditional dovetail neck joint." Besides a dual-action truss rod and Cort's "Comfort C" profile, the neck also features additional reinforcement. This reinforcement is provided by two walnut inserts that flank the truss rod and run the entire length of the neck [Fig. 1].

Satin-Finished Mahogany Neck

Close-Up of Mahogany Neck

Fig. 1: Walnut Neck Inserts

Neck Heel

Walnut Heel Cap

Neck Heel Strap Button

Solid Pau Ferro Back

The Cort Gold-A8 LB features a solid pau ferro back finished in clear gloss. Pau ferro was chosen due to its superior stability, abrasion resistance, and stiffness. On this guitar, the inherent attractiveness of pau ferro has been enhanced not only by three-ply white/black/white ABS binding, but also a patterned wooden back strip.

Solid Pau Ferro Back

White/Black/White Back Binding

Close-Up of Pau Ferro Back

Wooden Back Strip

Close-Up of Wooden Back Strip

Solid Pau Ferro Sides

The sides of the Cort Gold-A8 LB are just as sturdy and good-looking as the back, as they are also made of pau ferro. One really interesting and creative feature can be found at the rear end of the body, namely, the streamlined black and white ABS end graft. To all appearances, this end graft gracefully tapers downwards, seamlessly connecting the top and back binding.

Solid Pau Ferro Sides

Close-Up of Left Side

Black/White ABS End Graft

Close-Up of End Graft

Rear End Strap Button

Fishman® Flex Blend System

This instrument comes equipped with the Fishman® Flex Blend System. The Flex Blend comprises a 9V battery-powered preamp, an onboard chromatic tuner, an under-saddle pickup, and a soundhole mounted electret-condenser cardioid microphone. Mounted to the side of the guitar are the LED display for the onboard tuner, as well as three knurled knobs that control Volume, Mic Blend and Tone [Fig. 2]. The Volume and Tone knobs both incorporate switches which activate the tuner and output phase reversal, respectively. For further details, please refer to the Flex User Guide.

Fishman® Flex Blend Preamp

Location of Soundhole Mounted Microphone

Close-Up of Microphone

Fig. 2: Flex Blend LED Display and Controls

9V Battery Compartment and Output Jack

◀ Part 1

Cort Gold-A8 LB Acoustic Guitar | Part 1

Part 2 ▶

Introduction

This post is the first of two on a new Cort Gold-A8 LB acoustic guitar finished in Light Burst Gloss [LB]. Noteworthy features include an "Auditorium Cutaway" body shape, a "sonically enhanced" UV finish, a torrefied solid Sitka spruce top, solid pau ferro back and sides, Fishman® Flex Blend on-board electronics, an ebony fretboard, bridge, and bridge pins; and a walnut-reinforced mahogany neck.

Cort Gold-A8 LB Acoustic Guitar

Cort Gold-A8 LB Soundhole Label

The Cort Gold-A8 LB comes in a Cort Deluxe Soft-Side Case, which "combines the best attributes of a hard case with the flexibility of a padded gig-bag." We won't be going into too many details in these two posts, as really exhaustive information on the Cort Gold-A8 LB is already available HERE. What does the Cort Gold-A8 LB sound like, then? To answer that question, do watch this wonderful YouTube Demo by Tuguldur Ariunbold.

What's Inside the Soft-Side Case

What you're going to find inside the soft-side case is the guitar, obviously; and also a small accessory pack. This pack contains a guitar shaped "All Solid" bookmark, a larger polygonal "Cort Gold" bookmark, two spare saddle shims, a 4 mm truss rod hex wrench, an inspection card, and instructions for adjusting the dual-action truss rod.

Cort Deluxe Soft-Side Case

Gold-A8 Accessory Pack

Accessory Pack Contents

Cort Inspection Card

Cort Gold Bookmark

Truss Rod Adjustment Instructions

Headstock Face

The Cort Gold-A8 LB headstock features Cort's exclusive "Gold Head" shape, a gloss black ABS headplate, and three-ply white/black/white ABS binding. Headplate adornments include a genuine mother of pearl "Cort" logo and an abalone/mother of pearl inlay.

Cort Gold-A8 LB Headstock Face

Mother of Pearl Headstock Logo

Abalone/Mother of Pearl Headstock Inlay

White/Black/White Headstock Binding

Ebony Fretboard

The ebony fretboard on the Cort Gold-A8 LB is bound in three-ply white/black/white ABS, and features a genuine bone nut, a scale length of 25.5 inches, a radius of 15.75 inches, abalone/mother of pearl inlays, and 20 frets. What's really interesting about these frets are the "hotdog" ends, which have been painstakingly rounded and smoothened for an "ultra-comfortable" playing experience.

Bone Nut - Top View

Bone Nut - Right Side

Bound Ebony Fretboard

Rounded Fret Ends

Typical Abalone/Mother of Pearl Fretboard Inlay

Custom 12th Fret Inlay

Sitka Spruce Top

The body shape of the Gold-A8 LB is what Cort terms "Auditorium Cutaway" with a single Venetian cutaway in the lower bout. The torrefied solid Sitka spruce top features a "Light Burst" gloss finish, and is bound in white and black ABS. Also worth a mention are the faux tortoiseshell pickguard and "multi ring" abalone/ABS soundhole rosette.

Light Burst Gloss Finish

Venetian Cutaway

White/Black/White Top Binding

Sitka Spruce Top - Image A

Sitka Spruce Top - Image B

Close-Up of Sitka Spruce Top

Abalone/ABS Multi Ring Soundhole Rosette

Truss Rod Access Channel

One of the Scalloped Back Braces

A Section of Kerfing

Ebony Bridge

The Gold-A8 LB bridge is, as is the fretboard, made of ebony. This bridge features Cort's exclusive two-tiered "scooped" design, where the bridge pins are mounted at a lower level than the genuine bone saddle. The bridge pins are also ebony, which, according to Cort, "keeps the fundamental acoustic sound focused and tight with greater sonic projection than plastic."

Ebony Bridge - Genuine Bone Saddle

Custom Mother of Pearl Inlay

Ebony Bridge Pins - Top View

Ebony Bridge Pins - Profile View

Part Two ▶