CORT

Based in Korea, Cort is one of the largest guitar manufacturers in the world, producing instruments for many other companies. It was founded in 1973 when American instrument wholesaler Jack Westheimer joined forces with Yung H. Park. Westheimer had previously imported guitars from Japan under the Teisco, Kingston, Cortez, and Emperador brands. The new company produced its first guitars using the Cort name (shortened from Cortez) in 1977. In acoustic guitars it made a breakthrough in 1994 with the Earth series, in OM, dreadnought, and classical styles, later expanded into twelve-string and parlor models. A second line of dreadnoughts, the NTL series, appeared in 1999. It began building electrics under the Cort name from 1984, starting with beginner-grade copies and progressing to its own designs. The Cort line today ranges from acoustics to solid, semi-hollow, and hollowbody electric guitars, as well as acoustic and electric basses.