Cort KX700 Evertune Open Pore Black

Cort KX700 Evertune Open Pore Black review

The Cort KX700 Evertune Open Pore Black is a fixed-bridge electric guitar built around a defining feature: its Evertune bridge. With a mahogany body, ash top, ebony fingerboard, and a Seymour Duncan humbucker pair, its specification points toward rock and metal players who want stable tuning and a solid recording instrument. It was available from April 2022, and the listed price is $999.

Owner feedback is strongly positive about playability and sound, but consistency in finish details is less certain. Reports range from guitars arriving in excellent condition to examples with fret ends, small finish flaws, or a fit issue around the neck joint. That spread matters when evaluating a guitar at this price. The model offers substantial hardware and pickup features, but buyers should inspect the individual instrument rather than assume every example has identical finishing.

Construction and feel

The body is mahogany with an ash top, finished in Open Pore Black. The open-pore treatment leaves the wood's texture visible and contributes to the guitar's distinctive appearance. Owners who like this look describe the wood grain as attractive and the surface as pleasant to touch. The trade-off is that an exposed, textured finish can make lines and edges look less uniform than a smooth, painted surface. Some owners noticed imperfect paint lines or minor tool marks, particularly around angles and edges.

The five-piece, bolt-on neck combines maple and walnut, with an ebony fingerboard, 400 mm radius, 43 mm nut width, and a 648 mm scale. There are 24 stainless steel frets. Players describe the neck as smooth, with a medium profile that feels neither especially slim nor bulky. Several reports praise the fret leveling, with one owner achieving very low action, around 1 mm at the 12th fret, while accepting some ordinary string buzz.

That praise is balanced by reports of fret ends extending beyond the fingerboard and, in some cases, needing attention. Climate-related fingerboard shrinkage was suggested as a cause by one owner, but this is not a guaranteed issue on every guitar. The body also lacks an arm contour. Players who rest their picking arm on the top may notice pressure or irritation during longer sessions, depending on playing position.

Pickups and controls

The bridge position uses a Seymour Duncan Nazgul humbucker, while the neck position has a Seymour Duncan Sentient humbucker. Controls consist of one volume knob, one tone knob, and a three-way switch. Player impressions vary with amplifier, setup, and taste, but feedback describes the pickup set as clear, forceful, and suitable for distorted rock and metal tones. The bridge pickup is often praised for tight, heavy rhythm parts; the neck pickup is described as warmer for lead playing. Some players also report satisfying clean sounds, especially after reducing the volume slightly.

One owner found the overall character darker than expected, while another wanted more brightness. Those differences are useful reminders that pickup response is subjective and depends on the rest of the signal chain. The guitar has no tremolo system, so the Evertune bridge is the main hardware choice shaping how it behaves under performance and recording conditions.

Evertune setup and tuning stability

The Evertune bridge is designed to keep tuning and intonation stable when correctly adjusted. Owners report that it performs as expected after learning its operating zones and setting each string to suit their playing style. The setup may take some research: players recommend consulting Evertune's tutorials and taking time to understand the bridge before making adjustments. Once configured, users report dependable tuning, consistent intonation, and easier doubled recording takes. One player also noted that the other strings stayed in tune after a string broke during practice.

The bridge can be configured to allow different amounts of pitch bending across strings. One owner set the lower strings for minimal bending and the higher strings for expressive bends, making it possible to combine stable low notes with conventional lead phrasing. This flexibility is useful, but the initial setup is part of ownership rather than something every player will master immediately.

Verdict

The Cort KX700 Evertune Open Pore Black makes a persuasive case for players who want an Evertune-equipped guitar with passive Seymour Duncan humbuckers and a fast, smooth-playing neck. Its strongest reported qualities are tuning stability after setup, comfortable fretwork on well-finished examples, and a pickup pairing that handles high-gain parts while remaining usable for cleaner sounds.

Quality control is the main reservation. Reports include uneven finish details, protruding fret ends, a loose-feeling switch, and one neck-joint gap. These are not universal findings, but they are worth checking in person or discussing with the seller. The supplied-bag information is also inconsistent: the technical listing says no bag or case is included, while some owners mention a lightweight bag. Confirm what comes with the specific purchase. For players prioritizing stable tuning and recording consistency, this Cort offers a compelling feature set, provided the individual guitar passes a careful inspection.