Cort B5 Element Open Pore Natural Bass Guitar

The Cort Artisan B5 Element Open Pore Natural is a premium 5-string electric bass guitar that combines outstanding craftsmanship, professional-grade electronics and exceptional tonal versatility. Designed for demanding bassists who appreciate extended low-end range, superior playability and premium appointments, the B5 Element delivers impressive performance for both live and studio applications.

Featuring a resonant mahogany body with an attractive ash top, a five-piece panga panga and walnut neck, and a smooth roasted maple fingerboard, the B5 Element offers an excellent combination of warmth, clarity and sustain. Its additional low B string provides extended bass frequencies, making it particularly well suited to contemporary rock, funk, jazz, gospel and modern recording applications.

Equipped with Bartolini MK-1 pickups, active 3-band EQ, Hipshot Ultralite tuners and Cort's MetalCraft M5 bridge, this instrument offers the kind of specification normally associated with considerably more expensive bass guitars. The elegant Open Pore Natural finish showcases the attractive grain of the ash top, creating a timeless appearance that perfectly complements its modern performance capabilities.

At A Glance

Detailed Features & Benefits

Mahogany Body with Ash Top

The Artisan B5 Element features a carefully contoured mahogany body topped with beautifully figured ash, delivering an excellent balance of deep, powerful bass frequencies, defined midrange and articulate high-end response. The combination produces a rich, musical character that works particularly well with the instrument's extended 5-string range. Its ergonomic body contours provide excellent playing comfort, while the Open Pore Natural finish allows the attractive wood grain to take centre stage.

Extended 5-String Versatility

With the addition of a low B string, the B5 Element expands the traditional electric bass range, providing access to deeper notes without the need for alternative tunings. This extended range is particularly useful for modern rock, metal, gospel, funk and contemporary pop, where powerful low-frequency foundations are essential. The standard 34-inch scale maintains a familiar playing feel, while the carefully designed construction helps deliver a clear and controlled response across all five strings.

Five-Piece Panga Panga and Walnut Neck

The B5 Element features a premium five-piece laminated neck constructed from alternating layers of panga panga and walnut. This combination provides excellent structural stability while contributing to the instrument's articulate response and defined midrange character. The comfortable neck profile supports smooth movement across the fingerboard, making it equally suitable for technical playing, expressive fingerstyle performance and demanding live applications.

Roasted Maple Fingerboard

A beautifully finished roasted maple fingerboard gives the B5 Element a smooth playing surface and a distinctive golden-brown appearance. The roasting process enhances the dimensional stability of the wood, helping it resist environmental changes while maintaining a consistent playing feel. With a 15.75-inch radius and 24 frets, the fingerboard provides comfortable access to the instrument's full range, allowing effortless movement between deep bass notes and expressive upper-register melodies.

Dual Bartolini MK-1 Pickups

Two Bartolini MK-1 pickups provide the B5 Element with a powerful and versatile tonal foundation. Known for their balanced frequency response and excellent definition, these pickups deliver everything from warm, rounded bass tones to punchy, articulate modern sounds. The pickup blend control allows precise adjustment between neck and bridge pickup characteristics, making it easy to achieve the ideal sound for fingerstyle playing, slap techniques, pick playing and studio recording.

Bartolini Active 3-Band EQ

The onboard Bartolini MK-1 active preamp offers extensive tonal control through dedicated bass, middle and treble adjustments. Players can shape their sound to suit a wide variety of musical styles, from deep, warm low-end tones to aggressive midrange punch and bright, percussive slap sounds. An active/passive mini-toggle switch adds further flexibility, allowing the instrument to deliver both enhanced active tone shaping and a more direct passive pickup response.

MetalCraft M5 High-Mass Bridge

Cort's MetalCraft M5 bridge is designed to maximise vibration transfer between the strings and body, contributing to excellent sustain, resonance and note definition. The bridge features 18mm string spacing, providing a comfortable balance between playing precision and fingerboard accessibility. Its dual-loading design accommodates both top-loading and string-through-body configurations, allowing players to choose their preferred string response and playing feel.

Hipshot Ultralite Tuning Machines

Premium Hipshot Ultralite machine heads provide precise, reliable tuning while reducing unnecessary weight at the headstock. This lightweight design contributes to improved overall balance, an especially welcome feature on a five-string instrument. Their smooth tuning operation makes accurate adjustments straightforward, while their high-quality construction ensures dependable performance for regular rehearsals, recording sessions and live shows.

Elegant Open Pore Natural Finish

The Open Pore Natural finish highlights the attractive grain of the ash top while maintaining a tactile, organic feel. Unlike heavily coated finishes, the open-pore treatment retains more of the wood's natural surface texture, giving the instrument a refined yet understated appearance. Combined with black hardware, the roasted maple fingerboard and premium appointments, the result is a sophisticated bass with timeless visual appeal.

Product Specifications

Fair Deal Music Expert Verdict

The Cort Artisan B5 Element Open Pore Natural is an exceptional choice for bass players seeking professional performance, premium hardware and the versatility of a five-string instrument at a highly competitive price.

One of its strongest selling points is the combination of Bartolini MK-1 pickups and active 3-band electronics, which delivers impressive tonal flexibility across a wide variety of musical styles. Whether producing deep, controlled low-end for modern music, a smooth and rounded fingerstyle tone or an aggressive slap sound, the B5 Element offers the control needed to achieve professional results.

The five-piece panga panga and walnut neck, roasted maple fingerboard and Hipshot Ultralite tuners demonstrate Cort's attention to quality, while the MetalCraft M5 bridge contributes to the instrument's excellent response and sustain.

The Open Pore Natural finish is particularly attractive, allowing the character of the ash top to shine through and giving this bass an understated, premium appearance.

For players looking to step into the world of five-string bass or experienced musicians wanting a dependable, versatile instrument for demanding performances, the Cort B5 Element represents outstanding value and a thoroughly impressive specification.