When an acoustic guitar hits the market at under £200, there’s the expectation that its sound and feel will correlate with its budget price point. This is, indeed, true of the majority of wallet-friendly strummers. But in the case of the L60M OP, a new all-mahogany model from Cort, its price point could feasibly be several hundred pounds higher.

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Available in both straight acoustic and electro-acoustic configurations – the latter sporting a Fishman Presys II piezo pickup system – the L60M OP offers a luxurious feel to those looking for an acoustic on a budget, with an orchestra-sized OM body shape, satin-finished mahogany top, back and sides, and an effortlessly playable satin-finished mahogany neck and 25.5” scale length.

The latter is complemented by a 20-fret laurel/merbau fingerboard, offering a seamless aesthetic blend with the natural wood grain patterns of the neck and body – finished with white dot inlays. The guitar’s looks are kept understated but classy, its open-pore finish complemented by a colour-coordinated laurel/merbau bridge, tortoise pickguard, black and cream ABS rosette and black binding.

In use

The first thing we notice upon taking this nifty little strummer for a spin, besides its impressive projection and sleek, earthy aesthetic, is that its action is set notably well straight out of the box. That is, at the perfect Goldilocks point: low enough for comfortable fretting, but not so low that fret buzz ever becomes an issue.

This not only makes it a particularly attractive option for beginners – who are, more often than not, both shopping at low price points and after an instrument that requires little setting up to get started – and more seasoned players looking for a no-fuss, no-stress practice guitar.

The L60M OP’s straightforward aesthetic is completed by a set of die-cast tuners at the headstock, the ratio of which make them gloriously suited to micro-adjustments, with a relatively large deal of rotation required to adjust string pitch. This makes tuning this guitar with accuracy a breeze.

Circling back to its sound, the L60M OP offers a powerful projection for its form factor and price point. That said, there’s a notable emphasis on high-frequency content, which, at times, masks any boominess associated with the low-end, particularly when playing with a pick.

Adopting a fingerstyle approach helps subdue those prominent high frequencies and level out the spectrum for a more balanced response. Of course, the guitar’s factory-fresh coated strings are likely to be a contributing factor to its slightly skewed frequency response, which will naturally level out as they settle in.

For years, Cort has made affordable but tremendously well-playing acoustic guitars a staple of its product line. And that ethos is upheld strongly with the L60M OP. Its £199 price tag makes it an alluring proposition for prospective buyers working on most budgets, with a bang for buck to make it a smart purchase.

Sadly, the L60M OP is not yet available in a left-handed configuration, though Cort places emphasis on “yet”, suggesting lefties will be catered for soon enough.

Key Features

• PRICE £199
• DESCRIPTION 14-fret six-string OM-sized acoustic guitar
• BUILD Solid mahogany top, laminate mahogany back and side, 20-fret laurel/merbau fingerboard, laurel/merbau bridge, dovetail joint, tortoise pickguard, black and cream ABS rosette, white dot fretboard inlays
• HARDWARE Die-cast tuners
• ELECTRONICS No (L60M OP), Yes (L60MF OP, £259)
• SCALE LENGTH 25.5” (648mm)
• NUT WIDTH 45mm
• FINISH Matte Open Pore Natural
• LEFT-HANDERS No
• CONTACT cortguitars.com