Watch It First
Quick heads up before we dive in: the Cort Action Bass Plus that a lot of you have been asking about has actually been discontinued at Thomann. It’s just not in the catalog anymore.
So instead of writing about a bass you can’t actually buy, I’m covering its natural successor in Cort’s current lineup – the Cort C4 Deluxe. Same beginner-friendly DNA, active electronics, similar price bracket, just newer.
Cort C4 Deluxe Review – is it the bass to grab instead? Let’s find out.
Build and Materials
Poplar body, bolt-on maple neck, jatoba fretboard. This is squarely in the same recipe Cort has used across its budget-to-mid-tier basses for years, and for good reason – it’s a reliable, affordable combination.
24 frets and a 400mm fretboard radius give you a flatter, more modern feel under the fingers compared to older vintage-radius basses, which helps a lot with low action and comfortable bending.
Hardware
Metalcraft M4 bridge, sealed tuners, black hardware throughout. Nothing flashy, but functional and appropriately specced for the price.
- 864mm long scale, 24 frets
- 400mm fretboard radius
- Bartolini MK-1 humbuckers
Fit and finish is generally tidy, though it’s worth noting – like with the Harley Benton B-450 – that budget-tier basses can have unit-to-unit variance. More on that in the niggles section.
Playability and Feel
The neck feels fast and modern, helped by that flatter 400mm radius. If you’re coming from a vintage-style bass with a rounder fretboard, this will feel noticeably easier for fast runs and bends.
24 frets means the whole neck is usable, not just the first dozen or so – useful if you play melodic or lead bass lines.
Weight and balance are reasonable for a poplar-bodied instrument; nothing about the ergonomics stands out as awkward.
Tone and Sound
Bartolini MK-1 pickups are a genuine step up from generic ceramic humbuckers you’d find on cheaper basses – they’re known for a clean, articulate voice with good output.
The active preamp (Markbass MB-1 with 3-band EQ) gives real tonal range – scoop the mids for a modern slap tone, boost them for old-school growl, or flip to passive mode entirely for a flatter, more natural voice.
That active/passive mini-switch is the standout feature. It’s not just a bypass gimmick – the passive tone is genuinely usable on its own, not just an emergency fallback if the battery dies.
Compared to the vintage-leaning tone of something like the Epiphone Jack Casady Bass, this is a much more modern, hi-fi voice – less character, more clarity and flexibility.
Who Is This For
Players who’ve outgrown their first budget bass and want more tonal control without jumping to boutique prices are the target here. The Bartolini pickups and active preamp genuinely punch above the price.
It’s less suited to players chasing a specific vintage tone or passive-only purists who don’t want to think about batteries at all.
Honest Niggles
Here’s the real gripe: quality control on this specific model has been inconsistent. Some owner reviews report loose truss rod covers, unsecured pots, and fretwork needing attention out of the box.
That’s not a small thing to gloss over. If you order one, inspect it carefully the moment it arrives – check the neck relief, wiggle the pots, run a finger along the fret edges – before you assume it’s stage-ready.
Reputable retailers with good return policies help mitigate this risk, but it’s a real consideration, not just a nitpick.
Tonally, some players find the active EQ leans a little clinical or „stringy” compared to a passive Bartolini-loaded bass like the pricier Cort Artisan B4 – if you want maximum warmth, that’s worth knowing going in.
Specs at a Glance
- Body: Poplar
- Neck: Bolt-on maple
- Fretboard: Jatoba, 400mm radius
- Scale: 864mm (long scale)
- Frets: 24
- Pickups: 2x Bartolini MK-1 humbucker
- Electronics: Markbass MB-1 active preamp, 3-band EQ, passive bypass switch
- Bridge: Metalcraft M4
- Finish: Black
How It Compares
Against Harley Benton’s active offerings like the B-450, the C4 Deluxe brings genuinely better-known pickups (Bartolini has real pedigree) at a somewhat higher price point – you’re paying for that name and the preamp quality.
Against Cort’s own pricier Artisan and A-series basses, the C4 Deluxe trades premium tonewoods and finish for a much more accessible price, while keeping the same fundamental electronics philosophy.
If tonal character and vintage vibe matter more to you than modern flexibility, don’t rule out something like the Sire Marcus Miller P5 either – a very different design philosophy in a similar price bracket.
Setup and Long-Term Ownership
Given the QC variance mentioned above, a proper setup after arrival is basically mandatory, not optional, if you want to gig this with confidence. Budget for it.
Once dialed in, owners generally report the bass holding up fine long-term, with the electronics being the main long-term consideration (remember to unplug the cable when not playing to save the battery).
A Note on the Substitution
Just to be fully transparent: Harley Benton, Squier, and plenty of other brands still make direct rivals to the old Action Bass Plus formula – poplar body, PJ or HH pickups, active EQ, sub-2000zł price. Cort itself simply retired the exact Action series from its current lineup as sold through Thomann.
The C4 Deluxe was the closest thing still standing in Cort’s catalog that keeps the same „affordable active bass for players who want to grow” spirit. It’s not a 1:1 replacement in every spec, but it’s the honest, current answer to „what should I buy instead.”
Battery and Maintenance Habits
Since this is an active bass, get in the habit of unplugging your cable from the input jack whenever it’s not being played – that’s what actually switches the preamp off on most designs like this, not a separate power switch.
Leave a cable plugged in overnight and you’ll find a dead 9V by your next rehearsal. It’s a small habit that saves real money and hassle over the life of the instrument.
Final Verdict
The Cort C4 Deluxe is a genuinely well-specced budget-to-mid-tier bass, with real Bartolini pickups and flexible active electronics that outclass a lot of the competition on paper.
The catch is quality control consistency – inspect what arrives, don’t assume it’s flawless, and budget for a setup if needed. Do that, and you’re getting a lot of tonal flexibility for the money.
It’s the sensible modern substitute now that the Action Bass Plus has left the building, and honestly, in terms of pickups and electronics, it’s arguably a step up from what it replaced.
