I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
Here's a photo of Eric Mantel back in 1977 with his CORTEZ (CORT) classical guitar! Eric was a guitar prodigy back in the 70s WOWING audiences from all over! Eric's very first guitar was actually a CORT electric guitar given to him as a gift on Christmas day 1973! The rest is guitar (CORT) history!
PRESS RELEASE!
June 27th 2008 - Chicago Guitar Legend / International Guitar Virtuoso - singer - songwriter ERIC MANTEL signs endorsement deal with CORT Guitars & Basses!
I've known about Eric Mantel since 1991 when he first appeared in GUITAR PLAYER magazine. I'm also from Chicago and have seen Eric play in concert many times and have always been a big fan! I approached Eric when I found out he was doing a speaker guitar clinic with Cort endorsee Neil Zaza at The Tone Chamber / Loud Speakers Plus in Manteno, IL. (www.thetonechamber.com) I attended the clinic and asked Eric if he would become a CORT endorsee! Eric replied "my very first guitar was a CORT electric guitar!" and then said "YES, I wold love to!" What a lot of people don't know about Eric is that he was a guitar prodigy from the 70s and has been playing professionally and recording music since 1977-78. Eric's actual first guitar was a CORT electric guitar that was given to him as a gift on Chritmas day 1973! 35 years later he's back from where he started!
Eric currently has over 40 music gear endorsements, owns and operates The Midwest's Premier Guitar Instruction Service with over 8,000 students taught - since 1979! He's been a professional guitar clinician since 1986 and has been featured in many international guitar publications: Guitar Player, Guitar World, 20th Century Guitar, Guitar Chef (Italy), Modern Guitar, to name a few. You can find Eric on countless ON-LINE webzine sites and if you Google "Eric Mantel", you will easily find him on over 1,000 webpages! Eric has opened up for / shared the stage with Allan Holdsworth, Vinnie Moore, Stu Hamm bassist with Joe Satriani, Robben Ford, Scott Henderson, Danny Gatton and many others!
Click on the link below to see the impact that Eric Mantel has had on the guitar world with his latest CD "The Unstruck Melody" which BTW has sold world wide and is already critically acclaimed!
http://www.guitar9.com/theunstruckmelodyrev.html
Having Neil Zaza and Eric Mantel with CORT Guitars & Basses is a DREAM come true for us! We are completely honored to have 2 of the most talented and diverse guitar players in the WORLD playing our guitars! We are totally FLOORED! It doesn't get any better than this!
Jeff Kylloe Artist Relations for CORT / USA Guitars & Basses
When you purchase a Neil Zaza NZS-2 signature guitar or a G280 make sure to look for a golden guitar pick in the cavity of the guitar. This requires you to remove the back plates of the NZS-2 and the G280. If there's a golden guitar pick inside, you WIN a FREE guitar form CORT guitars and basses! More details coming soon!