Back in 1994, Ortega was a guitar manufacturer based in Germany which wanted to produce guitars which everyone can play and afford but also crafting guitars in the Spanish tradition.
They have since becoming a major guitar brand worldwide producing a large variety of instruments and musical hardware.
When it comes to the ukulele, the company has really took a step forward in the last decade of producing quality ukes from their Horizon, Earth, Timber and Bonfire series. And lately with their Keiki Sopranino-sized ukes.
I am a big fan of their discontinued Tiger Series ukulele. The Tiger Series are ukuleles that feature flamed mahogany top and sides and look absolutely stunning and are beautiful.
While discontinued, you can still find guitar shops online still selling what’s left of the stock, so they aren’t completely gone yet.
The company has since created special ukulele in beautiful Mahogany, Zebrawood, Ebony, Cedar and Acacia for their Timber Series. And for those who like their flamed mahogany, they do utilize it for their Guitarlele.
The version which I’m going to review is the Ortega Guitars RUK12FMH Series Tenor Ukulele.
This ukulele is absolutely beautiful, sleek and yes, even shiny thanks to its gloss finish. But the flamed Mahogany is gorgeous. It’s important to note that like a lot of ukuleles that are at this pricepoint, they are NOT solid wood, these are laminate.
The fretboard is walnut as with the bridge.
This is a tenor at 440mm scale with 19 frets but you can also purchase it in Soprano and Concert size as well. And you can purchase them with a pickup.
The ukulele, like many ukuleles (unless they are made of koa which are made in Hawaii) are made in China.
The RUK12FMH utilizes indirect tuning machines which are gold.
You also get an Ortega Deluxe Gig Bag.
My thoughts on the Ortega RUK12FMH Tenor Ukulele is that its absolutely beautiful. It did take me a while to break in the strings. But once I got to that point, I absolutely love the sound of this uke.
I checked the nut on this ukulele and it was fit properly, nor did I see any signs of glue anywhere.
For the most part, I absolutely love this ukulele and it’s one that will stand out in your uke collection because of its beauty and how well it plays.
The Ortega RUK12FMH Tenor Ukulele may be discontinued, but you can still find it at stores online and eBay as of August 2020 for a great price.
Recommended!
