Ortega Guitars Family Series 1/4 Size Nylon Classical Guitar R122-1/4

I have had my Ortega R121L for several weeks and must report that the guitar is excellent in every way: sound and build quality. This is a beginner’s classical, yet the lows boom, unusual at this level, and the highs are very crisp. The guitar also has a truss rod in the neck which is almost unheard of at this price point for nylon strung guitars. I first spotted this guitar on a video which pointed out that Ortega is a German company; however, this guitar is made in China, This is common at this price point and I will note that there are acoustic guitars at the $500 level made in China. As noted, the workmanship is excellent. Although it has nothing to do with the sound quality of the guitar, the gig bag that comes with the R121L is superb. It has an extra pad within the bag where the bottom of the guitar body makes contact with the bag, i.e.,double padding. It also has a padded neck rest and a wide velcro strap which holds the neck against the padded neck rest. If you are looking for an introductory level classical guitar, give this serious consideration. After considering price and features, this one came out on top against all competition for my purposes.

There aren’t very many left handed choices available for cheap. This guitar not only has a quality build for it’s price, it also came with its own case as a bundle. The case is black and has thick spongy walls, great for you if you’re heavy handed or careless with your instruments, and great for anyone else as well. It has a couple pockets and the design is very tight, as opposed to loose.

The guitar itself has a very vibrant color both in looks and sound. The make is understandingly entrance level. There is nothing wrong with the make, but for 150-300$, it is adequate and sounds beautiful! Definitely recommend.

NOTE: I am giving 4 stars because the customer service was not very good. The people on the phone kept giving me the run around after my guitar was lost in the mail. I eventually had to forcefully ask to speak to the manager who finally fixed my issue. Not very happy with that, even after a year, as I remember the damn headache they gave me.

I am not super please with this guitar. I understand nylon strings take a while to stay in-tune, however, I didn’t expect 3 of the 6 strings to break after a single tuning. Therefore I cannot actually give a great review on how well this plays, because it needs to be restrung almost immediately and Ortega, does not provide an additional set of strings. My advice would be if you get this, order you a set of strings so you don’t have to wait days for a shipment. Secondly, the color is very nice and I like it, although the finish is rough in places, for me it is the front bottom has a grainy feel, not visibly noticable but if you rub across you can feel a large area that maybe some particles got into the paint as it cured. All I can say for now, until I get the new strings delivered and restring my new instrument. Not happy about that at all

I have been playing classical guitar for 50 years, and I purchased this 3/4 size guitar for an easier stretch for my old hands. Designed in Germany and made in China, this guitar in appearance and construction is as close to perfect as you could reasonably expect. The deluxe padded bag is also very nice. I’ve never owned a classical guitar with an adjustable truss rod in the neck, and that is a big plus, in my opinion. The only objection that I have with the instrument is the bass response. I tried new American-made D’Addario strings, but that didn’t help much. The bass response may improve as the guitar breaks in, but right now I prefer the overall sound of my comparably-priced 3/4 Yamaha guitar, designed in Japan and made in Indonesia. However, the Ortega guitar is a clear winner in terms of quality construction and appearance and is an excellent value.