Ortega Ukulele Review: Brief History and Great Top 10 Guide!

Ortega Ukulele Review

Introduction

Established in 1994, Ortega Guitars launched German design to genuine and conventional methods of instrument making. Dedicated to innovation and high quality, they try to enhance what is predicted at each level of all of the acoustic instruments.

On the occasion of the 44th International Lefthanders Day, they’ve launched one of the many widest choices of instruments particularly designed for the wide range of left-handed players out there.

ortega ukulele review logo

We just want to let you know that we’ll list these Ortega Ukuleles in no particular order. They’ll be randomized as we don’t wish to sort them from best to worst.

Listed below are our Top 10 Best Ortega Ukuleles for 2023:

1. Ortega ECLIPSE-TE8

The Eclipse-TE8 is an acoustic 8-string tenor ukulele from the Ortega Eclipse Sequence. The totally mahogany and gloss-lacquered body is fitted with an African Okoume wood neck and walnut fretboard echoed by walnut binding alongside the perimeters of the body.

Gold-plated machine heads are accented by red tuning pegs, whereas the top is completed with a novel Eclipse inlay slightly below the sound-hole.

The beveled arm-rest edge alongside the left edge of the bottom and the delicate cutaway guarantee an excessive degree of playing consolation and the intense sound created by the double-stringed format of this instrument offers it a mandolin-like sound together with all of the fullness and heat you’d count on from a ukulele. The Eclipse-TE8 comes complete with its very personal gig bag.

With an uber-comfy built-in armrest & ergonomic cutaway, this beauty is a pleasure to play & boasts beautiful looks too! The 8-string tuning means you obtain an extremely full sound without having to play or suppose differently. Simply play and revel in!

Ortega ECLIPSE-TE8
Features:

  • Fretboard and bridge: Walnut
  • DOT inlays & Custom inlays
  • Scale: 430 mm (14.96 inches)
  • 18 Frets


2. Ortega RUEB-TE Ebony Tenor Ukulele

What the RUEB-TE Ortega offers is a sensible and compact tenor ukulele, which makes each visually and tonally so much.

Accordingly, the body of the RUEB-TE is made from stylish ebony and thus produces a reasonably balanced sound with highly effective trebles and distinctive mids. moreover, gold-plated die-cast tuners guarantee a strong tuning, whereas the included deluxe gig bag protects the ukulele from dangerous environmental influences throughout transport.

Timber sequence ukuleles are constructed from quite a lot of the best-chosen tonewoods from all over the world. These distinctive ukuleles are meticulously crafted to spotlight the distinctive tonal and visible properties inherent in every species of wood.

Mahogany: Understated magnificence with warm resonance and a pronounced mid-range. Zebrawood: Striking figuring with a full sound and darker overtones. Ebony: Wealthy coloration depth with a transparent and highly effective darkish tonality that accentuates the bass frequencies. Cedar: Basic class with a warm, balanced projection.

Ortega RUEB-TE Ebony Tenor
Features:

  • Fretboard: Walnut
  • Scale length: 440 mm
  • Nut width: 37 mm
  • 18 Frets


3. Ortega DSSUITE-UKE Ukulele

With the Ortega DSSUITE-UKE concert ukulele, the producer Ortega expands its vary with a visually distinctive instrument that may hardly be surpassed when it comes to details.

Along with a classy distressed Tabacco finish, the ukulele exhibits slight indicators of use, in order that it gives the look that it has already been used. Moreover, the die-cast tuners themselves are completely matched in color to the light areas.

A strong Alaskan spruce top gives a really highly effective and vibrant sound, which is completely complemented by the nice and cozy bass frequencies of the laminated mahogany body. Furthermore, the Ortega DSSUITE-UKE may be linked to an amplifier via an in-house Ortega MagusUke pickup system with a built-in tuner, permitting the concert ukulele for use on stage, or in the rehearsal room.

The instrument is rounded off by a sturdy Ortega deluxe gig bag, which is included within the package.

 Ortega DSSUITE-UKE Ukulele
Features:

  • Reverse headstock
  • Scale length: 376 mm
  • Nut width: 35 mm
  • 18 Frets


4. Ortega Rusl-HSB Concert Ukulele

Sweeter than candies. The Ortega RUSL-HSB Saloon Electro Concert Ukulele is a real charmer in each sense of the word, looking as great as it sounds. Being produced from flamed maple, it brings out and emphasizes the pure brightness of the ukulele’s strings, making it sound extremely sweet and vibrant.

It additionally comes with F-holes carved into the body including a novel contact to its gorgeous finish. When you hear the sound of this instrument, you may need to play it all day long. It is electrifying. When plugged in, this ukulele’s pure sound will be fantastically amplified to deliver its full potential.

The standard preamp system permits you to control your sound while helping you to keep up your pure tone and volume. You can take this little magnificence to live shows without a downside, safe in the knowledge that it’ll sound stellar.

The oukoume satin-finished neck additionally provides much more high quality to the instrument, facilitating quick fret adjustments and maneuvering. That is one ukulele that is able to always make you proud.

Ortega Rusl-HSB Concert Ukulele
Features:

  • Bone nut
  • Nut width: 37 mm
  • Scale: 382 mm
  • 15 Frets


5. Ortega Keiki K2-EM

The Ortega Keiki is a brand new line of the smallest instruments within the ukulele household. The phrase “Keiki” in Hawaiian means ‘child‘, which clearly signifies the audience of the brand new ukulele of the German model.

Nevertheless, don’t be fooled by its small size – this instrument can even be an ideal travel companion. The Keiki measure is barely 284mm and the ukulele will simply meet the hand luggage standards of any airline. The brand new Keiki line, marked with the K2 symbol, differs from the basic line in terms of workmanship and design.

The Ortega Keiki K2 includes a small, light-weight sopranino body fabricated from Agathis plywood on a top plate and ABS plastic back and sides. The end is semi-matte in 5 graphic variants. The sound is way lighter and shallower in comparison with the soprano ukulele and has its personal distinctive character.

We positively suggest it as the first instrument for the youngest or as a complement to the devices of Hawaiian sounds fans. Technical specs: Size: sopranino

Ortega Keiki K2-EM
Features:

  • Fretboard: ABS
  • Nut width: 36 mm
  • Scale: 364 mm
  • 12 Frets


6. Ortega RU5CE-L Concert Ukulele

Acoustic-Electric concert ukulele with cutout. The ukulele is designed for left-handers. The Ortega ukulele from the Bonfire sequence is a perfect selection for rookies. This sequence is understood for its high-quality workmanship and used years of confirmed supplies (wood). The entrance plate of the ukulele is adorned with a laser-engraved ornamental component.

The Ortega RU5CE 4-String Ukulele Natural is a high-quality and competitively priced 4-string ukulele. Expertly crafted from a selection of satin spruce and Sapele, this lovely instrument incorporates a cutaway for top-of-the-neck playing and durable die-cast tuning pegs; is available in a simple natural satin end.

Ukuleles have been a part of Ortega’s intensive traditional range since 2008. Through the years the fame of ukuleles modified from being a “side”-instrument or referred to as an affordable toy, to being seen as an expert instrument. Since Ortega began to make ukuleles, they’ve centered on making top-quality devices for the wants of each musician. RU5CE L is no exception in their professional approach to making them!

Ortega RU5CE-L Concert Ukulele
Features:

  • White fretboard inlays
  • Nut width: 36 mm
  • Scale: 380 mm
  • 18 Frets


7. Ortega RUACA-SO

The Acacia tree was believed to be enchanted. Well, it in all probability is, because these Ortega ukuleles comprised of acacia wood possess enchanting appears and sounds!

The RUACA Soprano Ukulele has solid acacia for its top, back, and sides for a particular deep tone, in addition to outstanding sturdiness. Comes with different deluxe parts like gold tuners, padauk binding, and abalone markers on the 12th fret.

With its soprano size, you will be able to expect a signature acoustic tone, that in a way lacks low end, but provides it enough based on the components it has. It has one of their gig bags included in the bundle and there are 17 frets on the fretboard, all made from Tecwood.

Ortega RUACA-SO
Features:

  • Gold-plated die-cast tuners
  • Nut width: 35 mm
  • Scale: 344 mm
  • 17 Frets


8. Ortega RU5CE-BA Baritone

The Ortega RU5CE-BA Electro Baritone Ukulele offers you loads of immediately recognizable ukulele tones. However with a richer, deeper, extra versatile perspective than its smaller members of the family. Explore the wealthy tonal beauty of a baritone body whereas a traditional spruce and mahogany construct ensures you might have heaps of sonic flexibility too.

But that is not all, this beautiful Ortega Baritone Ukulele additionally incorporates a snug feel with a glossy cutaway profile, guaranteeing you’ll be able to attain these pesky higher frets with ease. Plus, you’ll be able to showcase your abilities in any live setting because of Ortega’s built-in preamp. It is time to unleash.

Being an acoustic-electric ukulele, you will have more ways to produce sound because of its electronics. The clarity that this instrument gives is of another level and you will be amazed by both the price and the pickups of these ukuleles.

Ortega-RU5CE-BA-Baritone T
Features:

  • Closed die-cast machine heads
  • Nut width: 38 mm
  • Scale: 485 mm
  • 18 Frets


9. Ortega RU5L Concert Ukulele

The Bonfire Collection RU5CE-L Concert Ukulele from Ortega is a left-handed uke that includes basic Ortega craftsmanship with a contact of modern aptitude.

Constructed with a spruce prime, Sapele body, and mahogany neck, this acoustic-electric ukulele feels pretty much as good as it sounds. Further options embrace a walnut fretboard with 18 frets and chrome-plated die-cast tuning machines with black buttons.

The nut width is 3.6cm which gives nice space for the strings and this actually is really good for people that are starting out and have bigger fingers not to press more strings than needed. The price is really affordable, like most of these brands, so you will not have a hard time deciding.

Ortega RU5L Concert Ukulele
Features:

  • Chrome-plated machine heads
  • Nut width: 36 mm
  • Scale: 380 mm
  • 18 Frets


10. Ortega LIZARD-CC-GB

The ukulele has earned its standing as a critical concert instrument, however, it’s actually a cheerful instrument at heart. That’s what makes the whimsical design of Ortega’s Lizard-CC-GB so applicable. Hanging out on the fretboard, with its head in eighth place, is an inlaid lizard whose eight laser-engraved counterparts type the soundhole rosette. In the meantime, the headstock’s uneven silhouette suggests that a monster has taken a bite out of it.

The soundboard of this concert-sized uke is constructed from laminated dao, as are the back and sides. This Southeast Asian species is seldom used for musical instruments however usually as a veneer for furnishings, cabinetry, and flooring. With its striking grain sample, it’s good to look at. The neck and fingerboard are manufactured from the extra typical combo of mahogany and rosewood, the latter additionally used for the bridge.

Although the primary draw of the Lizard-CC-GB for some will likely be its onboard preamp system, the uke fares well when performed acoustically. It doesn’t have the responsiveness of a high-end solid-wood model, however, the projection and readability are strong. The general tone might be described as dulcet, and the instrument responds equally nice to strumming fundamental open chords and fingerpicking difficult pieces

Ortega LIZARD-CC-GB
Features:

  • Pickups: Ortega MagusUke Bass
  • “Lizard” fretboard inlay
  • Scale: 380 mm
  • 16 Frets


Listed below are some features that the instruments from Ortega have:

Open-pore finish

The body, neck, and headstock of the Earth Series ukuleles are manufactured from Okoume wood. It produces a sound that’s warm, deep, resonant, and clear. The fretboard and bridge are manufactured from top-grade walnut, giving it a high-end aesthetic and tone. The striking color end contrasts fantastically with the pure wood grain, which is significant for the earth series ukuleles.

Ortega headstock design

This headstock design has changed into a trademark for their guitars and plenty of their ukuleles. With the intense Ortega emblem on top of the instrument, the uke is simple to determine. The ukulele is tuned in G C E A.

Die-cast tuning machines

Chrome-plated die-cast tuning machines with artificial black buttons provide the ukulele a clear, fashionable look while being easy to use. For further sturdiness, this development retains the gears sealed from the setting. These tuners allow fast string adjustments and actual tuning changes, in addition to a snug feel when spinning the buttons.

Pre-installed strap pin

Due to the pre-installed strap pin, you’ll be able to connect your favorite ukulele strap without mounting a pin first. You may also see the white ABS binding, which protects the wood’s edges from impact and moisture harm, particularly where the top grain can be seen.

Conclusion on Ortega Ukulele Review

You will be able to shop all of these aforementioned ukuleles on Thomman and have fast delivery to your home. Ortega is collaborating with other vendors as well, but we would be happy if you decided to buy one based on our reviews on them.

If you want to find answers to many of your questions, feel free to head over to the Ortega website, where besides answers, you will be able to find more accessories, like strings, capos, bags, hangers, and more. In regards to the price, these ukuleles are really affordable, no matter if you are looking for acoustic models or ones with electronics on them.

Besides the accessories and ukuleles from Ortega, you will be able to find guitars as well, also banjos, and mandolins. Electric guitars are also part of their assortment, and you must’ve already heard about the famous Ortega Guitars, so no confusion there.

In case you are having any other questions about the ukuleles we have on our list, feel free to shoot us a comment below, and we will try to answer all your questions.

Charles Steinhoff

Charles Steinhoff

Charles is here and I am guitar and ukulele enthusiast. Been playing these instruments for over 10 years now and I decided to share some of my knowledge and expertise with the world in terms of these stringed instruments and it's accessories.

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