Ortega Guitars RCE145BK Classical Guitar: Full Review

The Ortega RCE145BK is an entry-level nylon-string classical guitar made by Ortega Guitars. As part of Ortega's R Series, it offers a traditional classical guitar shape and feel combined with modern appointments and playability.

This model features a full-size body with a resonant spruce top and mahogany back and sides. The combination of woods provides balanced tone across the tonal spectrum, allowing for both rich bass notes and bright treble tones. Aesthetically, the RCE145BK has an attractive high-gloss finish in black that gives it a stylish look.

Overall, the Ortega RCE145BK is designed to be an accessible classical guitar option for beginners and students. While not as refined as professional-level classical guitars, it aims to deliver solid playability and sound at an entry-level price point. This review will take a closer look at the construction, sound, and performance to help assess the value and quality of this budget nylon-string guitar.

Construction

The Ortega RCE145BK classical guitar features a traditional fan-braced spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The combination of spruce and mahogany produces a balanced tone that is typical of classical guitars in this price range.

The spruce top is responsbile for the bright and lively high end, while the mahogany back and sides add warmth and sweetness to the midrange and bass frequencies. Mahogany is a popular choice for classical guitars as it emphasizes the fundamental notes.

The all-wood construction results in a resonant, organic tone. While not the most expensive tonewoods available, spruce and mahogany are time-tested options that offer great value.

The Ortega RCE145BK appears to use solid wood rather than laminates for both the top and back/sides. Solid wood generally provides better resonance and ages well. Laminates can sound dull in comparison.

Overall, the woods selected offer a classic nylon-string sound at an affordable price point. More expensive exotic tonewoods could provide refinements, but spruce and mahogany deliver the essential sound of a classical guitar.

The construction of the Ortega RCE145BK is fairly typical for an entry-level classical guitar. It utilizes traditional tonewoods and solid wood construction to deliver an organic, balanced sound. While not the last word in refinement, it provides a solid foundation for beginning classical guitarists. With proper setup and care, the Ortega should reward players with many years of musical growth before necessitating an upgrade.

For players seeking a step up in quality and tone, the Fender CD-140SCE offers an all-solid wood construction with laminated Indian rosewood back and sides. Rosewood generally provides more complex overtones than mahogany, resulting in a richer and more nuanced tone. The solid cedar top should also enhance resonance and dynamics over the spruce top of the Ortega model.

The Fender classical guitar features a cutaway body design that improves access to upper frets. The onboard Fishman Presys preamp and pickup system allows for amplified performances or recording. Upgraded tuners provide more precise tuning stability compared to budget models. Overall, the Fender CD-140SCE delivers noticeable improvements in tone, playability, and electronics over the Ortega guitar.

For beginning classical guitarists, the Ortega RCE145BK hits a sweet spot of price, quality and sound. As playing progresses, an upgrade to the Fender CD-140SCE would be justified by its all-solid wood construction, cutaway body, and Fishman electronics. While not professional grade, this Fender nylon-string classical guitar offers intermediate players an inspiring instrument to grow into for years to come.

Body Style

The Ortega RCE145BK features the traditional classical guitar body shape with a comfortable hourglass silhouette. The body has a medium depth, providing a balanced full sound without being overly large.

At 48 inches long, this Ortega classical guitar has a standard concert-size body that is ideal for most players. The width at the lower bout measures 21 inches, giving enough room for comfortable playing while still feeling manageable.

The Ortega RCE145BK's spruce and mahogany body construction keeps the instrument lightweight enough for prolonged playing sessions. The smooth matte finish allows the guitar to resonate freely.

Overall, the Ortega RCE145BK has a thoughtfully designed body style optimized for comfort, playability, and rich tone. The classic shape and proportions suit both traditional classical technique as well as modern fingerstyle approaches.

When comparing the Ortega RCE145BK to other classical guitars, it's useful to look at models like the Kadence A06-EQ. This guitar also features a traditional concert-size body shape with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides. However, there are some notable differences that guitarists should consider.

The Kadence A06-EQ has a slightly wider lower bout at 22 inches compared to 21 inches on the Ortega. This extra width provides a bit more room for the strumming hand. The Kadence also has a deeper body depth which contributes to its powerful, booming voice. The tradeoff is that the Kadence is heavier than the Ortega.

When it comes to build quality, the all-solid wood construction of the Kadence may have the edge over the Ortega's laminated sides and back. The Kadence's gloss finish differs from the Ortega's matte look as well. Aesthetics are a matter of personal taste, but both guitars offer attractive, classic styling.

Tonewise, the Kadence A06-EQ produces a bold, projecting sound thanks to its hand-scalloped bracing and Indian rosewood back and sides. The Ortega RCE145BK with its mahogany back and sides delivers a balanced, nuanced voice. Playability is excellent on both models.

So while the Ortega RCE145BK and Kadence A06-EQ share similar body shapes and proportions, guitarists should compare their sound, playability, and build quality closely. The right choice comes down to personal preference and playing style needs. Either guitar would make an outstanding classical for intermediate players and beyond.

Neck

The Ortega RCE145BK features a mahogany neck. Mahogany is known for its warm, balanced tone and is a popular choice for both electric and acoustic guitars.

The neck has a standard classical guitar width of 52mm at the nut. This provides comfortable playability for most hand sizes. Wider necks can be more challenging for smaller hands to fret chords and notes cleanly.

The action on the RCE145BK is medium height. This provides adequate clearance between the strings and fretboard for beginner to intermediate players. Very low action can cause fret buzzing while very high action can make pressing the strings down fully more difficult. The medium action is a nice middle ground for most playing styles.

Fretboard

The RCE145BK Classical guitar features a rosewood fretboard. Known for its rich, warm tones and excellent sustain, rosewood is a classic choice for classical and flamenco guitars. The fretboard has a radius of 400mm, which is flatter than many classical guitars. This allows for a bit more room for wider vibrato and bends on the treble strings. The RCE145BK has 19 frets in total, with dot inlays at frets 5, 7 and 10. The flat fretboard radius along with the ample number of frets gives players a nice range for soloing higher up the neck. The rosewood feels smooth and comfortable under the fingers. Overall, the fretboard offers a very playable feel while providing the rich tone that rosewood is known for.

Hardware

The Ortega RCE145BK features quality hardware that enables smooth, reliable performance.

Tuning Machines

The guitar has sealed die-cast tuning machines that hold tune well and allow for smooth and precise tuning adjustments. They have an understated, elegant design that matches the aesthetic of the guitar.

Bridge

It comes equipped with a rosewood bridge that intonates accurately and transfers string vibration efficiently into the body. The bridge has a classic slotted design and is firmly coupled to the top.

Nut/Saddle

The nut and saddle are both made of synthetic bone, which minimizes friction and allows consistent and predictable performance. The nut slots are cut precisely for correct string spacing and height.

Electronics

The Ortega RCE145BK features high quality electronics that provide excellent amplified tone. The guitar utilizes Ortega's own OTS-1 pickup system, which consists of an under-saddle piezo transducer paired with a dual-band EQ and preamp.

The under-saddle pickup captures the natural acoustic resonance of the guitar body and strings. The preamp allows you to shape the EQ with bass and treble controls, providing a balanced amplified tone. There is also a phase switch, which helps reduce feedback at higher volumes.

The guitar has a standard 1/4" output jack, allowing you to plug directly into an amplifier or PA system. The preamp gives you the flexibility to dial in your amplified sound, while the under-saddle pickup accurately reproduces the true nylon string guitar tone.

Overall, the electronics setup on the Ortega RCE145BK is robust and stage-ready. It's an ideal choice for amplifying a classical style guitar in live or studio settings.

Sound

The Ortega RCE145BK produces a balanced, warm sound with good projection thanks to its combination of woods. The mahogany back and sides offer a rounded, mellow tone that brings out the low-mid frequencies while still allowing the spruce top to project nicely.

The spruce top contributes brightness and clarity to the overall voice. It's responsiveness allows for dynamic expression and subtle tonal variations. The wood combination results in an acoustic guitar that is versatile for both fingerstyle and strumming.

Sustain is also noteworthy on the RCE145BK. The mahogany's natural compression allows notes to ring out longer. When combined with the Ortega's slim neck profile, this guitar is comfortable for playing both chords and single-note runs. The tonewoods and construction allow it to handle varied musical textures with ease.

Overall the RCE145BK produces a pleasing tone across the tonal spectrum - warm lows from the mahogany, bright articulate highs from the spruce, and balanced mids. It's a versatile workhorse acoustic that handles many styles of playing.

Playability

The Ortega RCE145BK has excellent playability right out of the box, making it a great choice for beginner and intermediate players. The comfortable C-shaped neck provides smooth access to all areas of the fretboard. The action is set low and buzz-free, providing fast and easy fingering without straining your hands. The medium jumbo frets are smoothly finished, allowing effortless transitions up and down the neck. Overall, the RCE145BK offers a very playable experience that supports precise technique and avoids player fatigue. The comfort, low action, and quality fretwork make this a classical guitar that lets you focus on the music rather than struggling with the instrument.

Pros and Cons

The Ortega RCE145BK classical guitar has several positives as well as a few potential downsides to consider.

Pros

• Well-constructed with quality materials like solid cedar top and mahogany back and sides
• Produces a warm, balanced tone
• Comfortable neck and easy playability make it a good choice for beginners
• Attractive high-gloss finish gives it a more expensive look
• Very affordable price point for a solid-top guitar

Cons

• Hardware and electronics are lower quality and unbranded
• Minimal ornamentation may be plain for some players
• Lower action can cause fret buzz
• May not meet expectations of more advanced classical guitarists

Overall, the Ortega RCE145BK punches above its weight given its budget-friendly price, making it a compelling choice as a beginner's classical guitar. The few drawbacks are reasonable to expect at this price.