Ortega RGLE18FMH Guitarlele

The first reaction when I received this guitarlele was sheer admiration for its loveliness. It's made of solid mahogany and it is absolutely beautiful, a work of art.

However, for me, the two most important things about any instrument are sound and playability and the Ortega scored full marks on both.

I already had a Yamaha guitarlele (as well as two acoustic guitars). The sound of the Ortega was in a different league from that of the Yamaha - as you would expect because of the huge price difference.

The Ortega is a pleasure to play because of its sound. It has a depth I have not heard on an instrument this size before. It's also very playable.

And then there is the pickup - it's marvellous. I play in a band and can use the guitarlele. The sound seems huge. Who would believe it was coming from such a small instrument.

The size is a bonus, too - marvellous for travelling.

Last but not least there is a well padded classy gig bag.