About Ortega
Ortega Guitars was established in 1994 and describes its approach as bringing German design to the traditional methods of guitar making. Its catalog covers guitars, ukuleles, acoustic basses, mandolins, banjos, percussion instruments, and accessories such as strings, capos, tuners, and cases. Smaller 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 guitars sit alongside the full-size models for younger players with small hands, and the catalog includes a dedicated left-handed section.
The Student Series RSTC5M-L is the left-hand version of Ortega's cedar-top Student Series nylon-string guitar. Ortega's own spec sheet lists a cedar top with a matte satin finish, catalpa back and sides, a mahogany neck, a walnut fretboard and bridge, and classical tuning machines. The body is full 4/4 with a 650 mm scale, a 52 mm nut, and 19 frets, so a left-handed student starts on the same dimensions as a right-handed classmate.
Brand website: ortegaguitars.com
What Ortega makes
Ortega's catalog runs wider than the gear we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Student Series Guitars
Nylon-string guitars for learners, including the left-handed RSTC5M-L featured here — featured on House of Octave
Left-Handed Instruments
A dedicated section of the catalog covering left-hand versions of Ortega models — featured on House of Octave
Guitar Series for Every Level
Family, Performer, Traditional, Tour Player, and Signature Series guitars
Ukuleles
Lines ranging from the colorful KEIKI range to concert and tenor models in several series
Acoustic Basses, Mandolins, and Banjos
Other stringed instruments in the Ortega catalog
Strings and Accessories
Guitar strings, capos, tuners, humidifiers, straps, and cases
Why we recognized Ortega
The House of Octave Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose gear consistently stands out in our player-tested category guides. Ortega earned it on the strength of the products below, judged the same way every product on this site is: assessed on build, tone, and playability, weighed against what players actually report over years of use, and ranked on merit.
Ortega gear we rated highly
Ortega Left-Handed Student Series Full Size Nylon Classical Guitar RSTC5M-L
A properly built left-handed classical guitar rather than a right-handed instrument restrung backwards. The difference lives at the saddle: a classical saddle is angled to compensate for the different string thicknesses, and reversing the strings on a right-handed guitar puts that compensation the wrong way round, which no setup can correct. Ortega builds the RSTC5M-L as a true left-hand guitar, with a cedar top, catalpa back and sides, and a published spec sheet covering the 650 mm scale, 52 mm nut, and 19 frets.
Read the 11 Best Cheap Classical Guitars of 2026 guide →What earned Ortega the recognition
- Named a top pick in House of Octave's guide to the best cheap classical guitars, as the best left-handed choice
- Built as a true left-hand instrument, so the saddle compensation runs the right way for a left-handed player
- Cedar top with catalpa back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a walnut fretboard and bridge, all listed on Ortega's own product page
- Full-size 4/4 dimensions that Ortega publishes in full: 650 mm scale, 52 mm nut, and 19 frets