Ortega FDSM Signature electro-classical guitar

This is an Ortega FDSM Signature electro-classical guitar. It's the signature guitar model of Frank Delle. This is a classical guitar with Fishman electronics and a piezoelectric pickup under the bridge saddle. It's got some interesting features including a beautiful maple top and back.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/ortega.html?partner_id=73786

Here are the official specs:
 SOLID TOP
 HIGH GLOSS
 FLAMED WOOD
 ELECTRIFIED
 SLIM NECK 48MM
 THINLINE
 INCLUSIVE STRAP
 INCLUSIVE GIGBAG
 BODY SIZE 4/4
 OLP: € 679,00 (Official list price/EURO incl. VAT)

http://ortegaguitars.com/en/product-finder/classical-guitars/classical-guitar/show/Product/fdsm-delle-signature-modell/fdsm/


http://www.thomann.de/gb/ortega_4-4_size_classical_guitars.html?partner_id=73786


This guitar came in for inspection and a setup. First I checked the electronics and frets with the old strings on. This is something I always do before removing any strings and parts. This will give you an idea of how the guitar performed like and what its main issues are.
Then I removed the old strings and cleaned the fretboard with a bit of alcohol and a soft cloth. The next step was to apply some lemon oil on the rosewood fretboard.
The electronics were ok but the pots were a bit "scratchy". You could hear scratchy noise through the amp when you turned the volume and EQ pots. So I opened and cleaned the electronic preamp using some contact cleaner spray. Now the preamp is noise-free.
http://www.fishman.com

Then I cleaned the body and neck with a soft cloth.
The bridge saddle was a bit high for my taste and the action could be set a bit lower. So, I sanded down the base of the bone saddle just a bit (less than 1mm). Just remember that the saddle base has to be even for the guitar to sound right! This reduced the string action and kept the sonic character of the guitar intact. I then placed a fresh set of normal tension classical strings on the guitar. Once tuned to pitch, these nylon strings tend to loosen up. Therefore, you have to stretch the strings and re-tune the guitar multiple times before it stays in tune for good... That's maybe the most time-consuming task when working on a classical guitar.
Once tuned, the guitar was thoroughly tested. It sounds amazing and it's pretty playable now!
Check it out:





Cheers,
Thanos