About Ramirez Guitars
The Ramirez guitars in our collection, meticulously crafted in the Jose Ramirez III workshop between the 1960s and 1970s, showcase the unparalleled craftsmanship and dedication of the Ramirez brand.
For nearly 150 years, Ramirez has been a symbol of excellence in the world of Classical and Flamenco Spanish guitars. This legacy continues to inspire and connect guitar enthusiasts, musicians, and collectors.
In 1870, Jose Ramirez I (1858-1923) began his luthier apprenticeship at age 12 with Francisco Gonzalez (a contemporary of Torres) in his Madrid workshop. In 1882, Jose I opened his workshop; in 1890, he moved to Jeronima #2 Madrid, Spain. Over his lifetime, he innovated the Flamenco guitar by enlarging the body and curving the soundboard, creating his signature instrument, the "Tablao" guitar.
Jose I taught his son, Jose II, who then taught his younger brother Manuel, and his son, Jose Ramirez III.
Manuel Ramirez (1864-1916), brother to Jose II and Uncle to Jose III, eventually opened his workshop where many famous guitar makers began their careers, including Simplicio, Esteso, and Hernandez. Of note was that Manuel also designed and built violins and served as the Luither of the Royal Conservatory of Spain, servicing instruments even by Stradivarius.
Jose Ramirez II (1885-1957) was a gifted performer and traditional guitar maker who trained many talented luthiers during his lifetime. As a young performer, he toured South America and lived there for almost 20 years, returning to Spain in 1925 to manage the Ramirez shop. At that time, Marcelo Barbero, an eventual famous guitar maker in his own right, was an advanced apprentice in that workshop.
Jose Ramirez III (1922-1995) joined the workshop at age 18 (1949). He was primarily motivated to innovate the classical guitar and bring it on par with other solo concert string instruments, such as the violin. He studied amplification and researched current scientific data to inform his efforts. He studied and repaired Segovia's famous 1937 Hauser I while he sought Segoiva's opinion of his own work at every opportunity. His contributions to the classical guitar design included lengthening the fingerboard, reconfiguring the struts, enlarging the soundbox, and using Cedar for the soundboard (instead of Spruce). Jose Ramirez III combined the best elements of the best historical guitar makers to develop the 1960s-70s Ramirez classical guitar.
Andres Segovia performed on one of these guitars almost exclusively from the early 1960s through to the end of his career.
At each generational stage, the Ramirez family has taken great pains to promote, innovate, and adapt the classical guitar to meet modern demands for increased sound and larger concert venues. This adaptability ensured that Ramirez guitars met the highest contemporary standards for quality while retaining and even augmenting the romantic beauty of the old-world sound that still intrigues discerning guitarists today.
Our collection contains the most well-preserved (new old stock) examples from Jose Ramirez III's period.
These historical statements are based on research from the following sources:
"Things about the Guitar" By Jose Ramirez III.
"Masterpieces of Guitar Making" By Stefano Grondona & Luca Waldner.
Additional published and online resources offer a more complete history of the Ramirez brand. https://guitarrasramirez.com/en/about-us/
This information offers insight into our Ramirez guitars. It also partially highlights the historical context of some of the other luthiers represented by our collection. These famous makers include, but are not limited to, Hernandez, Esteso, Barbero, and Hauser II.
Addressing the Ramirez “Gold” Label Speculation.
The following information can easily be located online via other dealers offering used Ramirez guitars.
Myth: The Segovia Model with a gold label on the inside was a model above the standard Ramirez 1a guitar.
Fact: Ramirez never built or approved a "Segovia Model" guitar.
According to a letter dated May 24th, 1983, from José Ramirez III to Mr. George Dauphanais (Ramirez distributor during the 1980s), the so-called Segovia Model was created by Jim Sherry during the 1970s (his previous distributor). The letter goes on to say that the gold label was applied by Sherry over part of the Ramirez label. During the late 60s and throughout the 70s, José Ramirez exported two principal models: 1a, or "first class" guitar with a blue label, and 2a, or "second class" guitar with a red label. In the same letter, Ramirez claims that his 2a guitars utilized backs and sides made from inferior materials and thus were sold as 2a models. To both the 1a and 2a guitars a "Segovia Model" gold label was applied over the Ramirez label by Sherry without permission. Ramirez was clearly upset about this procedure as it concealed his intent to market the 2a guitar. My experience of these Segovia models is that they are indistinguishable from the actual Ramirez 1a and 2a models. The "Segovia" model, therefore, was purely a marketing device.
From Amy Foley:
The period of speculated events referenced in this paragraph occurred before I was born, let alone before my time at Sherry-Brener Ltd.
Jim never detailed his specific past marketing methods, much less the origin of the gold Segovia labels. Whatever occurred was known only to him and will remain so now that he is gone. Suppose he applied anything to the original label. In that case, his intention might have been similar to current marketing practices, which center on celebrity association or endorsement since Andres Segovia (and many other famous performers) purchased guitars directly from him. It's not my intention to either condemn or defend Jim Sherry. Still, it seems self-evident that his combined efforts significantly promoted awareness of the classical guitar in the US.
Finally, to publicly address this past controversy and quell any concerns, I have chosen to make a clear distinction in price between the Blue Label (1A) and the Red Label (2A) Ramirez models. This price distinction is not intended to indicate a perceived difference in value between models, as I do not discern any disparity in the quality of materials or craftsmanship between the two labels.
Anyone seeking the best examples of the previous generation of classical guitar makers must consider these guitars.