José Ramírez I (1858–1923) was the Madrid guitar maker who founded the José Ramírez workshop in 1882, the family business that has dominated Spanish guitar making ever since. A pupil of Francisco González, he created the Ramírez tablao guitar for flamenco players and trained his brother Manuel Ramírez, Enrique García and his son José Ramírez II.
At a Glance
- Born: 1858
- Died: 1923
- Workshop: founded about 1882; Concepción Jerónima No. 2, Madrid, from 1890
- Teacher: Francisco González, Madrid (apprenticed at 12)
- Apprentices: Manuel Ramírez, Enrique García, Julián Gómez Ramírez, Francisco Simplicio, José Ramírez II
- Known for: the Ramírez tablao guitar for flamenco
- Family line: José Ramírez II, José Ramírez III, José Ramírez IV and Amalia Ramírez
The Founder of the José Ramírez Workshop
The guitars of José Ramírez I (1858–1923) look backwards, but the workshop he established was to dominate Spanish guitar making to the present day.
Francisco González and the Madrid Tradition
José Ramírez based his guitars on those of Francisco González (c. 1820–c. 1880), and once he had established a style, he stuck to it throughout his life. By the late 19th century, Madrid had developed a strong guitar-making tradition of its own, accepting the fan-strutting and large plantilla of Torres but adding a few local idiosyncrasies. Chief among these was the arching of the soundboard developed by Juan Moreno in the 1830s. The soundboard was arched during construction and held in position by an arched harmonic bar and shaped bridge. The aim was to make the top strong but as thin as possible for efficient transfer of sound.
This was a tremendously influential technique over the next generation of Madrid guitar makers, of whom Francisco González was the most important. He considered himself an innovator, winning prizes at Zaragoza and Paris, and his labels declared that his instruments had "a new and elegant form" and were "built with his own special system", possibly a reference to the arched top.
Concepción Jerónima No. 2 and Its Apprentices
José Ramírez joined González as an apprentice at the age of 12. He set up in business on his own account in about 1882, taking his famous premises at Concepción Jerónima No. 2 in 1890. There he took on a series of remarkable apprentices: his brother Manuel Ramírez, Enrique García, Julián Gómez Ramírez, who was not a relation, Francisco Simplicio, and his own son, José Ramírez II. The Ramírez shop must have been doing very well to support such a staff.
Julián Gómez Ramírez later settled in Paris, where his friendship with Robert Bouchet helped lay the foundation of the French school (see our 1913 José Ramírez I, built by him in the Madrid shop).
The Ramírez Tablao Guitar for Flamenco
José Ramírez was recognized as an outstanding master guitar maker. Flamenco guitarists would frequently approach him to find a solution for better projection of sound, which led José to create the Ramírez tablao guitar, developed from the large guitars González had made for flamenco players earning a living on the tablaos. These were the small stages of the cafés cantantes, or flamenco bars, that had come into being in the middle of the century.
Previously an intimate art, flamenco was now a matter of public performance, and the players required instruments that were loud, with a cutting tone. They also liked them new, with the raw edge that comes before guitars are fully "played in". Ramírez was happy to oblige, creating an instrument with a large but shallow body in cypress and a domed soundboard. It was still being produced at the time of his death, though many flamencos had by then embraced the smaller, lighter guitars of his estranged brother Manuel.
Not that Ramírez neglected classical players. Although he never built a guitar for Andrés Segovia, he was on good terms with Tárrega, who had been so important in the career of Torres.
José Ramírez I Guitars at GSI
A number of José Ramírez I guitars have passed through our doors over the years. You'll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the "Guitars In Stock" button in the header of this page as well as earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the "Guitars In Museum" button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was José Ramírez I?
The Madrid guitar maker (1858–1923) who founded the José Ramírez workshop around 1882, at Concepción Jerónima No. 2 from 1890.
Who taught José Ramírez I?
Francisco González, the leading Madrid maker of his day, with whom he apprenticed from the age of 12.
Who trained in the workshop of José Ramírez I?
His brother Manuel Ramírez, Enrique García, Julián Gómez Ramírez, Francisco Simplicio and his son José Ramírez II.
