1966 José Ramírez "1a JG" CD/CSAR

This 1966 José Ramírez "1a JG" is a cedar-top classical guitar with CSA rosewood back and sides, built in Madrid by Juan García Rey and in excellent condition, with no cracks or repairs.

The José Ramírez III Workshop

Over more than half a century the famous Ramírez workshop of José III built guitars for countless professionals – everyone from Segovia to Sting, Sabicas to Chet Atkins and Christopher Parkening to Lee Ritenour. It dates from what many call the workshop's golden era – the Ramírez concert guitar was still a novelty, several luthiers who would later become famous under their own names were at the benches in Concepción Jerónima, and the elite players came to the shop in droves.

Stamped "JG": Juan García Rey

The initials stamped inside are JG – Juan García Rey (for a complete list of Ramírez luthiers from this era, click here).

Playability, Sound and Condition

This guitar is very easy to play, with a lovely neck and easy action, despite the way many of the guitars from this period were set up. Thick yet clear, the tone has the warm, mysterious and moody character that made the Ramírez name famous. Condition is excellent – no cracks or repairs, only some superficial surface wear on the finish; the label is dated 1966. A fantastic guitar for the player seeking a classic vintage Ramírez.

More reading on our blog: The Ramírez Family: Masters of the Guitar, The José Ramírez Dynasty (from Amalia back to José I) and some interesting fact-checking in José Ramírez: myths and facts.

The José Ramírez Workshop of Madrid

Founded in Madrid in 1882 by José Ramírez I, the Ramírez workshop has produced guitars for more than a century and through five generations of the family. José Ramírez III (1922–1995) took over as maestro in 1957 and developed the Ramírez concert guitar we know today – large in body, with a long string length and a cedar or spruce top, with great power, sustain, sweetness and balance across the entire register. He popularized western red cedar as a soundboard wood, and from the 1960s Andrés Segovia played José Ramírez guitars to the end of his days.

Ramírez Craftsmen and the Next Generations

From the 1960s to the 1990s the workshop trained many of the most talented guitarreros of the day, among them Paulino Bernabé and Manuel Contreras. In 1995 the shop moved from Calle Concepción Jerónima 2 to Calle de la Paz 8, and since the death of José Ramírez IV in June 2000 the business has been directed by his sister, Amalia Ramírez, who inspects every guitar during and after construction.

Ramírez Models, Labels and Builders' Stamps

For decades the workshop sold its guitars by class rather than by model name. The "1a" (first class) was the standard concert guitar; the "2a" (second class) was built the same way, and the shop explained its lower price tag by materials that might have minor aesthetic blemishes, or by its having been built by an apprentice rather than a foreman. Flamenco guitars add an "F" – "1aF" and "2aF". Until 1967 the labels carried only the year; from 1967 they were signed by José Ramírez III and gave the guitar's number and class, and from 1973 the 2a had a grey label of its own, with a red border and "R" numbers. Until 1971, many Ramírez guitars were stamped inside with the initials of the craftsman who built them – AM for Antonio Martínez, MT for Mariano Tezanos, PB for Paulino Bernabé and many more (see our list of Ramírez workshop luthiers). Later decades brought new models: the "Centenario", which roughly marked the workshop's hundredth anniversary; the "Da Cámara"; the shorter-scale C86 of 1986; and, under José Ramírez IV, the "Tradicional" and the "Especial".