1969 Jose Ramirez "1a MT" CD/CSAR

This guitar was built in the famous Jose Ramirez III workshop, which for over half a century has produced instruments performed on by countless professionals from Sting to Segovia, Chet Atkins to Sabicas and Lee Ritenour to Christopher Parkening. The tone of this guitar has that classic, identifiable Ramirez sound from this era - a rich, thick and yet clear voice throughout, and has that essential warm, mysterious and moody quality that made Ramirez famous. Stamped initials internally are MT (Mariano Tezanos), who along with AM (Antonio Martinez) was the most sought-after of the Ramirez makers (For a complete list of Ramirez luthiers from this era, click here), particularly due the fondness Segovia had for his 1968 MT, arguably one of his two favorite Ramirez. This is a genuine "1a" as can be seen by the blue/gray trimmed label (the 2a's had gold trim in the 1960s and red trim in the 1970s), although it appears that at some point over the course of its life someone oddly scratched out the designation in the lower right corner and added a "2" for some reason... This guitar was originally sold out of the Sherry-Brener shop in Chicago (we have the original documentation with the guitar) and labels on guitars from this period were often altered, typically by the addition of stickers covering this area. But rest assured this is a top example of a "1a MT" in every regard. Condition is also incredible with no repairs or prior damage. Overall, a striking and bold example of a top Ramirez from their golden era by one of their most legendary builders.

For more information on Ramirez, be sure to read The Ramirez Family: Masters of the Guitar, or for information on the Ramirez family members, from Amalia Ramirez back to Jose I and for some interesting fact-checking on myths and facts about this legendary workshop.