1974 José Ramírez "1a" No. 7828 CD/CSAR (ex Pepe Romero)

This 1974 José Ramírez "1a" No. 7828 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and CSA rosewood back and sides, chosen in the Ramírez shop by Pepe Romero and his father Celedonio, who shared it for many years.

Ex Pepe and Celedonio Romero

Countless professionals have performed on instruments from the famous José Ramírez III workshop over the past half century and more – think of Sting and Segovia, Sabicas and Chet Atkins, or Lee Ritenour and Christopher Parkening. This particular guitar was selected in 1974 by Pepe Romero with his father Celedonio in the Ramírez shop, and the two shared it over the course of many years; a letter written by Pepe Romero accompanies this instrument.

Power, Texture and Clarity

Only one or two notes need to be played to immediately understand why this guitar was chosen by Pepe – it has great power, a thick and rich texture to every note, yet it retains great clarity and has that essential warm, mysterious and moody quality that made Ramírez famous. It features first-rate materials, including a striking set of figured CSA rosewood for the back and sides and a top with strong, thick grain lines.

Label and Condition

No. 7828 is written on the label, which is dated 1974 and signed by José Ramírez III. It is in great condition for its age – no cracks or repairs anywhere on the instrument, only some minor wear in the finish. Overall a great example of a fine Ramírez for either collector or concert player, for condition, sound and provenance.

To learn more, read The Ramírez Family: Masters of the Guitar; meet the family members from Amalia Ramírez back to José I; and for some interesting fact-checking, see our article on myths and facts about this legendary workshop.

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".