2012 Thomas Norwood "1910 Manuel Ramírez" SP/CSAR

This 2012 Thomas Norwood “1910 Manuel Ramírez” is a spruce and CSA rosewood replica of a 1910 guitar by Manuel Ramírez – Tom’s own favorite of his models.

Tom’s Favorite Model

Norwood built his replicas not only to the specs, woods and decorative details of the originals, but to sound as the originals would have sounded when new. The Manuel Ramírez was also his most demanded model: “a slightly more versatile sound, deeper, with better sustain,” he told Orfeo, “certainly a step in the direction” of the modern guitar. This was the second Norwood we had. The label reads “Thomas Norwood, Luthier à Paris, Année 2012”.

Sound

It captures the charm, feel and certainly the appearance of the original: although only a few years old, the sound was old-world, warm and very loose – one of the most successful replicas we have seen. Capital, a protégé of Guinga, plays Guinga’s “Dichavado” and “Pra Quem Quiser Me Visitar” on it in the videos above.

Read more: Orfeo Magazine No. 7 – An American in Paris: Thomas Norwood – also available in print in the collected edition Orfeo Magazine 6–10:

Orfeo Magazine 6-10 (print)

Thomas Norwood: An American in Paris

Thomas Norwood (died 2021) was born in Pasadena, California, and taught himself guitar making from Irving Sloane’s book “Classic Guitar Construction”. He fell in love with Paris on a bicycle tour of Europe and settled there in the mid-1970s, visiting the workshops of Daniel Friederich and Daniel Lesueur; Friederich became a close friend and recommended Tom’s guitars to GSI. He built in his atelier in the heart of Paris for over 40 years.

Replicas of the Spanish Golden Age

Besides lutes, Baroque guitars and hurdy-gurdies – he was considered one of the best balalaika makers outside Russia – Norwood made a model of his own and four replicas of the Spanish golden age: Antonio de Torres, Manuel Ramírez, Domingo Esteso and Santos Hernández. Each began as an exact copy of one original, built to sound as it would have when new; only later did he make small changes to the bracing to improve the occasional weaker note.