1994 José Ramírez "1a Tradicional" No. Z3-111 CD/IN

This 1994 José Ramírez "1a Tradicional" No. Z3-111 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, the cypress-lined 1a of the 1990s; Eric Henderson plays his "Lullaby" on it in the video above.

The "Tradicional"

Probably one of the most played and best-known Spanish guitars in history, the Ramírez 1a model continues to satisfy players as a truly outstanding performance instrument by any standard. In the 1990s, under José Ramírez IV, the classic cypress-lined 1a was named "Tradicional", alongside his new "Especial". This guitar has all the color and warmth normally associated with a great Ramírez, and its playability is more like that of the Madrid-made guitars of the 1950s. For attention to detail, quality of construction and sound, we rate this instrument very highly.

Label and Condition

The label is numbered Z3-111 and dated 1994, with "C664 Tradicional" written by hand. This 1994 model is in great condition, with no damage or repairs, and only some normal wear on the body.

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".