2003 José Ramírez "1a Tradicional" No. Y0-065 CD/IN

This 2003 José Ramírez "1a Tradicional" No. Y0-065 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, with a French-polished top and a slightly narrower 51mm nut.

The Ramírez Workshop in 2003

Segovia, Sabicas, Christopher Parkening, Chet Atkins, Lee Ritenour, Sting – the list of professionals who have played instruments from the José Ramírez workshop over more than half a century is practically endless. The workshop moved to Calle de la Paz 8 in 1995, and five years later Amalia Ramírez took over from her brother José IV; this guitar was made there during her first decade in charge.

About the "1a"

"1a" is short for "primera": the first class of the Ramírez range, top quality in workmanship, detail and choice of wood. It follows the classic design of José Ramírez III, but with the standard 650mm string length and an easy neck angle, so it plays more easily than many earlier Ramírez concert guitars. The rosette and purflings are classic Ramírez designs, and absolutely stunning.

Playability and Condition

It plays easily, with a comfortable neck and a low, easy action. Thick yet clear, the tone has the warm, moody character that made the Ramírez name famous. The nut is 51mm wide, a touch narrower than usual, and the top is French polished. It is in great condition, with no damage or repairs and only the smallest amount of wear in the finish. No. Y0-065 is written on the label, which is dated 2003 and signed by Amalia Ramírez, and the model code "C650 Tradicional" is written by hand beside the class.

There is much more about the workshop on our blog – The Ramírez Family: Masters of the Guitar, the family members from Amalia Ramírez back to José I, and some fact-checking 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.

The Workshop Under Amalia Ramírez

Under Amalia Ramírez the workshop has kept the classic concert guitar at the heart of its range – the "1a" (first class) in the "Tradicional" design, its model code written by hand on the label: C650 for a cedar top with Indian rosewood, "-A" for a spruce (abeto) top, "-P" for CSA rosewood (palosanto) and "-AP" for both, with F656 and F656-A for the cedar and spruce flamencos. Around it she has built a wider family of models: the "Centenario" and "Elite", made with the workshop's most precious woods; the reissued "SP" and "2a"; the "Auditorio", "Antigua" and "Guitarra del Tiempo"; anniversary series such as the "125 Años" and "130 Años"; replicas of historic guitars, from the 1912 Manuel Ramírez played by Segovia to the 1913 "Guitarra de Tablao" of José Ramírez I; and the studio lines NE, R and FL. The concert guitars carry the Calle de la Paz 8 label, signed by Amalia Ramírez with her star signature and numbered with a letter-and-number code (Centenario and Elite have numbers of their own), while the studio guitars have an orange "Guitarras de Estudio" label, "Diseñada, Revisada y Certificada por Ramírez", with the red "Calidad Ramírez" stamp.