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C. Vega -> RE: about ramirez guitar ?? (Feb. 25 2014 15:02:09)
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"Maybe you need to be aware that there is no "Jose Ramirez" any more.
I think most 'Ramirez' guitars today are made by other nameless luthiers, working from their own shops, under the 'supervision' of Amalia Ramirez.
They still sell some nice guitars, but not quite the quality that Jose 1, 11 & 111 did. . ."
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Sorry, Britguy, but that's simply not true.
There is still a Jose Ramirez. He's Jose Enrique Ramirez (hijo), one of the twin sons of the late Jose Ramirez IV. He is known as Enrique. He's very involved in the business that is under the supervision of his aunt Amalia Ramirez who is the sister of Jose IV. Enrique's younger sister Cristina is also with the family firm. Cristina is primarily involved with the administrative end of things while Enrique is more of a "hands on" type.
All of the "professional" models listed on the Ramirez website www.guitarrasramirez.com are made in their own workshop in Madrid by a team of six or so skilled workers and a few underlings doing some preliminary pre-fabrication work.
The finishing work is farmed out but everything else is done in-house. They make a total of about 140 instruments annually.
Their various student models, etc. are all outsourced to several different manufacturers but they are supposedly set up and adjusted in the Ramirez shop.
The entire Ramirez operation is small totaling less than twenty employees.
The current "real" Ramirez flamencos are still very nice guitars but, like most new Ramirez instruments, somewhat overpriced. They really haven't changed over the years. As one poster said, they are kind of "old school" but I happen to like that type of guitar.
I have an old one, a 1963 example with pegs, that's very cool. It may not have the volume or punch of some newer guitars but for traditional stuff it's great fun to play.
Sabicas was also a Ramirez player.
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