History Guitarras Ramírez: A Legacy of 14,838 Pieces
At least 14,838 pieces make up our instrument. To delve into the history Guitarras Ramírez is to visit the dean workshop of the guitar makers of the Madrid school. With more than a century of tradition and our own premises at number 8 Paz Street, we are the guitar with which the maestro Andrés Segovia became immortal.
The history Guitarras Ramírez and the Meeting with Andrés Segovia
It was on May 6, 1913, shortly before his first concert at the Ateneo, when a very young Andrés Segovia dropped by the Ramírez Guitar Shop, founded by José Ramírez I 31 years earlier. He had no money, but they lent him an instrument, and upon hearing what he was capable of doing with the strings, they told him to keep it.
Days later, Manuel Ramírez told him that upon feeling how the wood transformed into music, he was about to shout demanding applause for the luthier. Today, that guitar is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of New York. This was just one major milestone in the history Guitarras Ramírez, comparable to other great moments, such as our meeting with Pablo Picasso and Manitas de Plata.
The Tradition of the Madrid School
Our space continues to operate like a 19th-century workshop: the apprentices’ duty is to master the tools to become a second-class journeyman. Upon building a fourth guitar without an error, they become a first-class journeyman. The master commands all processes and dedicates himself to research.
Origins and Antonio de Torres
The Madrid school is heir to the capital’s viol-makers guild, which in the 19th century incorporated the innovations of Antonio de Torres. It was Manuel Ramírez who was in charge of restoring the four Antonio Stradivari instruments treasured by the Royal Palace.
The Birth of the Flamenco Guitar
A key contribution in the history Guitarras Ramírez was the creation of the tablao guitar by José Ramírez I. Conceived with greater projection for the ‘cafés cantante’, it laid the foundation for today’s flamenco guitar, attracting geniuses like Paco de Lucía, Sabicas, and Serranito.
José Ramírez III’s Revolution and Pop Culture
José Ramírez III, the boldest of the saga, invented the 8 and 10-string guitars, and introduced the red cedar soundboard in 1965. Later, José Ramírez IV and Amalia Ramírez developed study guitars. Our sound reached pop culture: in 1964, The Beatles played a Ramírez in the And I Love Her video, and legends like Eric Clapton are part of our family.
Today, Cristina and José Enrique Ramírez, the fifth generation, safeguard this heritage, something that was beautifully highlighted by the Madrid blog. The true essence of our story lies in the small details: in that unmistakable bulbous-shaped headstock.