Throughout our more than 140 years of history, Guitarras Ramírez instruments have traveled all over the world, taking the most prestigious stages and accompanying the greatest legends in music. However, sometimes our legacy appears in the most unexpected corners of pop culture. Today, we travel back to the golden age of American television to reveal the fascinating cameo of a Ramírez Guitar in Bonanza, right in the heart of the Wild West.
The Discovery by Flamencologist José Manuel Gamboa
The history of the Spanish guitar is full of hidden treasures within audiovisual archives. It was our great friend, the renowned flamencologist, writer, and producer José Manuel Gamboa, who gifted us this wonderful historical note.
While researching small-screen archives, Gamboa located the stellar appearance of a Ramírez Guitar in an episode of the legendary television series Bonanza. The finding corresponds exactly to Episode 21 of the First Season, titled “The Spanish Grant”, which originally aired in the United States on February 6, 1960. Our instrument is showcased in all its splendor at two key moments of the plot. We invite you to watch the original Bonanza scene to see how the guitar shines on screen at minute 9:10 and 37:02.
A Flamenco Cast at the Ponderosa Ranch
The presence of a guitar from our house in a Hollywood superproduction of this magnitude is justified by the plot, as the episode revolves around a land claim by Spanish nobility, giving rise to a scene featuring a cast with a strong Hispanic and flamenco flair.
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The Actress: The plot features the prominent presence of the famous British-Hispanic actress Patricia Medina.
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The Dance: The dance we witness on screen is performed by Genaro Gómez, a talented and renowned Panamanian bailaor (flamenco dancer) of the time. Gómez had a brilliant resume, having performed alongside the universal legend Carmen Amaya, as well as in the companies of Miguel Herrero and Sarita Heredia.
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The Guitar: Playing to the rhythm of the scene, holding and sounding that unmistakable Ramírez guitar, is a musician who, according to Gamboa’s own notes, is most likely the guitarist Adonis Puertas.
Although identifying faces on tapes from more than six decades ago always holds a slight margin of mystery, what is undeniable and clearly visible is the instrument’s hallmark: an authentic Ramírez accompanying flamenco art on North American television.
Tommy Tedesco: The Other Great Guitar Connection in Bonanza
The musical trivia of this iconic series does not end with the physical appearance of our guitar on screen. The soundscape of Bonanza holds another fascinating fact shared by Gamboa for six-string lovers.
The world-famous Bonanza theme song—that galloping and energetic composition which is pure television history—was performed by Tommy Tedesco. This legendary player holds the record for being the studio musician with the most recording sessions in the history of the industry, and the guitar heard in that unforgettable intro bears his personal signature.
A Legacy That Continues to Cross Borders
We are deeply grateful to José Manuel Gamboa for sharing this documentary gem with us. Seeing one of our guitars in a 1960 broadcast, within one of the most-watched series worldwide, reminds us of the immense international impact of Spanish luthiers.
From our workshop in Madrid to the Hollywood sets, Ramírez Guitars continue to be synonymous with history, culture, and art without borders.
