{"id":33626,"date":"2022-05-25T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T06:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guitarrasramirez.com\/jose-ramirez-and-the-madrid-school\/"},"modified":"2022-05-25T08:00:58","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T06:00:58","slug":"jose-ramirez-and-the-madrid-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guitarrasramirez.com\/en\/jose-ramirez-and-the-madrid-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez and the Madrid school"},"content":{"rendered":"

The association of the “noble art of violeros, guitar makers and all kinds of stringed instruments” was founded in Madrid in 1761 by the violero Juli\u00e1n Fornieles and Lorenzo Alonso, and is the origin of the so-called Escuela de Madrid de Constructores de Guitarras.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lorenzo Alonso and Marcos Antonio Gonz\u00e1lez were the examiners, who were in charge of examining the future members of this association.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In order to ensure the line and the brand, the most advanced disciple married his master’s daughter, of course, if there was one. This is how the guitar maker Manuel Mu\u00f1oa married the daughter of Marcos Antonio Gonz\u00e1lez. And later Benito Campo inherited Manuel Mu\u00f1oa’s workshop when he married his daughter.<\/p>\n

Benito Campo was Francisco Gonz\u00e1lez’s teacher, and they worked together in their workshops on Majaderitos Street. In turn, Francisco Gonz\u00e1lez was the teacher of Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez I<\/a>, my great-grandfather.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the years, all the offshoots of the School created by Alonso y Fornieles in 1761 have disappeared, leaving only our own, which is currently represented by my nieces and nephews, Cristina and Jos\u00e9 Enrique<\/a>, who are the fifth generation, and myself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The beginning of Guitarras Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez<\/h2>\n

My great-great-grandfather, the father of Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez I, Domingo Ram\u00edrez de Galarreta y Mart\u00ednez de Abad, was a very versatile man, at least in terms of his activities, as he was a landowner, horse breeder, builder and master carpenter.<\/p>\n

As a carpenter, he belonged to the wood and cork guild, as did the guitar makers. And, as I understand it, he was friends with Francisco Gonz\u00e1lez. This, together with what must have been a marked fondness for everything to do with the guitar, was probably the reason why his first-born son, Jos\u00e9, entered Francisco Gonz\u00e1lez’s workshop as an apprentice at the age of 12, in 1870. We think it is very possible that Domingo, given his many activities and his relationship with wood and guitar making, also built guitars, because his three sons, Jos\u00e9, Antonio and Manuel, were all guitar makers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We know that Jos\u00e9 was the teacher of his younger brother Manuel. We do not know, however, who was the teacher of Antonio, who had his guitar shop in Calle Mayor in Logro\u00f1o.<\/p>\n

In any case, Jos\u00e9 was the teacher of his eldest son Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez II, and of other guitar makers who, when they became independent, obtained worldwide recognition, as is the case of Enrique Garc\u00eda, teacher of another great guitar maker: Francisco Simplicio.<\/p>\n

As for his younger brother and disciple Manuel, when he became independent he was also the teacher of other prestigious guitarists such as Domingo Esteso, Modesto Borreguero and Santos Hern\u00e1ndez, who in turn trained other internationally renowned guitarists.<\/p>\n

Manuel Ram\u00edrez<\/a>, after working with his brother and maestro Jos\u00e9, set up on his own. I can tell the anecdote about Andr\u00e9s Segovia, and the fact that the guitar he gave him is currently on display at the MET in New York<\/a><\/strong>, together with the Hauser guitar that the maestro used after the last repair of the Manuel Ram\u00edrez, which was incorrect, and he could no longer play it.<\/p>\n

And going back to Jos\u00e9, he created the Tablao guitar<\/a> at the request of flamenco guitarists (caf\u00e9s cantantes and tablaos) and was in turn the teacher of his eldest son Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez II.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez II was the teacher of Manuel Rodr\u00edguez I, and of his eldest son Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez III.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez III and his revolution in the guitar world<\/h2>\n

Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez III revolutionised the world of the guitar with his research, and formed a veritable school of guitar makers, as he taught the trade to no less than 30 disciples, among whom there were several who, after becoming independent, went on to achieve well-deserved recognition<\/strong>, such as Manuel C\u00e1ceres, Jos\u00e9 Romero, Teodoro P\u00e9rez, Manuel Contreras, Mariano Tezanos, Arturo Sanzano and Paulino Bernab\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Among his disciples are my brother Jos\u00e9 Enrique and myself, although I was privileged to have had both my father and my brother, Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez IV, as teachers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is so much to tell about my father, Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez III, that it would be too much to describe it all here. In short, and apart from his research into templates, varnishes, internal structure, draught, weight and measurements of the bridge, and more, I can tell:<\/p>\n