Ramírez Guitars
Ramírez Guitars (Guitarras Ramírez in Spanish) is a Spanish manufacturer of professional, concert-quality classical and flamenco guitars. Five generations of the Ramírez family have produced Ramirez guitars. History Establishment José Ramírez learned how to make guitars while an apprentice to Madrid guitar maker Francisco Gonzalez. Once he had finished his apprenticeship he left, and with his younger brother Manuel (1864-1916) opened a guitar making workshop in 1882 on Cava Baja in Madrid, before in 1890 moving to Calle de la Concepción Jerónima nº 2. In 1891 Manuel proposed to move to Paris and establish himself there, to which José offered his support. However, for unknown reasons, Manuel changed his plans, and decided instead to start his own workshop in Madrid, which would be in direct competition with his brother. This caused a lasting enmity between the brothers and they never spoke again. Manuel opened his workshop at Cava Baja nº 24, before relocating to Plaza de Santa Ana nº 5, and in 1897 to Calle Arlabán nº 10, where he remained until 1912, before moving next door to nº 11. Enrique Garcia (1868-1922), who began an apprenticeship with José Ramírez brothers in 1883, joined Manuel. The workshop took some time to attract customers, which led Manuel to bring in income by working for a period as an electrician for the Madrid Electric Company, leaving the workshop in the hands of Garcia. The business made violins as well. In 1893 Manuel won a medal at that year's Chicago Fair. While José made traditional broad shallow guitars in the style of his mentor Gonzalez, with arched tops which produced a hard loud sound, Manuel differed in his style of guitar. He followed the ideas of Antonio Torres and came to be regarded as his successor, yet at the same time he inquisitively experimented and further developed Torres's ideas. As a result, he began producing guitars that had a lighter, delicate sound, that became popular within the flamenco community. As well as Enrique Garcia, among the luthiers that Manuel trained were Domingo Esteso (1882–1937) and Modesto Borreguero (1893-1969), who became his apprentice at the age of 12. Manuel was also regarded as am excellent maker of violins. In 1895 Enrique Garcia left his position as Manuel's foreman to move to Barcelona to establish his own workshop. Manuel Ramirez subsequently hired Santos Hernandez (1873-1943) in about 1905 as foreman. By 1912, Manuel Ramírez had been appointed luthier to the National Conservatoire in Madrid. In 1912 a young Andrés Segovia visited Manuel with a request to rent a guitar for a concert. After hearing him play, Manuel gave him the guitar, which had been largely made by Hernandez. Segovia used the guitar in concerts and on recordings from 1912 to 1937, and played it at his United States debut in New York's Town Hall in 1929. These performances brought Manuel Ramírez's style of guitar and Hernandez's skill to the notice of other players. The guitar that Manuel Ramírez gave Segovia was later donated by Segovia's