Manuel Ramirez ~1912 - elegant guitar with impressive sound and important history! This fine guitar dates from around the same time as Segovia's famous Manuel Ramirez guitar.
The workshop of Manuel Ramirez is undoubtedly the most important classical guitar workshop of the early turn of the century, the post-Torres era of guitar making. Manuel Ramirez (1864-1916) was committed to ensuring the survival of the "Torres" design into the 20th century (and beyond). With his vision and determination, coupled with a workshop made up of the finest luthiers of the time (including none other than Santos Hernandez, Domingo Esteso, Modesto Borreguero, Pascual Viudes and most likely Enrique Garcia), he successfully crafted great guitars that ensured the Torres legacy for all future generations of luthiers. This particular guitar is a perfect example of the style and sound that had such a profound influence on his listeners and players.
This Manuel Ramirez ~1912 was built around the same year as Segovia's famous and iconic 1912 Manuel Ramirez (now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, along with Segovia's 1937 Hauser I) and appears to be very similar in dimensions and proportions to Segovia's guitar. It has a spruce top and cypress back and sides. The scale length is 652 mm and the nut width 50 mm.
The guitar has been professionally restored by Gabriele Lodi.
This Manuel Ramirez ~1912 is an elegantly built instrument with deep basses, full and warm trebles and rich tonal textures interwoven with the clear, bell-like fundamentals. The feather-light weight of the guitar gives it incredible volume and an instant response. It is no wonder that in recent years more and more contemporary luthiers have been working to rediscover this style of construction, as it has an absolutely mystical and magical charm that has mesmerised players and listeners from the turn of the century to the present day.
The sound is unmistakably Spanish - deep, dark and mysterious. The experience of playing a guitar like this is unique, probably also due to its age and the fact that it has been played regularly for over 100 years. This guitar would make a fantastic concert and recording instrument for both classical and flamenco pieces - this guitar was built in a time when there was no distinction between "classical" and "flamenco". It is simply a great "guitar" - its versatility as a musical instrument lends itself beautifully to virtually any style lent to it by the hand of the individual player.
It was played for years by guitarist Giacomo Palazzesi and he used it for recordings and concerts. The sound sample below is one of these recordings.
| 
