❌SOLD❌ Ramirez Model 1a Tradicional Cedar 665mm, 1980

The Ramirez Model 1a Tradicional, seen here with a Red Cedar top, has been a benchmark of top quality classical and flamenco guitars for over half a century. The 1a designation technically refers to the quality of the materials and workmanship, but has become associated with the Tradicional model.

This Ramirez 1a Tradicional with Red Cedar top was built at Concepcion Jeronima No. 2 in Madrid during 1986. The inside of the top, between the soundhole and the neck block, is stamped ‘7’ indicating construction by Master Luthier Alfonso Contreras Valbuena.

The top is Red Cedar, the use of which was pioneered by Jose Ramirez III in the early 1960’s as an alternative to Spruce. The tone and responsiveness of Red Cedar develops more quickly than Spruce, and immediately delivers a warm, full sound. The sides, back, bridge and head plate are Indian Rosewood, the neck Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata) and the fingerboard Ebony. Naturally it features the Spanish ‘slipper heel’ construction with the sides glued into the neck block. The Indian Rosewood sides feature an interior lining or lamination of Cypress wood to improve tonality when played at high volumes.

It is in excellent, clean condition with very light wear. There are discreet position marker dots on the bass side of the fingerboard, at frets 5, 7 and 9.

Sold with a period case, black with Red lining and with ‘Rosales’ embossed on the latches.

Here is the builder on the current Ramirez Model 1a Tradicional:

“The Tradicional guitar model is popularly known as the Ramirez 1A, although this nomenclature only indicates that it belongs to our first-class guitars like the rest of the handmade models, except for the Preludio or the Sencilla de Concierto which belong to the 2A category. This model was developed by José Ramirez III in the 60’s with the invaluable collaboration of Andrés Segovia, and it was the only instrument used by the master in the last years of his life, which is why many guitarists know it as the “Segovia model”.

The Ramirez 1a guitar is considered one of the milestones in the evolution of the guitar, given the complexity of its construction and for its sound rich in colours, sweet, deep, volume and with a lot of projection. This model has a solid double sides rosewood or other wood of your choice that we offer and cypress. In our handcrafted guitars we only use solid wood. These guitars are made to order.”