Here is something rare and wonderful: a 1992 Ramirez SP classical guitar.
For a brief period in the early 1990s, Ramirez Guitars offered a model called the Ramirez SP (Semi-Professional). In the early 1990s I received several of these SP guitars: fitted with simple Estudio labels but marked with the letters SP. They were clearly FAR superior to any Estudio guitar and the woods and interior bracing suggest that they were a variation on the 1a Professional Especial model.
By chance, about this time I passed the Ramirez family at the LA NAMM show at the main escalator. (this would have been the 1991 or 92 NAMM show) The Canadian representative from B&J music introduced us and naturally I was thrilled to met José Ramírez IV and Amalia Ramírez. Tongue tied as I was (in the presence of guitar making royalty so to speak), I managed to come up with a sensible word or two and asked José and Amalia for the back-story on these new SP guitars. He briefly explained to me that they are built in his workshop to the same standards at the 1a Professional guitars and clearly this was a way to acquire a professional quality guitar at a lower price. Apparently only a few dozen were made and they are very rare guitars.
The current Ramirez web site summarizes in more detail as follows:
‘a studio model, also named SP, which was designed by José Ramírez IV in 1990. It was constructed in his own workshop, and was a prototype of the Special Professional model put on sale in 1991,and of which only a few examples are in existence.’
Later on in 2003 Amalia Ramirez refined the design further and the SP name was reborn with a new, smaller soundhole label with more “historic” appearance . An even more refined version exists since 2012 called the SPR.
Read about the Ramirez SPR on our site here
1992 Ramirez SP Guitar
This SP guitar was purchased here at The Twelfth Fret in 1992 by the original owner. Though it is well used and has plenty of minor wear, there has been no structural damage or repairs needed over its 22 year life. the owner has fitted it with string end balls that facilitate faster string changes. As a traditionalist myself, I would toss them and go back to standard string block knots but they do work perfectly as it is.
From my evaluation, I find the guitar to have the full tone and treble balance typical of the 1a Especial…slightly less throaty in the bass range than the Traditional 1a model and slightly attenuated trebles compared to the traditional model. That said, this guitar has thousands of hours of playing on it and had fabulous volume and balance throughout the range.
Grant MacNeill
Serial Number: No serial number, but dates to 1992 and built at the Ramirez shop in Madrid, Spain.
Pricing: $2,400.00 with hardshell case.
Status: SOLD
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