The Twelfth Fret ~ Since 1977 ~

❌SOLD❌ Ramirez 1a Flamenco Blanca Guitar, 1969

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Ramirez has built professional, concert quality guitars for almost 140 years and the 1a Flamenco is one of the benchmark instruments for the Flamenco style.

Ramirez 1a flamenco guitars are built in the traditional Spanish style at the ‘home’ workshop. The guitar centers on a ‘slipper foot’ neck to body joint, with the sides fitting into slots cut into the heel block. The body pairs a Spruce top with Cypress back and sides – a very light wood in terms of weight and colouring, also providing a lot of brightness to the tone. The neck is Spanish Cedar or Cedro with an Ebony fingerboard. The headplate and bridge are Rosewood, and at the time this guitar was built, that means Brazilian Rosewood. The original, traditional violin style wooden tuning pegs are also Brazilian Rosewood.

Flamenco models differ from ‘classical’ styles in that they are built for low action and a bright, percussive tone that competes with the sometimes rather loud sounds produced by Flamenco dancers and singers. The low action often leads to an amount of string rattling, and this is part of the style.

This Ramirez 1a Flamenco example dates to 1969 and was built at the old Concepcion Jeronima No. 2 location in Madrid, Spain. Its heel block is initialled IM by its builder, Ignacio Manzano Rozas. Though somewhat rough on its arrival, it is now in decent playable condition, having had two top and brace cracks repaired and some fret reconditioning. The top has an expected amount of honest play wear – flamenco is a rather physical style, and the characteristic ‘golpe’ top-tapping leads many players to add golpeador, thin plastic plate to protect the surface. Here, the original plate had worn sufficiently to require replacement. The bridge has also been converted to a 12-hole style tie block, which improves downbearing at the saddle, improving sustain and clarity.

A padded gig bag is included.

Here’s Grant MacNeill on this Ramirez 1a Flamenco Blanca:

“This lovely 1969 Ramirez 1a Flamenco guitar came to us from the Toronto Guitar Society and was in the home of Eli and Anne Kassner for decades. It was no doubt played by dozens of world-renown Flamenco players who attended the famous soirees put on by the Kassners for performers and guests the Toronto Guitar Society. Several local musicians tell me they recall seeing it played at Eli’s house and I am certain that Paco himself would have played it. If this guitar could talk, the stories it could tell !!

Though heavily played it is remarkable that there are no major cracks or major repairs done to this guitar. I replaced the worn Golpeador pickguard, dressed the frets and converted the bridge tie-block to a 12 hole to permit lowering the action to low-flamenco height which is ideal for an aggressive player. I lightly French-polished the bare patch where the finish was worn off the back of the neck from the thousands of hours the guitar was played.

The friction pegs were re-fitted and eased and work well. That said, we routinely convert these to the “Peghed” tuners which have tiny, 4:1 ratio tuners concealed inside of the pegs.

The slipper foot is stamped “IM” which means that the master luthier who built the guitar was Ignacio Manzano Rozas. The label is signed in typical flamboyant fashion but the master himself: José Ramirez 3rd.

The tone is very full, well balanced and responsive; I feel the entire back of the guitar vibrate against me when I play it. The incredible tone and volume “puts paid” to the myth that these guitars get played out with age. On the contrary, in my experience they simply sound better and better with time. This guitar is LOUD!

 I have no doubt that this fine example will still be making wonderful music another 50 years from now.”

Price: $2,999.99 CAD
  • Model: 1a Flamenco
  • Year: 1969
  • Finish Gloss
  • Class: Vintage
  • Serial Number: 3736
  • Country of Origin: Spain
  • Condition: Good
  • Date Posted: 06/05/2019

  • Consignment Item

  • Including original Gig Bag case
  • Instrument Weight: 2.86lbs 1.3kg
  • Scale Length: 25.6in 650mm
  • Nut Width: 2.09in 53mm
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