Jose Ramirez III - 1959 Flamenca - Augustine Collection
About the luthier
José Ramírez III was born in Buenos Aires in 1922 and grew up within one of the most influential families in the history of Spanish guitar making. After returning with his family to Madrid in the early 1920s, he entered the Ramírez workshop as an apprentice at the age of eighteen. In 1957 he assumed responsibility as maestro of the family workshop, which by then spanned three generations. Under his direction, the Ramírez workshop became the most influential training ground for guitar makers of his era.
Beyond his own production, José Ramírez III played a decisive role as a teacher and organiser of talent. From the 1960s onward, the workshop trained an exceptional number of future master luthiers, many of whom later established highly successful independent careers. At the same time, Ramírez introduced important technical developments that shaped modern classical and flamenco guitar making, including the widespread adoption of western red cedar soundboards and extended scale lengths for greater projection. Through the scale of his production and the consistency of his designs, his guitars became the reference instruments for generations of professional musicians, students and concert artists worldwide.
About the guitar
This flamenco guitar from 1959 is an exceptionally well preserved example of José Ramírez III’s work during a formative period of the Madrid school. Built with a spruce top and cypress back and sides, the instrument follows traditional flamenco construction principles with a lightweight build and a lightly braced soundboard using five shallow fan struts. The guitar originates from the Augustine collection and retains a remarkably original character.
The sound is direct, powerful and penetrating, with a fast and immediate response that supports the rhythmic clarity essential to flamenco playing. The attack is crisp and defined, while the tone retains substance and focus rather than thinning out at higher dynamics. Despite its brightness, the sound carries depth and core, allowing both percussive articulation and lyrical passages to remain clear and controlled. Internally, the guitar is stamped with the initials AM, most likely indicating Antonio Martínez Ortega, a maker associated with instruments built for Andrés Segovia and Christopher Parkening. This connection places the guitar firmly within the lineage of the Madrid workshop tradition of the period.
Condition
The guitar is in excellent condition. There are no cracks and no repairs have been carried out. The instrument has been carefully preserved and remains structurally intact and fully functional.
Original: $12,672.95
-70%$12,672.95
$3,801.89Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
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Description
About the luthier
José Ramírez III was born in Buenos Aires in 1922 and grew up within one of the most influential families in the history of Spanish guitar making. After returning with his family to Madrid in the early 1920s, he entered the Ramírez workshop as an apprentice at the age of eighteen. In 1957 he assumed responsibility as maestro of the family workshop, which by then spanned three generations. Under his direction, the Ramírez workshop became the most influential training ground for guitar makers of his era.
Beyond his own production, José Ramírez III played a decisive role as a teacher and organiser of talent. From the 1960s onward, the workshop trained an exceptional number of future master luthiers, many of whom later established highly successful independent careers. At the same time, Ramírez introduced important technical developments that shaped modern classical and flamenco guitar making, including the widespread adoption of western red cedar soundboards and extended scale lengths for greater projection. Through the scale of his production and the consistency of his designs, his guitars became the reference instruments for generations of professional musicians, students and concert artists worldwide.
About the guitar
This flamenco guitar from 1959 is an exceptionally well preserved example of José Ramírez III’s work during a formative period of the Madrid school. Built with a spruce top and cypress back and sides, the instrument follows traditional flamenco construction principles with a lightweight build and a lightly braced soundboard using five shallow fan struts. The guitar originates from the Augustine collection and retains a remarkably original character.
The sound is direct, powerful and penetrating, with a fast and immediate response that supports the rhythmic clarity essential to flamenco playing. The attack is crisp and defined, while the tone retains substance and focus rather than thinning out at higher dynamics. Despite its brightness, the sound carries depth and core, allowing both percussive articulation and lyrical passages to remain clear and controlled. Internally, the guitar is stamped with the initials AM, most likely indicating Antonio Martínez Ortega, a maker associated with instruments built for Andrés Segovia and Christopher Parkening. This connection places the guitar firmly within the lineage of the Madrid workshop tradition of the period.
Condition
The guitar is in excellent condition. There are no cracks and no repairs have been carried out. The instrument has been carefully preserved and remains structurally intact and fully functional.
