Can You Identify My New Ramirez?

[82DeanZ]

Hi,

I just got back from Spain where I couldn't resist buying a Ramirez guitar from the Ramirez shop in Madrid (I'll put up some cool pictures from there in another post). After playing some 3K to 7K guitars I regained my sanity and walked out with a 1200 euro studio model guitar. I took about an hour and a half (drove my wife crazy) playing and comparing several of the studio models and walked out with the one that sounded the best in my hands. Here's the catch, between my excitement and my poor spanish, I forgot to note the exact model I purchased. It's not on the receipt either. I was hoping someone here could help me identify the exact model. I searched the net and the Ramirez site and it still isn't clear to me which it is. Here is a fuzzy picture of the label:

It looks to me like it says 2 PM Cedro. It is a ceder top (obviously), with rosewood back and sides (another question is are the back and sides laminates - probably, right)? The back and sides have a cool green binding strip. The neck has a skunk stripe which I couldn't find on pictures of other studio models. See all three pictures here:

Ramirez Pictures

Any help would be greatly appreciatec. Thanks in advance.

Best Regards,

Mike.

[thedoctor]

I really can't help identify the guitar other than it is a spanish Ramirez. I bought two guitars in 75 and 78 from Guitarras de Estudio. One in Palma de Majjorca and one in Madrid. My new bride liked to kill me cause I insisted on playing every single guitar in the place before buying one. I still have the Ramirez that I bought in 78 and have very little respect for it. I think the tag or label put in it is from the seller and not the maker. Most of the Spanish "Americanized" export guitars are about the same. The Spanish builders do not impress me at all. IMHO. I have a pair of Takemine classics that put these to shame for sound and playability. Yours looks TEN times nicer than any I own, however. Could be a difference in what the cost was.

[Shamrock]

To answer your question about the body being laminated....From the looks of the grain on the back and inside the soundhole, it appears to be solid wood. The grain pattern looks symmetrical (like it goes all the way through). Unless they used matching rosewood laminate on the inside and outside. Looks like you got a nice guitar for a pretty reasonable price. Any solid rosewood bodied guitar worth owning will run you in excess of $1000 anyway. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

[thedoctor]

Shamrock, you right across the board. From what he paid, he did VERY well. I haven't been to Eurohell in a year but I think that works out to about $1900.00.

[82DeanZ]

Thanks for the responses you guys. I have good news...I've identified my new Ramirez! It turns out there is a very good reason I couldn't find any information on the guitar. This is a special model that is only sold through the Ramirez shop in Madrid. How cool is that? By the way, it is a 2PM Cedro. It is made of solid palisander rosewood back and sides with a solid red ceder top. It wasn't cheap. I checked my credit card account and after the exchange rate I paid $1,638.46 which included a Ramirez soft shell case. However, the model it is most similar to, is the R4 which has solid rosewood back and sides is $2,719.00. I guess I did O.K.!

How did I find out about the guitar? My wife is from Bogata, Columbia and I had her compose an email in spanish to Ramirez for me. This is their reply:

Estimado Michael Smith,

Muchas gracias por su e-mail y sus amables palabras.

Su guitarra es un modelo 2PM Cedro ( se puede leer en la etiqueta) con tapa

de cedro, aros y fondo en palosanto macizo y diapason de ebano. Se trata de

uno de los modelos que tenemos en nuestra tienda y que no exportamos, por

esa razón no lo encontrará en nuestra web, ya que la única forma de comprar

uno de estos instrumentos es directamente en nuestra tienda.

Esperando sea todo de su agrado, reciba un cordial saludo,

Arancha Prieto

P.D.: Por favor, felicite a su mujer por su excepcional español !

So, there it is. I'm very pleased with how this whole experience came out. I'll always keep fond memories of the trip and I have a wonderful momento to boot. Thanks again.

Best Regards,

Mike.

[Shamrock]

Even at $1600 you got a steal. Especially on a guitar that is exclusive to the manufacturer's store.

I want your luck...maybe I could win the Mega Millions and go into lutherie full time.