hi ya all, yesterday , i had some time to kill and popped in at lovemore music in Irene /centurion .... (jhb) they the importers of ramirez guitars . so true to being the importers they have a wide range of ramirez guitars on the floor to try.... they range from 15 k upward and i mean upward ....
i tried out 1st the model number i forget but it was marked at 30 K .... that was most expensive they had on the floor........ truly i didn't like it ....
it was beautifully made but lacked something .........
then i tried the 125 anniversary model ...which is being made for only the next 5 years to celebrate the ramirez name being in guitar production for 125 yrs an amazing feat .........
now this guitar was magic..........
apparantly designed by amalia rameriz(yes a woman now runs the company ) based on their E model..... with all solid wood construction .the one i played had a cedar top and sounded and felt great .......
more a flamenco sound to a classical one for those of you that know the difference...... but still not a full flamenco guitar which can be quite nasaly and harsh ....
it had a very interesting ring to the bass strings......... i kept trying to listen to that timbre and try to remember it ... cos it was quite unique ...... and i liked the bass overtones that one heard after striking the string........ definitely the kinda magic one dips into your pocket for.......
this was only marked at 23K and with a discount i was offered it for 16.5K i had my credit card with me and i seriously pondered it .......... but resisted.......
and dashed home to play my guitars while the other sound and feel was fresh in my head...and i was not dissapointed my vintage yamaha's sounded NOT the same but i never felt i was now playing an inferior guitar ...
however that said i was suitably impressed with the 125 yr anniverasy model........ from Ramirez .......and this is still not their absolute top end professional series guitars....... they did not have any in stock ....they ussually start at about 40 K up ..and this is the range that is all handbuilt by artisans in a separate workshop at Ramirez .... kinda a custom shop like fender has.... but unfortunately none of them in stock......
so yeah if you into nylon strings and have a budget check out the ramirez range ,,,
lovemore music has about 3 branch's around gauteng and the guy there said they the importers...
they truly guitars that offer a hint more than the ussual builds i have tried in last years.....
but like i mentioned i 'm not saying they all good the 1st one i played on i didn't like at all....
but then i was blown away enough to consider parting with what for me is a substantial amount of money .......
guess i'll trawl the pawn shops and 2nd hand market for one going for 7-10 K heheheh then it would be an awesome value for money deal ...
cos they all made in spain ...... and the name ramirez has become an industry standard name in classical/flamenco world.......
i tried out 1st the model number i forget but it was marked at 30 K .... that was most expensive they had on the floor........ truly i didn't like it ....
it was beautifully made but lacked something .........
then i tried the 125 anniversary model ...which is being made for only the next 5 years to celebrate the ramirez name being in guitar production for 125 yrs an amazing feat .........
now this guitar was magic..........
apparantly designed by amalia rameriz(yes a woman now runs the company ) based on their E model..... with all solid wood construction .the one i played had a cedar top and sounded and felt great .......
more a flamenco sound to a classical one for those of you that know the difference...... but still not a full flamenco guitar which can be quite nasaly and harsh ....
it had a very interesting ring to the bass strings......... i kept trying to listen to that timbre and try to remember it ... cos it was quite unique ...... and i liked the bass overtones that one heard after striking the string........ definitely the kinda magic one dips into your pocket for.......
this was only marked at 23K and with a discount i was offered it for 16.5K i had my credit card with me and i seriously pondered it .......... but resisted.......
and dashed home to play my guitars while the other sound and feel was fresh in my head...and i was not dissapointed my vintage yamaha's sounded NOT the same but i never felt i was now playing an inferior guitar ...
however that said i was suitably impressed with the 125 yr anniverasy model........ from Ramirez .......and this is still not their absolute top end professional series guitars....... they did not have any in stock ....they ussually start at about 40 K up ..and this is the range that is all handbuilt by artisans in a separate workshop at Ramirez .... kinda a custom shop like fender has.... but unfortunately none of them in stock......
so yeah if you into nylon strings and have a budget check out the ramirez range ,,,
lovemore music has about 3 branch's around gauteng and the guy there said they the importers...
they truly guitars that offer a hint more than the ussual builds i have tried in last years.....
but like i mentioned i 'm not saying they all good the 1st one i played on i didn't like at all....
but then i was blown away enough to consider parting with what for me is a substantial amount of money .......
guess i'll trawl the pawn shops and 2nd hand market for one going for 7-10 K heheheh then it would be an awesome value for money deal ...
cos they all made in spain ...... and the name ramirez has become an industry standard name in classical/flamenco world.......