José Ramírez IV 1953 – 2000

José Enrique Ramírez García (known as José Ramírez IV) was born in Madrid in May 1953. In 1971 he entered the workshop as an apprentice at the age of eighteen, and by 1977 he had reached the rank of first officer. In 1988 he assumed the management of the business together with his sister Amalia.

One of his first decisions was to define the existing models, responding to the change in sound preferences that became noticeable among several guitarists in the mid-1980s.

A meaningful moment occurred in 1979. Among several guitars selected to be taken to Andrés Segovia, one instrument built by José Ramírez IV was included. Only two years had passed since he had become an officer in his father’s workshop, and it came as a surprise and great satisfaction that Segovia unknowingly chose the guitar he had made. Out of gratitude he decided to give it to the maestro, who wrote an emotional dedication that was signed and placed next to the label. Segovia played this guitar in many of his concerts until the end of his life, as confirmed in a letter written to the maker.

In 1991 he continued building a guitar that preserved the sound characteristics of the 1960s, known as the “Traditional Model”. At the same time he began designing another instrument with a new concept that offered a clearer and more direct sound aligned with contemporary preferences. This instrument became the “Modelo Especial”, completed in 1992.

José Ramírez IV refined, developed and perfected the models created by his father, adapting them to the needs of musicians of that period. He also introduced new construction techniques that made the instruments more comfortable to play and more structurally stable, reducing or preventing deformation caused by wood movement.

An important chapter of his work concerned study guitars for beginners, students and musicians needing amplified instruments. Already during the time of José Ramírez I, these guitars had been sold in the shop as an alternative to handmade models, which were naturally more expensive and of superior quality.

Initially, José Ramírez I did not label these study guitars. Over time, however, problems arose when claims were made about guitars allegedly purchased in the shop but lacking identification. To prevent confusion, he eventually introduced special labels distinct from those used on the professional models.

José Ramírez II not only continued selling these series-built study guitars but also designed additional models to be manufactured by leading makers in Valencia. José Ramírez III, like his grandfather, did not value these instruments and was unconcerned by the gradual disappearance of his father’s designs.

José Ramírez IV held a very different view. He considered these guitars essential for beginners, students and musicians seeking an amplified option with guaranteed quality from the Ramírez workshop. His conviction was that those who begin playing should not and often cannot start with a professional instrument. Therefore, the study guitars needed to be affordable, pleasant to play and of dependable quality. This concept was well received and served as a valuable entry point toward a professional instrument.

For performers requiring amplification in ensemble settings, these guitars also offered a safer alternative than modifying a handmade instrument. In 1986 he persuaded his father to design a study line called “E”, made exclusively for Ramírez with specially selected woods.

Later, in 1991, coinciding with the changes to the handcrafted models, José Enrique developed another study line that was more economical than the previous one. Based on the template of the professional model C86, he named this series “R”.