Jose Ramirez 2cwe

2007 2CWE Ramirez Classical Cutaway w/Fishman Electronics. Beautiful glossy finish. Classy & perfectly appointed w/professional quality craftsmanship - no glue marks or dull finish spots...spotless finish!
FISHAMN Electronics are included.

Perfect guitar for the Pop Jazz-Bossa Nova & Pop Rock Ballad vibe in commercial music today. Clear full sound w/a high end sound that is reminiscent of the Tommy Tedesco-Charlie Byrd nylon string sound. Pro quality sound acoustically w/a volume that belies its small body light-weight feel. A well-balanced sound from E to E string.

Didn't touch anything on the guitar...Action, feel & sound are remarkable!

Just got it...but even the hardshell case w/humidifiers are top-notch & make you feel like you own a professional-level instrument.

N/A.

I own & play another classical cutaway made by a long-time San Diego area Luthier (Bob) MOZE of La Mesa. (His guitars are custom hand- built.) Both instruments are different styles of the same type of classical guitars. The RAMIREZ is easily the louder & lighter of the two...both are keepers for life. The MOZE I use for Live w/a band & the RAMIREZ for recording & small venues w/no drums, etc.

Very well made and nice looking guitar made in 2008. The back and sides are laminated rosewood which has turned out to be an important factor in differentiating the 2cw from its more expensive brother the 4cw which looks identical.

The natural sound leaves a lot to be desired in the mid range (see overall rating). The pickup and internal mic seemed to work well.

Beautifully set up (better than my eventual 4cw) with no need for any adjustment at all except in my playing as I'm used to steel strung guitars.

Seems very well built. Too soon to tell

No experience.

I bought this guitar mainly for recording, so was most interested in its natural sound. Although happy with the way it played, I had trouble with the sound especially after recording it for the first time. No approach playing-wise or microphone-wise made much difference to the fact that only heavy eq-ing made it vaguely acceptable. A very undefined mid range that made this otherwise classy guitar unacceptable for my purposes.
Happily, although 3 weeks old, I was able to swap it for a 4cw back at the shop (and pay the extra of course!) which has proved to have the quality that I wanted to hear.

I bought my 2CWE in Madrid last week at the Ramirez shop on Calle de la Paz. I was made in 2006 so had been in the shop for about 1 year when I purchased it. I opted for the non-electric model since truthfully the models I played with electronics sounded somewhat deadened compared to the non-electrified model. Perhaps the amplificaton unit inside the guitar steals some tone and volume. The was a big difference however. Since I don't perform professionally, amplification isn't a priority. So it was really an easy decision to go with the pure acoustic model. This guitar is perfect in every way. Beautiful finish, perfect intonation, good balance tonally, feather light, attractive embellishments. The boys at the shop threw in a gig bag (for the carrying it on the plane) and a set of Royal Classic strings. Unfortunately, they were not willing to negotiate price so I paid the tag price.

I play all styles of music and have 6 other guitars including a Taylor and Martin steel string acoustics, a Gretsch 6120 and a vintage Fender Stat. This is the only nylon guitar I own and it is by far the finest instrument in my small collection. It has a rich tone with good volume for such a small body. The full somewhat punchy base notes are its defining feature in my opinion. The treble notes are mellow rather than bright.

I think the guitar's set up is just right. Initially, the action seemed a bit high since I was use to playing steel string acoustics. However, Manuel at the shop warned against messing with the saddle or nut since, on this particular guitar, they strings are about as low as you dare go without risking some buzz. After playing it a few hours I got use to it and now I think it is perfect. The workmanship on the Ramirez student guitars is amazing given that they are only partially handmade. I can't hear or see much difference between the student models and the professional models, but I am sure the pros could. On this guitar, the top is perfectly bookmatched, very tight grained cedar with both vertical and horizontal patterns. The grain patterns on the laminated Indian rosewood back and sides are quite striking. The black ebony stipe on down the back of the neck is way cool. The neck itself is very comfortable. It isn't as wide as the necks on traditional classical models (it's termed a "cross-over" guitar). For example, I can still comfortably hold the F on the sixth string with my thumb for the first position F chord. The fret ends are extremely smooth for the most part. Only one or two seem like they could use a few light brushes with a file. I don't plan to mess with it. The inside of the guitar is extremely clean. No evidence of glue or extraneous wood shavings. The lacquered finish is flawless and like glass.

The guitar is so light it seems really fragile. However, the body integrity is solid and tight. There is nary a rattle, buzz, or any hint of questionnable workmanship. The simple design (e.g., no electronics, just wood, hardware and strings) suggest this guitar will last several lifetimes.

The guys at Ramirez were very nice. They let me play every guitar in the shop (I was camped out there for a while) including the professional models that they keep under lock and key. They assured me that if I ever have a problem with this guitar they would take care of it for me even after the warranty period. They must believe it will be very unlikely that I will have an issue and I think they are right.

I can see a thing I would change about this guitar. Overall, this guitar is a 10. However, my rating for the acoustic-electric model would be lower, an 8 or 9 at best. This includes the 4CWE that I played which is essentially the same guitar with solid rosewood sides and back. There is a distinct difference between the pure acoustic and acoustic-electric models that one needs to consider in purchasing either the 2CWE or 4CWE. For the best unamped tone, I suggest going with the pure acoustic option. However, I did not plug in acoustic-electtic models so I can't say how they would sound amplified.

The features on this 2004 model have been well covered in previous posts. The best in my opinion are the low action and perfect-size neck for the crossover player. The neck measures 50 mm at the nut, which is a bit less than standard classical, allowing for faster playing, and yet it's thicker than your basic steel-string guitar, meaning greater comfort.
The Fishman pre-amp is high quality and offers great versatility, though I know at least one poster would disagree.
The only negative on the features is comparing it to higher-end classicals, which use solid wood throughout. This has solid wood only on the top, which is where it matters most.

I've drifted from pure classical to bossa nova and nylon-string jazz so this guitar is perfect for me. Acoustically, the guitar has the crystal-like sound on the trebles like a high-end Ramirez 1A. The basses are full, though somewhat muted compared to a comparably priced pure classical.
Amplified, it sounds fantastic.
As a pure classical guitar I would rate the sound at 8, but as a crossover guitar with a cutaway, I don't hesitate to give it a 10. I've tried lots of cutaway nylon-string guitars and there was no competition here in the price range.

Action, fit and finish were great. There were some glue marks inside, which is a sign of less-than-perfect workmanship, but this has had no effect on the sound or outside look of the guitar.
Also, I transported the guitar from the heat of a store into the dead freeze of winter, which resulted in a chip in the laminate on the upper bout.

I've never understood this category for a hollow-body guitar. They're fragile instruments and need to be treated with care...

No experience yet.

I've been playing off and on for about 30 years, with about 20 years off as career and family kicked in. I also own a Bernabe Concierto and a Goodall Nylon crossover, which are both reviewed on this site.
The best feature of this guitar is the sound, which compared to other crossovers is the loudest unplugged and the only one to retain a Spanish feel to it. Also outstanding is the action, which is low, and the perfect-size neck, discussed above.
It's hard to compare to my Bernabe, which is certainly a better pure classical guitar. It's also hard to compare with my Goodall crossover, which was purchased recently for more jazzy stuff with its 1-7/8 inch neck and steelier sound.
If my 2CWE was lost, I would probably replace it with a 4CWE, the guitar's higher-end sibling.

Made in Spain, 2005, Piezo/Mic pickup fishman pickup system, solid cedar top, laminated rosewood back and sides, soft curve cutaway.

My style is Moorish, italian influenced jazz/gypsy guitar, heavily influenced by blues and modern film music. This guitar has great clarity of tone, and a deep, resonant timbre that is just right for capturing that spanish essence without being harsh. Very responsive, the intonation is also very good, allowing me to travel as far as I like up the neck. Good harmonic richness that rings through, adding depth to the tone. The guitar is a little quiet acoustically, but it is a small bodied guitar with a cutout and pickup, so it's meant to be amplified.

The action was a little high for me, but once I shaved off a little from the bridge saddle, there was no problem and no buzzing, which is a good sign. The playability is excellent, the cutaway really allowing very good access to the upper frets. The fit and finish is very good, though underneath the gloss some very slight blemishes are apparent around the heel of the neck.

I feel the Ramirez is as durable as you can expect, though sound comes first. The pickup system is very reliable, and gives early indication of low battery status, so on stage, would not start distorting without prior warning, given time to change batteries.
The finish seems quite durable, a good gloss finish that should withstand the odd knock or scuff without giving way too easily.

If I lost it or it were stolen, I would certainly get another.
Overall I love it's authentic tone and playability, the way it looks and feels, and the quality of the pickup and good finish.
There is nothing I hate about it, to be honest. I compared it to a few other guitars from Lakewood and Taylor, neither of which offered me quite the tone I was looking for.

I purchased my 2cwe in 2001. At the time I was crossing over from classical into jazz. After awhile I added a flamenco golpeador (tapping plate) and lowered the action. I liked it at the time, but the onboard preamp is now a minus.

I have since had the opportunity to play a number of different models of Ramirez's and there is definately a characteristic Ramirez tone. I love it. I have tried out hundreds of cut-away classic guitars and the Ramirez is the only one that doesn't sound dead to my ear. I have started using it for flamenco and wish it had more treble. I'll try to find another guitar for that. The bass on the guitar is rich and full. I think it is best suited for bossa nova and other styles where the guitarist plays bass with thumb and chords with the fingers. Acoustically it could be louder.
I think the choice of woods is perfect for electric-acoustic guitars. Cedar doesn't open up as much as spruce, I think it has a warmer tone but not as loud. Once you start amplifying, though, it doesn't matter how loud the guitar is acoustically.
I'm afraid I can't bear to plug the guitar in, though. The Fishman system just kills the tone, it hurts. I now mic the guitar for solo and duo work. I don't mind the fishman so much when playing with bass, drums and whatever else you have.
The rating I gave is for the guitar acoustically and it does certain sounds perfectly so when that sound is what I am looking for it is a ten. Plugged in it's a five, it just sounds too good for Fishman.

Dropped the action. Everything else good.

I have played this guitar in live situations a lot. It has plenty of dings from moving around tiny stages. I live in Japan and the summer humidity is a terror for wood instruments. The tuning heads have started to rust and the bridge has pulled away from the top.

The dealer for Ramirez in Japan is the company that makes Aria guitars. Aria's customer support is fantastic. When I called I spoke directly with the boss. I gave him the model and year. He ordered a new bridge from Spain (I didn't want one just made because I thought it would affect the resale value). When they received the bridge I sent the guitar in and a few days later got an e-mail that the bridge Ramirez sent was of the wrong dimensions. It has been over a month and Aria has only just now received the proper bridge. Ramirez refused to send it express so I had to wait until one of their regular shipments arrived. The warranty under Aria in Japan is lifetime of original owner. Aria in Japan gets a 10. Ramirez gets a...

I have been playing eight years. I have a Compact 60 amp by AER, a Squier archtop, two cheap classic guitars for travelling, gigs on rainy days, an SM57 for mic-ing my guitar, a heavily modified MIJ Fender Jazz Bass.
I am playing a lot of flamenco now so if it were stolen (and insured) I might replace it with an expensive flamenco guitar, but if I started using it more in situations with bands I might replace it, but I would look very carefully at a few other options. I would consider I guitar that doesn't sound as good acoustically just to make it less painful plugging in.
I wish I could get it without the rout in the top for the preamp. Onboard preamps are convenient but you are stuck with them (or something bigger) and it is such a beatiful instrument otherwise that sounds fantastic acoustically.

Classical / Jazz crossover model. Cedar top AA grade, Laminated Rosewooed back and sides AA grade with good grain definition. Fishman pickup system. 650mm scale. Cutaway body design very nicely executed. Mediocre Tuners (Gotoh) which I replaced with Sloane's.

Finish is very good, mostly even with some uneveness in the cutaway.

The neck is slightly fatter than you would expect in a crossover model but still very playable.

OverAll 8.5 out of 10. I am a Luthier and I like this instrument very much!

Very even timbre with dead on intonation. Not great volume but this should open up in time.

The electronics are very good allowing for many tonal adjustments.

Overall 8-9 out of 10

I lowered the nut about 1 mm to bring the strings just above the the fret when pressed at the 3rd fret.

The saddle was lowered about 2-3 mm to bring the low E to 2.9 mm above the 12th fret and 2.5 above on the high E.

No buzzing exists even when played hard.

I suspect that the finish is a catalyzed waterborne acrilyc lacquer.

Rating 9 out of 10

I expect this instrument to last for many years.

I oiled the raw fretboard with 2 coats of TrueOil.

I will probably file and polish the frets about 1/64th" as they seem a bit high and do not shine like those on a handmade instrument.

This is an electric classical guitar w/cutaway, solid cedar top, rosewood sides (laminated), ebony neck.

The Fishman Matrix Pro active pick-up has stabdard hi and lo tone controls, as well as two feedback control controls, and a slider to mix the piezo and the internal mic.

I play jazz/blues/folk on this instrument. It's pretty perfect. As befits a Ramirez, there is a lot of volume and color in the sound - lovely overtones. I wish there was 15% more color available, but as the wood ages the sound will open. The electronics are very very good - quiet, lots of control. I play it through a SWR California Blonde, and frankly it sounds like heaven.

Fit and finish are perfect. It's a stunning instrument. I think the action could be a little lower, but don't we always? I notice that I will pamper itfor some reason it's VERY easy to play: I think it's the neck profile, which is a little thinner and flatter tha my other classicals.

Hard to say - I just got it. I will pamper it. It is very light, and I would suspect that I could bang it pretty easily, but so what?

I've been playing for 30+ years, and own a student level classical (my first guitar), an Epiphone Chet Atkins CEC, and a very vintage Gibson Bosa Nova (make me an offer: only 7 shipped) The Ramirez is the guitar I've always wanted: classical amplified cutaway. I'm not dissappointed. It does exactly what is seems it should be able to do: produce beautiful acoustic and amplified clasical sound. I would buy it again if I could find it at this price again. I have played the Takaminis, Fenders, Ovations... there is no comparision. They seem almost like toys compared to the Ramirez.

Hand built in 1995, solid ceder top, cut away, solid rosewood back, and laminate sides, they use laminate in the sides because of the strength needed for the electronics, mahogony neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge, fishman premier electronics with equalizer, ornate rossette, walnut body binding, class!

What can I say, it's a ramirez, they don't cost what they do because of thier looks, although they do look great, ramirez guitars have been used by segovia, parkening, etc. Each has it's own unique voice but none are bad, the electronics on this guitar are first rate, fool with the eq and at the right volume you can't tell the difference between non'amplified and amplified. As with all ramirez you can coax many different sounds out of this guitar, somtimes in just the way you hold it.

belive it or not i did have to file the nut down just a bit, but other than that, it was perfect, fit and finish is first rate, you look at this guitar and it is hard to believe that hands alone could get such a mirror finish.

some ramirez guitars are 100+ years old and still going strong, the wood they use is already aged 15 years before they even start to work building a guitar, so I expect this guitar to last mine and hopefully my great grand children's lifetimes!

haven't had to call spain yet...lol

I have been waiting 30+ years to own a guitar of this quality and sound, how do think I'll rate it?...lol It truly is a fantastis instrument, one you hope stays forever in your family to be enjoyed by all!