Jose Ramirez S1

This guitar was made 2007, it's a solid spruce top with laminated mongoy back and sides, a good instrument with cedar neck and ebony fretboard, lacquer finish, tuners are pretty good (Fustero, my didn't have any humidifier but it was brand new (AU$1650.

This guitar has a powerful sound, very playable and has that "growl", I tried other guitars like Sanchis 39 and Alhambra 5P and I have to say the Ramirez has a very pleasant sound and powerful projection than the other two guitars I tried, they were good but once I heard the sound coming from the S1 was amazing!

There is nothing to complain aboout the action, low enough to please my playing and strumming, no buzz whatsoever in this guitar, play very hard and I still cannot hear it buzz.Excellent finish, very glossy and perfect finish no dings or cracks, no sloppy areas, very clean.

This guitar is a studio guitar, and obviously according to the prestige of Ramirez, should be an excellent instrument to play to a small audience, I take mine and is amazing listening to it, I can only hear the sustain sound of my Ramirez S1. This guitar has to be look after carefully, as any good instrument or something very valuable to you. I bought a hard case to protect it. For the look and weight I say it is a very reliable and durable instrument if one take a good care of it!!!

Well if I had problems with it, I will go to the guitar store from where I purchased it, because from Australia to Spain is a long distance, and the luthier from the store is a good handcrafting man with a lot of experience, but so far the guitar is fantastic with no problems to report.

I have been playing for 13 years, a bit of flamenco and classical music, I will say I am not great but after playing and Admira Malaga for almos 11 years and some of the basic models of Yamaha C-40, then come accross with a Ramirez S1 it's a huge difference. I love everything about the guitar nothing to complain and if stolen I would try to replace it for the same model S1 or more expensive of the line of the Ramirez. If you come accross with one try it you will love the powerful sound for the price of this studio guitar: EXCELENTE!!!

A pure and classic classical guitar, with solid European spruce sound board, laminated mongoy (an African wood that looks like figured mahogany but sounds more like walnut) and cedar neck with ebony fretboard.

For the features one seeks in a classical instrument it's all there -- so, for the money, it's a ten.

http://www.acousticguitar.com/article/158/158,6778,NEWGEAR-1.asp

Due to the selection of woods, it sounds more northern European -- crisp, loud and focused with more of a bell-like tone than typical Spanish built instruments. Good dynamic response to touch.

Fine quality woods -- well matched figuring in the body. The joinery is excellent. Mild criticisms are: (1) a bit too much lacquer; and (2) the rosette dyes weren't stable and bled leaving a bit of a murky quality to the top.

It is very solid. It will take a few decades before it's clear how durable.

And now, to my motivation for posting the review: the previous reviewer should research the design of classical guitars before posting negative comments. Traditional guitars of this type have nut and saddle bridges that float rather than glued in place.

This is my first classical guitar. I would definitely replace it should it get stolen.

A follow-up to my earlier review...

When I went to change strings on this guitar for the first time I was very shocked to have BOTH the nut and the saddle fall off of the guitar !!! The nut had no indication of ever being glued in place and the saddle was so loose that the only thing that holds it in place is string tension, and even then it has too much play in it. For a company such as Ramirez to have two major flaws in one of their guitars is surprising. Upon closer examination the nut wasn't even properly sized, a bit too long on either side of the fretboard. I am now wondering if I will discover other issues with this guitar the longer I have it.

After the above two issues I am not too sure as to how solid this guitar will end up being. You shouldn't have to do repairs on a new instrument just to get it set up the way it should have been at the start.

I guess it could have been worse but the nut and saddle should have been properly sized and installed to begin with. How this guitar got by quality control is a mystery to me. I recently tried out a Ramirez GH model and noticed that the top was improperly installed- one side was thinner than the other !!! Ramirez is supposed to be the standard by which all others are judged.

2005,solid European spruce top,laminated mongoy(similar to mahogany) sides and back, cedar neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, lacquer finish, Humicase

Everything you expect from a Ramirez, there is the trademark 'growl' and 'bite' that some call the Spanish sound, spruce top makes for a very clear tone with more brightness and definition than cedar. Of course, the sound is a bit constricted as spruce needs time to be 'played in.' Nice volume and excellent balance from string to string and fret to fret. Responds well at any volume. Sounds fine now and will only get better as it is used more. The only guitars I have played that sound better are handcrafted classicals that cost well over $5000. For the price of this guitar, the sound is everything most guitarists will need in most situations. As always, differnt brands/tensions of strings can make a big difference too.

As always with any Ramirez, the craftmanship is obvious throughout. The wood used is of the highest quality and beauty. There are no flaws apparent anywhere. This is the reason Ramirez guitars command such respect worldwide. They are equal parts musical instruments and works of art. The guitar plays like a dram right out of the box.

There is a reason Ramirez guitars are so highly prized, they are reliable and they sound great. Whether it is the 1A or the student models, you don't seem to hear people complaining about a Ramirez.

I have been looking for a quality classical at a reasonable price and this Ramirez is just right. Great sound, excellent quality, and a very affordable price. How they managed to get a guitar this good into this price point is a mystery. Obviously, if money is not a consideration a Ramirex Concert Grade guitar is the usual choice for classical guitarists. Now, thanks to models like this, Ramirez is also the best choice when cost is a factor. The S1 will be an excellent choice for alot of players.