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  #1  
Old 04-06-2018, 04:42 PM
kaplang kaplang is offline
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Default 1974 Ramirez 1a questions

Hello all,

I have some questions about the 1974 Ramirez 1As

Top, cedar or spruce?
french polished or not. If not what is the finish?
Assembled using Hyde glue or something else?

Hope someone can answer my questions.

Thanks,
George

Last edited by kaplang; 04-06-2018 at 05:57 PM.
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  #2  
Old 04-06-2018, 07:26 PM
OMCountryBoy OMCountryBoy is offline
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Default 1974 Ramirez 1A

Can’t tell you for sure, but I had a 67 1A. It was French polished. My friends shop had a 71, or 72 (I don’t remember which now) and it was French polished. Mine and his were both cedar tops. Both were Brazilian back/sides. As far as I know Ramirez used hide glue.

Both were 664 mm scale, with the canted ebony fretboard. Mine had a leaf case with the hygrometer on it. Mine was a Sherry-Brenner guitar with the Andres Segovia model sticker inside. That dumb little sticker made it more rare, as it was something that the distributor put on, and they were later forced to stop putting them on. That little sticker got me a 2 thousand dollar higher price when I sold it, than I would have got for the same guitar without the sticker. Can you believe it? It’s very easy to find old, long scale 1As for around three to four grand, depending on condition, and mine was beat to hell, and I still got over six for it

Do you have, or are you looking for one?
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Old 04-06-2018, 07:32 PM
nikpearson nikpearson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kaplang View Post
Hello all,

I have some questions about the 1974 Ramirez 1As

Top, cedar or spruce?
french polished or not. If not what is the finish?
Assembled using Hyde glue or something else?

Hope someone can answer my questions.

Thanks,
George
Usually cedar top but spruce was an option. Ramirez used their own proprietary lacquer/varnish finish on guitars of this period and it wasn’t shellac, the substance used with French polishing. Not sure about the type of glue used; traditional ‘hide’ glue is a possibility but a more modern resin glue is more likely in a factory setting.

The finish on older Ramirez guitars can darken considerably, turning a spruce top a warm orange shade which can be mistaken for cedar.
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Old 04-08-2018, 03:47 PM
zavaletas zavaletas is offline
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Default 1974 Ramirez 1a

"Usually cedar top but spruce was an option. Ramirez used their own proprietary lacquer/varnish finish on guitars of this period and it wasn’t shellac, the substance used with French polishing."

This is correct, hide glue was used.
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  #5  
Old 04-08-2018, 09:14 PM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kaplang View Post
Hello all,

I have some questions about the 1974 Ramirez 1As

Top, cedar or spruce?
french polished or not. If not what is the finish?
Assembled using Hyde glue or something else?

Hope someone can answer my questions.

Thanks,
George
I am sure these people can:

[email protected]
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Old 04-16-2018, 08:44 PM
Rapido Eduwardo Rapido Eduwardo is offline
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I bought a 1975 1A new for about $1700. It had a cedar top & I was not aware of a spruce option. The finish appeared to be high gloss but don't now any more detail. The sound was magnificent, better than any I knew of. Gave it to my son.
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Old 04-17-2018, 06:56 AM
tkoehler1 tkoehler1 is offline
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Here's something that might get you there and spend a whole lot less $$$. It's a 1966 Ramirez 1A copy here: https://reverb.com/item/11033955-201...assical-guitar

I've been eyeing it for a while, it's got that Ramirez type sound. I just have too many guitars at the moment. The seller is well known and well regarded on the Delcamp forum.

TK
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Old 04-20-2018, 05:53 AM
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky is offline
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I have a 1973 Ramirez 1a 8-string guitar. It has a cedar top and Ramirez's proprietary lacquered finish. Apparently, the Ramirez workshop has only a few tins of this finish left and they only use it on their top guitars today. The chemical factory that made it for Ramirez cannot make anymore of this lacquer. So, the story goes but it cannot be obtained today.

The lacquer is pretty tough. When I got the Ramirez it had seen a pretty hard life. The rosette lifted out of the top on one side and there was a long crack in the finish. I removed the strings- one had a ball-end!- and set it aside for about a year. One year later, the rosette has reseated itself flush with the top, the crack has largely healed itself and the guitar sounds great despite having been abused. No rattles, no strange buzzes, no collapsed top. I felt under the top and the braces are intact and there isn't any crack to be felt.
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Old 04-22-2018, 01:03 AM
Guitar Slim II Guitar Slim II is offline
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As others have said, a 1A from that era could be either spruce or cedar, but cedar-top classicals were kind of a Ramirez specialty.

Unlikely that a standard model would be French polished. Ramirez was an early developer of more durable varnishes intended to replace French polishing -- which is difficult to clean and maintain.

Also, a genuine, top of the line 1A from the 70s would likely have Brazilian rosewood back and sides. I'm thinking that would give it extra value in today's market, since Brazilian has become so scarce.

Last edited by Guitar Slim II; 04-22-2018 at 01:32 AM.
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