In addition to the Fernandez flamenco I described above, I have a Japanese-made classic guitar with a "Guitarra Artesana" label, imported by José Oribé and sold by him with a small label pasted by the Guitarra Artesana label that says "Inspected and approved," and he signs his name). It looks exactly like a José Ramirez concert model (Andrés Segovia played one after he retired his Hauser, and Liona Boyd uses one)—rosewood back and sides, cedar soundboard, and the headstock and rosette look exactly like those of a Ramirez. I'm not sure how much the José Ramirez concert models sell for these days (I don't think these are the models you can buy through Elderly Instruments or Musician's Friend, you probably have to get them straight from Madrid), but I'm sure it's puh-lenty!   $6,000+ and up.

It's a nice instrument to play, and it sounds pretty darned good. After using it in performance, I've had people ask me what it is. But the kick was once when I played for the Seattle Classic Guitar Society. These are some pretty knowledgeable people when it comes to guitars and a couple of them own Ramirez guitars. Between its appearance and its full, warm sound, they assumed that it was a Ramirez. As I say, it sounds pretty darned good.

I bought it from The Rosewood Guitar in Seattle. They sell top quality concert instruments, but they also have a carefully selected line of "student" guitars, and this was one of them. I paid $350.00 for it, plus the case.

I still do a little teaching, and one of my students recently acquired an Alvarez AC60S classic. Red cedar soundboard and mahogany back and sides. Because of the design of the headstock and rosette, but with the exception of the mahogany instead of rosewood, it, too, is a dead ringer for a Ramirez. I ordered it for her from Music 123, and she paid something like $269.00 for it. I was surprised when it arrived and I unpacked it from its cocoon of bubble-wrap and styrofoam, then tuned it up. It was a far better instrument than I expected. Darn nice guitar. Exceptional considering how little it cost.

So—price is not always an indication of how good an instrument is.

By the way, I remember attending a Seattle Classic Guitar Society meeting years ago when some guitar collector (not a member of the Society) brought several of the top-quality guitars from his collection and was showing them off. The fellow I was sitting next to mumbled in my ear, "He has all those fine guitars! He buys them as an investment. He picks around a little, he doesn't actually play. Most of the time, they just sit around in a closet. I'm a law-abiding guy, but I find myself seriously thinking about burglary. . . ."

Don Firth