Since 1882 Ramirez has constructed the finest quality classical guitars made, and have long been the choice of professional players such as Andres Segovia, Narciso Yepes, Julian Bream, Xuefei Yang, Alexandre Lagoya, Christopher Parkening, Kazuhito Yamashita, Liona Boyd, Laurindo Almeida, Alirio Diaz, Jose Luis Gonzales, Antonio Lauro, and Oscar Ghiglia. The 1a Traditional model was designed by Jose Ramirez III nearly a half century ago, and its interior features not only his bracing, but cypress lined sides. This guitar is the top of the 1a traditional line, handmade in limited numbers, using Madagascar as a substitute for Brazilian rosewood. Many players feel that Madagasar produces the same rich tone as Brazilian, and may actually be superior tonally. It is certainly its equal in terms of beauty.