Ramírez Guitars was established in 1882 by José Ramírez I (1858-1923) and his brother Manuel Ramirez (1864-1916) in Madrid, Spain. In 1891 Manuel started his own workshop in Madrid in completion with his brother. This caused a lasting rift between the brothers and they never spoke again. The first José Ramírez died in 1923 his son José Ramírez II returned from South America to take over the business in 1925. José Ramírez II's sons Alfredo and José III (1922-1995) also joined the business. José III took over in 1957 after the death of José II. José Ramírez III is the best known of the Ramírez family of luthiers due to his innovations in guitar design, increasing the size and scale of the instrument as well as using asymmetrical bracing which increased the volume and clarity of the instrument. His instruments were used by top performers like Andrés Segovia. In 1988 Jose III passed control of the business to his children José IV and Amalia.

Source: Ramirez Guitars website