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George Harrison playing his 1950 Jose Ramirez DeEstudio Classical Guitar

The Jose Ramírez DeEstudio is a nylon-string classical guitar used by George Harrison on the song "And I Love Her" from the album A Hard Day's Night. A mid-price instrument, it was branded as a Ramírez—a dynasty of guitar makers dating back to the 1880s—but Andy Babiuk speculates that it may not have been built at its own workshops.[1]

The guitar was originally purchased by Klaus Voormann in Madrid in summer 1963 while returning from his family's vacation home in Tenerife, where Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr had visited him in early May.[2] On the advice of his guitar instructor, Silvestre Álvarez Alemán, Voormann purchased a Ramírez from their shop on Concepción Jerónima. In the autumn of that year, Voormann began living with Harrison and Starr at their flat at 57 Green Street in London, where he continue to practice classical guitar pieces assigned by Álvarez. However, some time on or before 8 July 1964, he gifted the guitar to Harrison. The soundhole label indicates that the instrument is intended for "Rondalla", meaning a quality instrument for students before moving to a professional guitar. A handwritten serial number in the same place may indicate that it was a prototype.[3]

Voorman called the guitar "not very expensive... But it was a very good one, with a very good tone, really playable". Harrison was impressed with the instrument, so Voormann gave it to him. The guitar's back, sides, and bridge were all made of solid rosewood, with nineteen full frets and a twentieth for the first three strings on an extended fingerboard over the soundhole. He played the guitar on the song "And I Love Her", recorded 26 February 1964,[1] and it was featured in the performance of that song in the film A Hard Day's Night.[4] Harrison was later pictured holding the guitar in publicity photos with temporary drummer Jimmie Nicol in June 1964.[5] As of 2015, the guitar is still owned by the Harrison estate.[1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Babiuk, Andy. Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments from Stage to Studio, The Ultimate Edition, 2015, pp. 211-213.
  2. Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Chronicle. New York: Harmony Books, 1992, pg. 109.
  3. Gándara Eiroa, Xosé Crisanto. "He regalado ella a George de los «Beatles»: the Beatles’ Ramirez", guitarrasramirez.com, accessed 19 April 2025.
  4. Babiuk, Andy. Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments from Stage to Studio, The Ultimate Edition, 2015, pg. 219.
  5. Babiuk, Andy. Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments from Stage to Studio, The Ultimate Edition, 2015, pg. 236.