German Vázquez Rubio (also known as G.V. Rubio) is a classical and flamenco guitar maker from Paracho, Michoacán, Mexico, who has built guitars since 1968 and now works in Los Angeles, California. He is also the luthier behind the real-life guitar from the Disney/Pixar film Coco.
At a Glance
- Born: 1952, Paracho, Michoacán, Mexico
- Workshop: Los Angeles, California
- Building since: 1968 (his label reads “Desde 1968”)
- Training: his uncle Manuel Rubio in Paracho; later learned from Félix Manzanero, José Romanillos and Thomas Humphrey
- Guitars: classical and flamenco; models include the “Hauser”, “Solista”, “Concert 635” and “Classic Estudio”
- Prize: First Place, Concurso Nacional de Constructores y Ejecutantes de Guitarras (2000)
- Recordings: his Hauser model has been recorded by Jason Vieaux and John Holmquist for Naxos
- Known for: the real Coco guitar, built for Córdoba Guitars and Disney/Pixar
Early Years in Paracho, Mexico
German was born in 1952 in Paracho, Mexico, where there is an abundance of fine luthiers (with few exceptions, all of the finest guitars in Mexico come from Paracho). His first formal training began at eleven years old, when he left school to help support his seven siblings and went to work in the workshop of his uncle, Manuel Rubio. There, even at his young age, he made a conscious effort to make guitar building his life’s work. In 1968, at the age of sixteen, he made his first concert-level guitar – hence his label reads “Desde 1968”. German has since been able to learn from many different master builders such as Félix Manzanero, José Romanillos and Thomas Humphrey.
From Paracho to Los Angeles
In the early 1970s German moved to Los Angeles, where he first built acoustic guitars for Bernardo Rico at B.C. Rich. His talent was quickly noticed, and Art Valdez invited him to join Valdez Guitars on what was then known as “Sunset Guitar Row”. There German built and repaired instruments for recording artists of every genre – from Van Halen, Gene Simmons and John Denver to Benito Palacios. All the while he kept making his own guitars at home, and in the early 1990s he began building them full time, which he has done ever since.
German has a deep understanding of how wood ages, and his approach to choosing materials – and to construction in general – is very organic, if unorthodox. Years of repairing and restoring countless high-end guitars have shaped designs that, as he says, should last a lifetime and only get better with age.
The Real Coco Guitar
German was chosen by Córdoba Guitars and Disney/Pixar to build the real-life guitar from the Pixar film Coco, which went on to win the Academy Award. Pixar invited him to the Disney lot to see the unfinished film in storyboard form, then sent him renderings of the animated guitar to begin his design. In 2017, after nine months of research and development, German finished Real Coco Guitar No. 1. Pixar also filmed “The Making of the Real Guitar” in his Los Angeles shop for the Coco Blu-ray, together with Ernesto Nemesio, one of the artists who designed the animated guitar.
Each Coco guitar is made from top to bottom with one-of-a-kind colors, abalone shell and 24k gold inlays, using woods from German’s own reserve stock – and, at Córdoba’s request, it is built to play as a world-class concert guitar with the sound of his elite concert models. The guitars have been shown at the Pixar museum, at museums in Mexico, at D23 and at the 2018 Winter NAMM show, and guitarist Federico Ramos played Real Coco Guitar No. 3 with Gael García Bernal for the Oscar-winning song “Recuérdame” at the 2018 Academy Awards. German was also commissioned to make a limited edition of twenty “Artist Proof” Coco guitars, all sold before they were built.
Honored in Paracho
German’s work on Coco brought him great acclaim, above all in his hometown. In February 2018 the municipality of Paracho held a two-day celebration in his honor, thanking him for the new wave of tourism and income the film brought to the town. There was a parade, the unveiling of a plaque where he first learned his craft, a classical guitar recital, cultural performances, a museum exhibit, autograph sessions and an award ceremony – and a traditional handmade hot-air balloon, a “globo de cantoya”, was released in his honor. It left German and his family speechless and deeply moved.
First Prize in Mexico
In 2000, German won First Place at the Concurso Nacional de Constructores y Ejecutantes de Guitarras with his Hauser model – the design, inspired by the 1937 Hermann Hauser I made famous by Andrés Segovia, that Jason Vieaux and John Holmquist have used on their Naxos recordings.
Many German Vázquez Rubio guitars have passed through our doors over the years. You’ll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the “Guitars In Stock” button in the header of this page as well as earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the “Guitars In Museum” button. You can learn more about his work on his website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is German Vázquez Rubio?
A Mexican-born classical and flamenco guitar maker, also known as G.V. Rubio, who was born in Paracho in 1952 and has built guitars since 1968.
Where are German Vázquez Rubio guitars made?
In his workshop in Los Angeles, California.
What is his best-known model?
His “Hauser” model, inspired by the 1937 Hermann Hauser I played by Andrés Segovia. It won First Place at Mexico’s Concurso Nacional in 2000 and has been recorded by Jason Vieaux and John Holmquist.
Did German Vázquez Rubio make the Coco guitar?
Yes. He built the real-life guitar from the Disney/Pixar film Coco for Córdoba Guitars, finishing Real Coco Guitar No. 1 in 2017.
What does “Desde 1968” on his label mean?
“Since 1968” – the year he made his first concert-level guitar, at the age of sixteen.
