Robert Ruck (1945–2018) was an American classical and flamenco guitar maker who built well over a thousand guitars in a career of five decades – among them No. 58, the 1970s guitar on which Manuel Barrueco recorded many of his albums.
Robert Ruck at a Glance
- Born: August 21, 1945
- Died: August 13, 2018
- Workshops: Miami, Florida (1960s–1970s), Wisconsin, and later the Pacific Northwest
- Background: flamenco guitarist; studied classical guitar with Juan Mercadal and flamenco singing with Elena Marbella
- Output: well over 1,000 guitars, numbered on the label (No. 1056 in 2014)
- Played by: Manuel Barrueco, Sharon Isbin, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Berta Rojas, Leo Brouwer, Gerardo Núñez, Paulo Bellinati
- Honors: Guitar Foundation of America Hall of Fame, 2016
From Flamenco Player to Guitar Maker
Robert Ruck was born on August 21, 1945. Growing up partly in Miami, he came to the guitar as a flamenco player – he studied classical guitar with Juan Mercadal and flamenco singing with Elena Marbella – and he never stopped playing flamenco. He was drawn into guitar making in the 1960s, learning from local makers and from books, and his earliest labels read simply “R. S. Ruck, Miami, Florida”. He later worked in Wisconsin and, from the 1990s, in the Pacific Northwest. He was an early member of the Guild of American Luthiers.
Manuel Barrueco and the Ruck Sound
In the 1970s Ruck built No. 58, the guitar on which Manuel Barrueco made many of his celebrated albums, and decades later he built new guitars for Barrueco as well. Ruck guitars have a very firm, solid tone, deeply anchored to the fundamental of each note, with the hum of the higher partials adding texture, surprising volume and very comfortable necks. Many of his later guitars have soundports in the upper sides and truss rods; he also built flamenco guitars, including an exact bench copy of Marcelo Barbero’s work for himself. Sharon Isbin, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Berta Rojas, Leo Brouwer, Gerardo Núñez and Paulo Bellinati are among the many artists who played his guitars, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Guitar Foundation of America’s Hall of Fame. He died on August 13, 2018.
Ruck Labels and Numbers
His early labels were hand-written. From the 1970s he used a printed label with “R. S. Ruck” in Gothic letters beside his round emblem, dated by hand; below it, on the wood, he signed “Robert Ruck” and wrote the guitar’s number – No. 162 in 1978, No. 577 in 1994. From the mid-1990s the label is in script, “R.S. Ruck”, and in his last years it reads “Robert Ruck” in printed capitals; by 2014 the numbers had passed one thousand.
Books on Robert Ruck
A 1978 Ruck, No. 162, from the Russell Cleveland collection, appears in “The Classical Guitar – A Complete History”:
Robert Ruck Guitars at GSI
Many Robert Ruck 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Robert Ruck?
An American classical and flamenco guitar maker (1945–2018) who built more than 1,000 guitars, including No. 58, the 1970s guitar Manuel Barrueco recorded many albums on.
Did Robert Ruck number his guitars?
Yes – the number is written by hand under the label next to his signature, for example No. 162 in 1978 and No. 1056 in 2014.
What is special about Robert Ruck guitars?
A firm, solid tone anchored to each fundamental, big volume and very comfortable necks; many later guitars have side soundports.
Who played Robert Ruck guitars?
Manuel Barrueco, Sharon Isbin, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Berta Rojas, Leo Brouwer, Gerardo Núñez and Paulo Bellinati, among others.
