1974 David Rubio "PF" SP/CSAR

A 1974 "PF" classical guitar from the David Rubio workshop, with a spruce top and CSA rosewood back and sides, built in England by Paul Fischer – stamped "PF" on the heel inside, with no cracks or repairs.

In the video above, Matthew McAllister plays Antonio Lauro's "Registro" on this guitar.

A Rubio Design, Built by Paul Fischer

In the 1970s Rubio trained three young makers – Kazuo Sato, Edward B. Jones and Paul Fischer – who built guitars to his design and marked their work inside, as the workers of the José Ramírez shop did. Fischer, whose initials are on this guitar's heel, became a major figure in English guitar making in his own right, known for innovations such as his "Taut" model.

Sound and Materials

A perfectly executed Rubio, it has the classic rosette, head shape and plantilla, and CSA rosewood from Rubio's famous stock of wood. Its voice is thick and rich, with incredible sustain up high and plenty of volume without boominess – plus the beauty and lyricism the best Rubios are known for.

Condition

No cracks or repairs, although the label area appears to have been dripped on at one time (likely by a humidifier) and is slightly worn in the center. A player's dream, and very rare.

David Rubio: From Flamenco Guitarist to Master Instrument Maker

David Rubio (1934–2000) is arguably the most important guitar maker to emerge from England, and the founding father of the English school. Born David Spink and raised in London, he studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin, then left for Spain, where he earned his living as a flamenco guitarist accompanying singers and dancers – and picked up the nickname "Rubio" for his red beard. A touring flamenco company brought him to New York, where, from what he had seen in the guitar shops of Spain, he taught himself to build guitars under the name "Jose" Rubio. Within a few years Julian Bream was playing his instruments.

Guitars, Lutes, Harpsichords and Violins

Rubio returned to England in 1967 and, from workshops near Oxford and, from 1979, in Cambridge, built a remarkably wide range of instruments: guitars and lutes, harpsichords, baroque and modern violins, violas and cellos. In the late 1960s and 1970s he trained three young makers in his methods – Kazuo Sato, Edward B. Jones and Paul Fischer – who built guitars of his design marked with their initials. Late in his life he developed a radical 8-string guitar, the "Brahms" model, with Paul Galbraith. He died in Cambridge on October 21, 2000, leaving more than a thousand instruments.