David Rubio is well known for his eclectic output of fine musical instruments – in addition to guitars, Rubio was a master craftsman of Baroque “period” instruments, including lutes, viols, cellos and harpsichords. He is arguably the most important guitar maker to emerge from England – his instruments were played by Julian Bream very early on, and late in his career, the 8-string “Brahms” model was popularized largely by Paul Galbraith and members of the Brazilian Guitar Quartet. After his return to his native England in 1967, he took on 3 young builders in the 70's whom he trained in his method of construction - Kazuo Sato, Edward B. Jones and Paul Fischer. Like the workers of the Jose Ramirez shop in Madrid, these young luthiers built instruments of Rubio's design and left indications inside the guitar of the authorship, either with stamped initials on the heel or written on the label.
This particular instrument was built by Paul Fischer, and is stamped with a "PF" on the heel inside. Paul Fischer of course is still a major figure in the English guitar building scene, and is known for innovations of his own, including his "taut" model. This is an excellent example of a perfectly executed "Rubio" guitar, featuring the classic rosette, head shape, plantilla of Rubio's own work. The materials used are exquisite, particularly the CSA rosewood on the back and sides and of course came from Rubio's famous stock of wood. The tone is thick and rich with incredible sustain, especially in the higher registers. It has excellent volume without being boomy, and therefore lends itself naturally to any kind of recital or concert situation. It also has the beauty and lyricism for which the best Rubio's are known. Condition is excellent - no cracks or repairs although it does appear that the label area had at one time been dripped on (likely by a humidifier) and has worn slightly in the center. We consider this instrument both a players dream and very rare, so appealing to the collector as well.
