2016 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista" No. 31816 CD/IN

This 2016 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista” No. 31816 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California – with the bracing of his elite guitars and a 20th fret.

The “Solista”: Elite Bracing in a Concert Model

The “Solista” was German’s most recent concert model when it was introduced, and it carries the bracing system he first developed for his elite guitars. This bracing system fattens out the tone, particularly in the trebles, giving the guitar an overall warmer sound. The Solista keeps the sound of the elite models with a simpler design: Indian rosewood back and sides in place of rarer, more exotic woods, a French-polished top over lacquered back and sides, and less elaborate inlay.

Playability and Label

A smooth, comfortable neck makes it a breeze to play, and it has all the power a concert setting asks for, alone or with others. There is also a 20th fret, for repertoire that needs a high C natural. German’s label – “Constructor, Desde 1968” – is dated 2016 and numbered 31816, with “Solista, 650” written beside it. Versatile and strong, it is a fine concert guitar by any standard.

German Vázquez Rubio: Early Years in Paracho, Mexico

German Vázquez Rubio (also known as G.V. Rubio) has been making guitars since 1968 – over fifty years – and has developed his own signature sound that guitarists have come to love. He 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). German’s 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.

“Desde 1968”

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. He now resides in Los Angeles, California, where he builds a variety of both classical and flamenco models. He is also the maker of the real-life guitar from the Disney/Pixar film Coco – you can read more in our article on German Vázquez Rubio and the real Coco guitar.

First Prize in Mexico

In 2000, German won First Place at the Concurso Nacional de Constructores y Ejecutantes de Guitarras, Mexico’s national guitar-making competition.