2016 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista" No. 20816 SP/IN

This 2016 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista” No. 20816 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California – his concert model with the bracing of his elite guitars.

About the “Solista”

German developed the “Solista” to bring the bracing of his top, elite models to a concert guitar of simpler design. In the trebles above all, the bracing gives a fatter tone, and the whole guitar sounds warmer for it. What sets the Solista apart from the elite guitars is its simpler build, not its sound – Indian rosewood instead of more exotic woods for the back and sides, lacquered back and sides with a French-polished top, and plainer inlay work.

Playability, Condition and Label

Playability is a breeze, with a very smooth and comfortable neck, and the guitar has enough power for any concert setting – in ensemble or solo. The label is signed by German, dated 2016 and numbered 20816, with “Solista” written beside it. By any standard, a very versatile and strong instrument.

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.