2017 German Vázquez Rubio "Concert 635" No. 20817 SP/MP

This 2017 German Vázquez Rubio “Concert 635” No. 20817 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and maple back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California – flamed maple framed in padauk.

The “Concert 635” Model

A beautiful concert instrument, it is full of unique and striking design elements.

Look Closely

Quarter-sawn spruce and flamed maple are framed by padauk in the binding, back center strip and tie block, with its deep-reddish hue. The headstock is meticulously layered in four pieces of maple and three of padauk, under a rosewood front veneer, and it “opens” elegantly into the neck when viewed from behind. Half-herringbone purfling runs around the top and both edges of the rosette, and a touch of blue in the rosette, barely noticeable, adds to the unique look. The shellac finish has been applied with the kind of perfection very few makers attain.

Sound and Label

The basses are deep and bouncy, the trebles very clear and full. It is a dream to play – the action is very low and the string length a short 635mm. It is fitted with a 20th fret for repertoire requiring a high C natural. In short: beautiful sound and intricate work. No. 20817 is written on the label, which is dated 2017 and signed by German; “635” is written beside the number.

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.