2017 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista" No. 41917 CD/IN

This 2017 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista” No. 41917 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California, built with the bracing of his elite models.

A Concert Guitar with Elite Bracing

With the “Solista”, German took the newest bracing system from his elite guitars and built a concert model around it. This bracing system fattens out the tone, particularly in the trebles, giving the guitar an overall warmer sound. 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 and Label

It is very easy to play, with a smooth, comfortable neck, and powerful enough for the concert stage, whether solo or in an ensemble. A 20th fret gives the high C natural. On the label: German’s signature, the year 2017 and the number 41917, with “Solista” written beside it. In every respect a versatile, strong concert 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.