2020 German Vázquez Rubio "Divina" No. 11720 CD/PE

This 2020 German Vázquez Rubio “Divina” No. 11720 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and palo escrito back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California; it is one of the six guitars TY Zhang plays in the video above.

The “Divina” Model

The “Divina” comes from the G.V. Rubio workshop in Los Angeles. Most of the work on it is done by German’s nephew, Anthony Vázquez, who has assisted in the shop for many years, always under German’s strict supervision. As a student and entry-level concert instrument, it is top of the line in every respect.

Materials and Sound

Its back and sides are a beautiful set of palo escrito, a very fine Mexican rosewood, and they make for striking looks. It plays easily and has a great sound.

Label and Condition

The 2020 label is numbered 11720 and signed by German, with “Divina” written beside it.

In the Video Above

Tengyue “TY” Zhang plays Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “24 Caprichos de Goya”, No. 18, on six guitars – this is one of them.

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.