2022 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista" No. 51822 CD/IN

This 2022 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista” No. 51822 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California; Rachel Ginebra plays Tárrega on it in the video above.

German’s “Solista” Model

With the “Solista”, German took the newest bracing system from his elite guitars and built a concert model around it. It fattens out the trebles in particular, so the overall sound is warm and full. To keep the design simple while keeping the sound of the elite models, German uses Indian rosewood instead of more exotic woods for the back and sides, and less ornate inlay work.

Playing It

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. Unusually for the model, this guitar is French polished all over, back and sides included. Its “Desde 1968” label carries German’s signature, the year 2022 and No. 51822. Versatile and strong, it is a fine concert guitar by any standard.

In the Video Above

Rachel Ginebra plays Francisco Tárrega’s “Lágrima” on this guitar.

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.