2024 German Vázquez Rubio "Divina" No. 021824 CD/PE

This 2024 German Vázquez Rubio “Divina” No. 021824 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and palo escrito back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California; James Meade plays Ponce on a G.V. Rubio 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. In every way it is a first-class student and entry-level concert guitar.

Materials and Sound

The materials are striking, above all the beautiful palo escrito of the back and sides, a very fine rosewood from Mexico. It sounds great and plays easily.

Label and Condition

The 2024 label is numbered 021824 and signed by German, with “Divina” written beside it.

In the Video Above

James Meade plays Manuel Ponce’s Preludes VII, I and XIV on G.V. Rubio, Rothel and Vowinkel guitars.

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.