2024 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista" No. 51524 SP/BL

This 2024 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista” No. 51524 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and Brazilian lacewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California, with lightweight Brazilian lacewood.

German’s “Solista” Model

The heart of the “Solista” is its bracing – the same system German had until then reserved for his top, elite models. This bracing system fattens out the tone, particularly in the trebles, giving the guitar an overall warmer sound. German took the system of his elite models into this simpler design, with the same high standard of sound.

Lacewood Back and Sides

Its back and sides are Brazilian lacewood – absolutely stunning to look at, and very light, so the guitar has an easy, immediate attack with something of a flamenco guitar’s responsiveness. Rich and warm, the sound has lyrical trebles and creamy basses, with all the volume a concert needs – very elegant.

Playing It

The neck is smooth and comfortable, so it plays with ease, and it has the power for any concert setting, solo or in ensemble. A hand-thinned lacquer protects it well against scratches without compromising the sound. Its “Desde 1968” label carries German’s signature, the year 2024 and No. 51524. Versatile and strong, it is a fine concert guitar by any standard.

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.