2024 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista" No. 31824 SP/BL

This 2024 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista” No. 31824 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and Brazilian lacewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California – with Brazilian lacewood back and sides.

About the “Solista”

Called the “Solista”, this concert model features German’s newest bracing system, which had previously only been used in his top, elite models. It fattens out the trebles in particular, so the overall sound is warm and full. German brought the system from his elite models into this simpler design while keeping the same high standard of sound.

Brazilian Lacewood

This particular guitar has a beautiful set of Brazilian lacewood for the back and sides, which is absolutely stunning; it is also a very light material, which helps produce an easy, immediate attack, much like the responsiveness of a flamenco guitar. The sound is very rich and warm, with lyrical trebles and creamy basses – a very elegant sound with ample volume for any concert setting.

Playability, Condition and Label

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. The hand-thinned lacquer finish gives the guitar excellent protection from scratching without compromising the sound. The label is signed by German, dated 2024 and numbered 31824. In every respect a versatile, strong concert instrument.

In the Video Above

Patrick Schettler plays “Un Jour Tu Verras” by Van Parys and Mouloudji on a 2024 G.V. Rubio “Solista”.

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.