2025 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista 640" No. 51825 SP/IN

This 2025 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista 640” No. 51825 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California – the 640mm version, with dark, quarter-sawn Indian rosewood.

The “Solista” and Its Bracing

German developed the “Solista” to bring the bracing of his top, elite models to a concert guitar of simpler design. 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.

Dark Indian Rosewood

This particular guitar has a beautiful set of quarter-sawn, dark Indian rosewood for the back and sides, which is absolutely stunning. The tone is rich and warm – lyrical in the trebles, creamy in the basses – and there is 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. Unusually for the model, this guitar is French polished all over, back and sides included. The 2025 label is numbered 51825 and signed by German. All in, this is a very versatile and strong instrument 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.