2025 German Vázquez Rubio "Solista" No. 011625 CD/BL

This 2025 German Vázquez Rubio “Solista” No. 011625 is a classical guitar with a cedar top and Brazilian lacewood back and sides, made in Los Angeles, California – with Brazilian lacewood back and sides, French polished throughout.

Why the “Solista” Sounds Warmer

With the “Solista”, German took the newest bracing system from his elite guitars and built a concert model around it. Its effect is a fuller tone – especially in the trebles – and a warm sound across the whole register. German brought the system of his elite models into this design with the same high standard of sound.

Cedar and Brazilian Lacewood

The materials are incredibly beautiful: a well-selected western red cedar top and exotic Brazilian lacewood for the back and sides – and for the layers of the meticulously made headstock, which “open” elegantly into the flamed maple neck when viewed from behind. African blackwood is used in the binding, framing the lighter woods, and the tuners are by Irving Sloane. Beautiful to look at, the lacewood is also very light, which helps produce an easy, immediate attack, much like the responsiveness of a flamenco guitar. Lyrical trebles and creamy basses make for a very rich, warm and elegant sound, with ample volume for any concert.

Playing It

Playability is a breeze, with a very smooth and comfortable neck, and the guitar has enough power for any concert setting – in ensemble or solo. The entire guitar is French polished. No. 011625 is written on the label, which is dated 2025 and signed by German. It 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.