2026 German Vázquez Rubio "Concert 635" SP/MP

This 2026 German Vázquez Rubio “Concert 635” is a 635mm-scale classical guitar with a spruce top and flamed maple back and sides, handmade in Los Angeles, California.

The Concert 635: A Unique Guitar Every Time

This is a beautiful concert instrument featuring several unique and striking design elements. Each time German builds one of these for us, he playfully changes small details here and there, making each guitar unique.

Spruce, Flamed Maple and Rosewood

For this guitar, CSA rosewood is used in the binding and back center strip (Indian rosewood for the heel cap), framing the guitar beautifully against its contrasting lighter-colored materials: a perfectly quarter-sawn spruce top, lush flamed maple back and sides, and a flamed maple neck. The headstock is meticulously built in multiple layers – African ebony front veneer, three layers of American walnut, and leopardwood for the back headplate. These layers “open” elegantly into the neck when viewed from the sides or behind.

Rosette, Purfling and Finishing Details

To top it all off, there is a subtle use of various colors (blue, yellow, red, green) in the rosette, the tie block, the fine half-herringbone purflings in the top and the front head inlays – barely noticeable with the naked eye, but definitely contributing to the unique look and feel of this instrument. It is fitted with Schaller GrandTune frictionless machines with snakewood buttons, and the frets are upgraded EVO gold fret wire. The shellac finish is applied with a level of attention to detail and perfection found in very few makers.

Sound and Playability

The sound is extremely responsive and open, with plenty of volume and character. The trebles are very clear and full, and the basses are deep with a nice bouncy response. Playability is a dream, with very low action and a shorter scale length. It is also fitted with a 20th fret for repertoire requiring a high C natural.

Overall, a beautiful-sounding and intricately made concert guitar for a great price.

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.