1967 Jose Rubio Classical Guitar

Jose Rubio Classical Guitar, #126 made in 1967

We are offering for sale a number of instruments from the collection of Thomas Humphrey. This one is made by the New York builder David “Jose” Rubio. It is constructed with a sitka spruce top, Brazilian rosewood back and sides and a Spanish cedar neck. The scale length is 660 mm, the nut width is 2 ⅛” or 54 mm and the string spacing at the bridge is 2 ¼” or 57 mm. 

This particular guitar was built by David “Jose” Rubio in 1967. It was one of the last guitars built before his departure to his native United Kingdom later that year. The label is printed “JOSE RUBIO LUTHIER” and below “ Ano. 1,9” with “67” filled in with black ink. A signature is scrawled diagonally from the lower left hand corner across the label and “No. 126” is written in the upper left. 

The slipper foot at the base of the heel block just above the printed label is stamped “Jose Rubio Luthier” within an oval border. In the center of the oval “43 Bond St New York City YU 2 5020” YU stands for the YUkon phone exchange number of the 1950’s and 60’s in lower Manhattan. It would be nice to call this number again and order a fine instrument!

This guitar was made in the most desirable era for Rubio’s guitar making, the era of his collaboration with Julian Bream. Bream recorded with Rubio guitars made in 1965 and 1966. This one retains the tonal characteristics of the guitar heard on the album “Julian Bream and his Friends,” even and balanced in all registers with great projection and dynamics. 

The guitar itself is somewhat understated. The top is a beautifully bookmatched set of sitka spruce with a tight grain, medullary rays in abundance and silking visible throughout. The lightly applied varnish has ambered with time and playwear is visible in a few places, with a case bite in the lower bout near the bass side of the bridge and playwear below the treble “e” string. There is a tightly sealed separation that runs from the bottom edge of the bass side lower bout, extending under the bass wing of the bridge to an area between the bridge and the soundhole rosette. 

The rosette itself consists of multiple layers of ebony and boxwood linework surrounding a simple marquetry pattern of scrolls, in black, against a background in a blood orange hue. The bridge, also finished in varnish, is made of tightly grained and well quartered Brazilian rosewood. Underneath, the top bracing is delicately carved with the slightly unusual addition of a “Nodal” bar, added under the bridge area across three braces on the treble side. This was part of the original construction and they don’t always survive intact.

The binding throughout is also Brazilian with a five layer purfling of ebony and boxwood on top, three ply boxwood-ebony boxwood for the sides and back. The purfling is delicately mitered into three ply strips on either side of a rosewood center strip and wedge for the rims. 

The Brazilian rosewood for the back and sides is well quartered with contrasting inking patterns particularly on the sides. The back is straight grained with pleasant contrasts between light and dark with inking on either side of the center strip. There are five tightly sealed back cracks, all extending from the bottom of the lower bout towards the waist. On the interior, some glue residue can be seen around the repairs. The finish shows superficial scuffs, rubs, and press marks and light scratches, as do the rims. 

The neck is carved from Spanish cedar with a Brazilian rosewood heel cap and headplate. The neck profile is a somewhat shallow “D” pattern. It shows signs of extensive play with wear through the varnish extending from the first position to the heel. The neck is smooth and easy to play as a result. The ebony fingerboard shows evidence of playwear and the frets, which we believe to be original, show extensive playwear. They remain quite playable and we will replace them upon request. The tuners are original to the guitar and the pearloid tuner buttons have developed a patina of fine fissures over the years. They remain quite functional.  Includes HSC.