2009 Robert Ruck No. 953 (U.S.A.)  650 mm scale, 52 mm nut, spruce top, spruce sides and back, Deluxe Gotoh tuning machines, original gold shaded french polish of shellac.  Robert, who in 2016 will be inducted in the GFA Hall of Fame, could never be accused of being a slacker when it comes to productivity, he is one of the most talented and productive individual luthiers working in America today, having now surpassed a lifetime output of over 1,000 instruments, a remarkable and rare milestone for any individual luthier.  This instrument reflects his many years of experience and knowledge, being at once a very traditional sounding and playing flamenco guitar, while at the same time utilizing non-traditional spruce for the sides and back.  The action is like butter, so easy to play, and the sound virtually jumps out of the instrument with the slightest touch, brilliant and deep at the same time, very colorful and always well balanced.  We often sing praises to the great makers like Santos, and Barbero, whose influences are obvious in Robert’s flamenco instruments, but we have to bear in mind that Robert has to date probably built more than twice the number of instruments that either Spanish maker completed in their lifetimes, and he is still going strong.  While his order list is essentially closed, the best way to acquire a Ruck now is to buy a good one on the secondary market while they are still reasonably priced.  $8,800