David Joseph Spinks (David J. Rubio) was born in 1934 in London. He studied flamenco guitar in Spain and became a professional player by his 20s. During this time he earned the nickname "Rubio" on account of his red beard. In the 1960s he settled in New York and stopped performing to concentrate on making guitars instead. While learning flamenco guitar in Spain he had spent many hours in guitar makers workshops and had absorbed the techniques involved due to his photographic memory - well enough to build his own instruments by memory alone. He established his first workshop on Carmine Street in New York's Greenwich Village. On his return to England he set up a workshop near Oxford, later relocating it to Cambridge. He widened his range of instruments to lutes, harpsichords, theorbos, vihuelas, citterns, and panduras. By 1979 his focus was on making violins, violas and cellos. He died in 2000 in Cambridge, aged 66. His instruments are highly regarded - his clients included guitarist Julian Bream. Rubio also contributed to scientific research into luthiery in collaboration with scientists from Cambridge University.

Source: David Rubio website (7 May 2020)