Manuel Reyes y Hijo
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Manuel Reyes began as a flamenco guitarist. He was drawn into the world of building by an old, beat up old guitar given to him by Sra. Carmen Lacquer, a flamenco singer. He tried to restore this instrument, but was unsatisfied with the result, so he decided to build a guitar guided by his own intuition. By the time he finished, he was hooked. Later, he meet Joaquín Sánchez Galisteo, the luthier who his first teacher. Sánchez taught Manuel the basics of guitar construction. In 1949, Manuel set up his own workshop in Córdoba. Through Pepe Martínez, the famous flamenco guitarist, Manuel was introduced to great master luthier, Marcelo Barbero (b. 1904-d. 1956). Manuel moved to Madrid to study personally with Barbero. Manuel studied with Marcelo for about a year, and although Marcelo offered him employment in his workshop afterwards, Manuel had so many clients in Córdoba waiting for guitars, he was forced to return to his native city. Manuel only makes concert flamenco and classical guitars, building about 20 guitars a year. Manuel's stature is such that Luis F. Leal Pinar devotes an entire chapter in "Guitarreros de Andalucia" (2004) to him. His flamenco guitars are in such demand that he has a waiting list of ten years, and is no longer taking new orders. Manuel son's, Manuel Reyes, Jr., was born in 1969 in Cordoba. He was trained as a guitar maker by his father, and has been working with him full time since 1994. Recently, he has begun to sell his own instruments, signing his father's label, Manuel Reyes, Jr. They are built on the elder's Reyes design, under his supervision, and are nearly indistinguishable from those of his father. |
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