Manuel Reyes, Jr., was born in 1969 in Cordoba, and is the son of Manuel Reyes (1934- 2014). and worked with him full time from 1994 till his death in December of 2014. He began to make guitar under his own name in about 2001, at first signing his father's label, Manuel Reyes, Jr. His guitars are built on the elder's Reyes design, and are nearly indistinguishable from those of his father.
Manuel Reyes Sr. 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.