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Manual López Bellido was born in Granada in 1939. Manuel
started working when he was 13 as a cabinet maker. When he was 16, he entered the Casa de
Eduardo Ferrer as an apprentice, and was there four years. He opened his own shop in 1960.
For a number of years, he shared this shop with Antonio Marin Montero. The two men in fact
have helped train many of the Granada's leading makers. Manuel uses the traditional method
of construction because he believes it is more exact. Although his guitars are inspired by
those of Antonio Torres, though his experience and profound study of guitar making, he has
developed a dozen or more distinctive innovations. He builds more flamenco than classical
guitars. He makes on average 20 to 25 instruments a year. Among the artists who have
purchased his flamenco guitars are Juan Carmona "El Habichuela" and Manuel
Brenes. |