Manuel Contreras apprenticed to Jose Ramirez III in 1959, and in 1962 established his own shop at 80 Calle Mayor, Madrid. His guitars were quickly recognized as being of high quality with many creative and innovative features such as a Cedar or Spruce laminated to the inside of the back, and the double top.
His son Manuel Contreras II – more commonly referred to as ‘Pablo’ – became a professional luthier in 1986 and took over the shop following his father’s death in 1994. Until his death in 2011, Manuel Contreras II continued to run the workshop with Victoria Velasco at the front, and Victoria has continued to run the business. A few years ago the shop moved from Calle Mayor, 80 to Calle de Segovia, 57.
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