Manuel de Soto y Solares (1839-1906) hailed from Sevilla and belonged to a lineage of skilled guitar makers. He commenced crafting guitars around 1860, establishing his workshop in close proximity to the renowned Antonio de Torres. While there are rumors that Torres may have sold some of his guitars through Soto y Solares' shop, it's more likely that they engaged in common business interactions, including the exchange of woods and components. Soto y Solares embraced Torres' construction style, attracting noteworthy clients such as the esteemed flamenco singer Juan Breva. Notably, at least two of Soto y Solares' guitars were presented as gifts by Francisco Tárrega.

I acquired this guitar from Jose Daniel Valenzuela Villanueva, a professional flamenco player who inherited it from his father. It had originally been obtained from an old gypsy friend who purchased it around 1950 from a guitarist belonging to the lineage of musicians who accompanied dancers and singers from Don Ramón Montoya's family. The revival of this guitar was entrusted to Aaron Garcia Ruiz, a luthier and musicologist based in Granada. The restoration process unveiled striking similarities in Manuel's construction techniques when compared to those of Torres. These parallels included the use of pencil lines for bracing, a top constructed from three pieces, and the reinforcement of joins with musical parchment strips. Furthermore, the guitar's restoration revealed a plantilla resembling those employed by Torres during the period from 1885 to 1888. It also featured first and seventh fan braces extending through the harmonic bar, a technique similarly utilized by Torres in SE70 from 1885.