Born in Granada in 1939, the Spanish luthier Manual López Bellido started working as a cabinet maker at the age of 13. When he was 16, he entered the Casa de Eduardo Ferrer to a apprentice as a guitar maker, and spent the next four years there. In 1960, after doing his military service, he opened his own workshop, which for a number of years he shared with Antonio Marin Montero.
The two men, in fact, have helped train many of the Granada's leading guitar makers. Manuel uses the traditional method of construction because he believes it is more exact. Although his classical and flamenco 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. As with most traditional luthiers his production is limited.
He makes on average 20 to 25 instruments a year. Among the classical and flamenco artists who have purchased his guitars are Juan Carmona "El Habichuela," Tomatito, David Russell, Wulfin Lieske, Gerhard Graf-Martinez, Itaru Kobayashi, Victor J. Moreno, and Manolo Brenes. Besides handmade classical and flamenco guitars, Manuel Lopez Bellido has made renaissance and baroque lutes, vihuelas, charangos, requintos, and concert classical guitars with 7, 8, and 10 strings.