Antonio Raya Pardo was born in Huelva, Spain in 1950. When he was fourteen, his family moved to Granada. He worked as a weaver before becoming a guitar maker and then, like many guitar makers of his generation, apprenticed with Eduardo Ferrer. Finally, in 1972, he apprenticed with José Lopez Bellido, but he admits that he didn’t stay there long and only learned the basics.

In 1973, he opened his own workshop. Despite his training, Antonio considers himself largely self-taught. Antonio Marin Montero is someone who has given him valuable advice.

He makes handmade classical and flamenco guitars. Antonio Raya Pardo builds a model of a Torres classical guitar using the Marin-Bouchet system.