Biography
Teaches Guitar Making and Repair at Newark College since 2018
Manuel Aragon Gimeno, originally from Spain, has taught evening guitar-making classes since 2018 and joined the full-time department in 2021. Coinciding with the guitar school’s 30th anniversary, Manuel accepted the challenge of leading the department into an exciting new future.
With a professional background in Topography, Manuel’s career as a maker began in 2008 at the Violin-Making School of Bilbao (Bele-Basque Country). During those years in Bilbao, he focused on instruments in the violin family, with a particular interest in the acoustics of musical instruments (violin). Under the expert guidance of Javier Guraya, Unai Igartua, and Luis Artola, among others.
In 2016, he moved to the UK and joined the Newark School of Guitar Making, where he completed his Foundation Diploma in 2017 and his BA (Hons) in 2020, under the careful guidance of Adrian Lucas and James Lister.
His approach to guitar making clearly reflects his prior training in violin making, which, together with his passion for education, has become a principal strength underpinning his diverse teaching practice.
Manuel has also recently joined the European Guitar Builder Association (EGB) as a supporting member, contributing to the promotion of educational development, institutional collaboration, and the preservation of the craft through its educational workgroup.