Manuel Delgado

Manuel A. Delgado is a third generation Old World Luthier (Instrument maker) with a history that dates back to 1928. Manuel has had instruments in the Fowler museum at UCLA, two separate exhibits with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. and a traveling exhibit, He has been featured in the “Fretboard Journal” magazine (winter 2007), “American Songwriter” magazine (Feb 2010), Acoustic Guitar Magazine (August 2015), and has been included in the L.A. Times, Esquire, Travel, The Best of L.A., The Tennessean, The City Paper, Vida Nueva, La Opiñion, Daily Paper, The East Nashvillian, Nashville's "Spirit" Magazine, NFocus, “Instrumentheads” a book by Michael Weintrob, “Hearts and Hands” a book of builders around the U.S., NBC Latino and many other prints. Manuel has also been on ABC, NBC, CNBC, CNN, CBS, NAMM Oral History, “Movers and Thinkers” PBS podcast, “Music in 2 Flavors” podcast, Reading Rainbow, Huell Howser, KTTV, KCAL, Spanish TV (Nashville), Tennessee Crossroads, Univision, Telefutura, Telemundo, PBS, NPR, Good Day L.A., 2 on the Town, a Hartford commercial, UPS, National League of Cities, VISA and a BOSE commercial. Delgado Guitars was also sought out by Pixar for help in the movie “Coco”, Makers Mark distinguished Manuel as a “Honorary Maker” for the level of artistry and by Lexus to show the similarity in “Takumi” craftsmanship (a highly trained, craftsman with meticulous attention to detail that possesses a true belief in excellence, stopping at nothing to achieve it.) After 9/11, Manuel designed and built, "The Unity Guitar." Created to raise money for the undocumented victims of 9/11, the guitar raised over $35,000 and was awarded “Local Hero of the Year” in 2002, a certificate of appreciation from the City of Los Angeles and a certificate of recognition from the City of New York’s Tepeyac association. Delgado Guitars was awarded “The East Nashvillian of the Year” in 2019. 

Manuel served as a commissioner for Metro Nashville Arts Commission and Co-Chaired the Grants Committee. He has sat on the boards for; “Nashville Repertory Theatre”,  “Resilient Nashville”, and was a founding board member of "Music Makes US" and "Make a Mark". He is a board member of the Adventure Science Center, the Nashville Symphony, and ArtsEd Tennessee. He is also a member of NAMM (National Association of Music Merchant), Nashville’s “Policing Policy Committee” and has done work with the “National Endowment for the Arts”(NEA). 

Manuel’s passion is music education and he works with school districts around the U.S. to help grow or create music programs with an emphasis on Mariachi. Manuel created, "La Tradición Music", a Music company that serves the public school music programs and in 2019, opened, “The Music Makers Stage” with the hopes of creating a community location for local musicians to perform and families to have a space to hear music.