On my way to Toronto to try the Luis Feu de Mesquita ukaferri!

fumanshu

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Hi guys!!! Yeah, I decide this morning to take the train and make a ride from Montreal to Toronto to visit Luis Feu de Mesquita shop and try his ukaferri!!

I've had the chance to try his flamenco guitar in the past and it was one of best flamenca guitar I've played...Amaaaaaazing sound and playability.....but man...quite expensive...around 4500$!!!

Now, that our friend UU forum member Laouik bought an uke from him, I just realized that he's building ukes too!!!! So after many emails with him, I decided to make a trip to see him and spend a day with him to try his uke and porbably come back to Montreal with it!!!!

Well, if his uke sounds and is as nice build as his classical and flamenco guitar, it will be the bomb!!!!!

The one I'll go to try look like this in the picture...


IMG_0010.jpg


Anyway, I'm writing this on the train right now and in about 3 hours, I'll arrive in Toronto!

Will keep you posted of my adventure!!!! :)
 
It is a really nice day out today as well. Have fun!
 
Where is he located in Toronto? I might go check him out.
 
Say hi to mine while you're there :) Luis is getting ready to ship it out. It looks just like the one in the photo, except with ebony binding instead of maple.
 
Say hi to mine while you're there :) Luis is getting ready to ship it out. It looks just like the one in the photo, except with ebony binding instead of maple.

Will do :D

Just talked to Fumanshu on the phone. He can't believe how it sounds.

We're gonna rock out with our ukes out. Rawr.
 
Will do :D

Just talked to Fumanshu on the phone. He can't believe how it sounds.

We're gonna rock out with our ukes out. Rawr.

Where is the "Like" button on this forum?
 
Tantal wrote:
Where is he located in Toronto? I might go check him out.

Hi Tantal! He's in Ajax and if you consider to get a custom, it totally worth that you drop him an email and go see him. He will explain to you the construction of his uke and all the principles behind his design etc....you will just realize how meticulous and passionate he is in his work! You will understand why I decide to take the train from Montreal to Toronto to see him!!!

Also, he's just such a kind person!

RichM wrote:
Say hi to mine while you're there Luis is getting ready to ship it out. It looks just like the one in the photo, except with ebony binding instead of maple.

Hi RichM...I heard that you did buy the last ''Amigo'' custom series from him. You won't be disapointed, you will see all the details is just insane....and you should hear him explain how all the inside is done (bracing, reinforcement, symetry vs asymetry in the design of the bracing, etc......when I'm saying that all was thought in the design to make the instrument to sound and durable, it's the truth!

You must take care of the instrument by controling humidity, ect....because Luis is building his intruments in a well controled studio where humidity is very controled.

By the way you will notice that all his uke has a zero fret which make intonation and playability spot on!
 
And we're lucky... from the sounds of it it might be a while before he makes more ukuleles as he has a bit of a backlog of orders for his $5000+ guitars...
 
Laouik wrote:
And we're lucky... from the sounds of it it might be a while before he makes more ukuleles as he has a bit of a backlog of orders for his $5000+ guitars...

Hey hey!!! It was a pleasure to meet up at Luis house yesterday!!! I think we have some very good time with Luis and his wife talking, eating and playing uke!!

You're right, he's not gonna start tomorrow morning another uke for sure since he still have so much work finishing his 3 guitars that he will bring to Montreal at the end of the month for the Montreal Guitar Show exhibiting the best and finest luthier in the guitar industry.

By the way, I'm on the train right now bringing me back to Montreal......with my Luis feu de Mesquita uke in hand!!!!!!! yeahhhhh!!!!!!! I'm such a happy guy!!! :)
 
By the way, I'm on the train right now bringing me back to Montreal......with my Luis feu de Mesquita uke in hand!!!!!!! yeahhhhh!!!!!!! I'm such a happy guy!!! :)

NICE! :D

We expect plenty of videos showing off your uke flamenco skills on the LFdM!
 
Sounds like a great time was had by all! Congrats on the new uke, Fumanshu, it looks like a beauty. I'm very jealous that you guys got to hang out with Luis, and especially that you get to try out all his stuff! Hopefully I'll have mine sometime this week.

One of the things I truly appreciate about the internet is how much is helps me learn about remarkably talented small shop luthiers that I might not even know existed any other way. And knowing that Luis might not make any more ukes for a while makes me doubly glad I grabbed one when I did!
 
RichM wrote:
Sounds like a great time was had by all! Congrats on the new uke, Fumanshu, it looks like a beauty. I'm very jealous that you guys got to hang out with Luis, and especially that you get to try out all his stuff! Hopefully I'll have mine sometime this week.

One of the things I truly appreciate about the internet is how much is helps me learn about remarkably talented small shop luthiers that I might not even know existed any other way. And knowing that Luis might not make any more ukes for a while makes me doubly glad I grabbed one when I did!

Hi RichM! Yes, it was very pleased that Luis invite me to stay overnight with his family . Lot's of lutherie talking and all... And you must see his collection of books on guitar making and the art lutherie....you understand very fast how he has so much knowledge about sound waves and how things happen in a guitar construction and all!!!!

I can see that you have a whole collection of ukes too! I'm sure you will be very please with your uke! I do own all kind of ukes, from Koaloha, Kanilea, to customs by MP, Pahu Kani and Anao'le and I can say, that none of these ukes come close to Luis uke.....even if I find that all my other ukes sound good...very good!

By the way, I don't know if he told to you, but it takes him as much time to build a uke than his classical or flamenco guitar...and you will understand when you will see the details on your uke....it's like a piece of art, that sound amazing!!!
 
Sounds like a worthwhile trip and you got a cool Uke too! Thanks for sharing it with us :D
 
Sounds like a worthwhile trip and you got a cool Uke too! Thanks for sharing it with us :D

I'm verry happy with my trip and like you said, totally worth it! I'm planning now to go back to take lutherie classes with Luis next year ....that's gonna be very cool!
 
I'm about 2 hours north of Toronto. Where is his shop? Would lkike to visit next trip south. Twelfth Fret is also a good place to visit (Danforth at Woodbine).
 
I'm about 2 hours north of Toronto. Where is his shop? Would lkike to visit next trip south. Twelfth Fret is also a good place to visit (Danforth at Woodbine).

HI Ian! He's in Ajax. You should drop him an email and he will give you his address. I really don't know anything since he came to pick me up at the Ajax station and bring me to his home and studio...so I'm purely a guess and tourist!!!

But it really worth that you see his work and how precise and how everything counts for him.... You should see the bridge mecanism that he invent for his archtop nylon guitar... He actually wrote a paper on that bridge in the American Lutherie Magazine a few years ago.
 
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