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Instrumentos Valente

Diogo Valente, an award-winning luthier, creates each instrument with extreme care, from selecting the wood to the final polish.

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CRAFTED WITH ART AND PATIENCE

The story3piecesSee the pieces

After training his hands carving didgeridoos during adolescence, Diogo Valente entered university to study dental prosthetics, where, in addition to manual dexterity, he also trained his patience. He was certain of one thing: he was born to shape. But he was far from imagining that his purpose and brilliance would be in wood and music, rather than the human mouth.

It was while working in a string instrument factory that he felt the click, making an accordion from discarded wood. Then, he found master guitarist José Gonçalves (the renowned “The Luthier of Cónega”) to guide him. With him, he learned through observation, conversation, and curiosity. By listening to the master and practicing incessantly, Diogo quickly became a young prodigy in the art of building string instruments.

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In 2023, he was named an Honorary Member by the Cavaquinho Museum, in recognition of his role in the continuity of the luthier tradition in Portugal. Currently, his workshop in Aveiro produces instruments where time is the most precious material.

He uses selected woods such as Engelmann spruce, Cameroon ebony, cocobolo, ironwood, among others - all hand-carved.

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The journey

Instrumentos Valente

Early Training and Discovery

After trying his hand at carving didgeridoos in his teens, Diogo Valente went to college to study prosthetic dentistry, where he trained his patience and manual dexterity. He was right about one thing: he was meant to shape things. But he was far from imagining that he would find purpose and brilliance in going back to wood and music, instead of people's mouths.

Beginning in Luthiery

It was only when he went to work in a chordophone factory that he felt the spark, after hand-carving an accordion from discarded wood. He found a master guitar maker to guide him, José Gonçalves (the revered Luthier from Cónega), from whom he learned through observation, conversation and curiosity.

Recognition

In 2023, Diogo was made an Honorary Member of the Cavaquinho Museum, a testament to his role in continuing Portugal's luthier legacy.

Workshop and Materials

Today, his workshop in Aveiro produces instruments that take time as their most luxurious raw material. Then there are the carefully chosen woods, such as Engelmann spruce, Cameroonian ebony, cocobolo and pau-ferro, among others, all carved by hand.

The technique

ABOUT WOOD

Diogo Valente uses woods such as Engelmann spruce and Cameroon ebony, among others. All are hand-carved, ensuring that each instrument not only has exceptional sound quality, but also unique aesthetic beauty.

Handmade by Instrumentos Valente

The pieces

The first time Diogo Valente built a string instrument on his own, after gathering blocks of wood from beside an industrial oven, he was sitting on the balcony of his home with a handful of generic tools and half-baked ideas. The result produced a rather mediocre sound, but his calling echoed louder: he wanted to improve and to do this for the rest of his life. From purpose, he carved talent. From talent, he carved dedication. Today, his instruments are works of art in constant reinvention, made to last. It is something every owner knows: the instrument will most likely outlive them.

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