Built and maintained by people passionate about music, Carrozza Custom Guitars is the realization of a dream!
A dream of the founder and creator of the project, Alexandre Carrozza, to bring to the national and international guitar market the highest standard of quality achievable by a Brazilian-made instrument.
The factory is located in the city of Jaú, in the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil, and already boasts a successful history of over 10 years.
OUR JOURNEY
THE BEGINNING OF A DREAM!
It all started in 1988. I was already playing and practicing a lot when one day, the car I was in had an accident, causing the neck of my "Giannini Les Paul" to break off from the body.
My father managed to glue the neck back on that guitar I had worked so hard to buy, but not long after, it broke again.
That led me to seek out the legendary luthier "Tiguez," whose fascinating work inspired me and sparked in me the
desire to become a luthier myself.
I tried to do the same with other guitars I owned, but my lack of experience didn't help much,
so I returned to the luthier I admired.
This time, I paid even more attention to his work, which paid off — in 1992, I was able to complete my first paid job. In the following years, I focused my efforts on a cover band I played with on weekends. After that,
I went on to live in Paris, staying there until 1995.
When I returned in 1997, I met the great Wander Taffo, and at his recommendation, I enrolled at IGT (Guitar Institute of Technology) in São Paulo, where I took classes with Marcio Okayama and Wanderson Bersani.
That’s when I discovered Taffo’s guitars — a “Rand” — and brands like “Fender” and “Gibson,” which made me realize that there were instruments out there that performed even better than what I had known until then.
By the year 2000, with my own studio, I built my first guitar, officially beginning my journey into instrument making. It all started when a guitar I was repairing snapped in half, prompting me to seek help from Roberto Santana, as I often
did whenever a repair was too difficult.
Roberto was the one who gave me the push I needed to become an instrument maker. He encouraged me to carry out the repairs myself instead of handing them over to him. With the help of four friends, I bought my first machine for guitar building. Over time, I was able to refine my skills to the point where I completed
my first custom guitar — and from there, I began my own workshop.
Starting in 2010, a series of events unfolded over the next five years: the factory began to take shape, two new CNC machines were added to the production process, and our first export finally happened. By the end of that period, we relocated the factory again, replacing two old machines with new ones. As a result, our productivity increased, and we began our first order for Wood Guitars.
From that point on, it was a rollercoaster of highs and lows: in 2014, we were hit by a flood that nearly destroyed the factory. But we managed to recover, and in 2015, we traveled to California (USA) to showcase our products at the Winter NAMM Show — opening the door to new business opportunities. Unfortunately, later that same year, a second flood struck, and this time, it left us with no choice but to start over from scratch.
After that fresh start, in 2016, now delivering an even higher level of quality, we returned to the United States to participate once again in NAMM. Our journey, combined with the quality of our products, drew attention and gave us a renewed sense of purpose to continue our story.
Following this boost of motivation, we created “Vila do Som” — a project aimed at strengthening our connection with our audience. There, we produce tools for luthiers, as well as body and neck kits. Later, in 2018 and 2019, we took part in the Music Show, and today, we’re experiencing one of the best moments in the history of Carrozza Custom Guitars.
ALEXANDRE CARROZZA