O luthier Paulo Gomes

THE LUTHIER PAULO GOMES

Paulo Gomes was born in São Paulo on August 7, 1960.

At the age of 12, he bought his first LP and realized from that moment on that his future would be tied to music.

At 14, he began playing electric bass and formed a few garage bands.

He studied music theory with Maestro Olivier Toni and enrolled at the Academia Paulista de Música e Arte, where he began formal studies on the electric bass.

By the age of 16, he was already performing professionally at major venues in São Paulo, playing actively through the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Later, at 18, he began playing the double bass, studying under Sandor Molnar at the Brooklin Paulista Conservatory.

Around the same time, he also became a student of Nico Assumpção, who lived near his home and was already a friend.

EDUCATION

He studied music theory with maestro Olivier Toni and enrolled in the Academia Paulista de Música e Arte, where he began his studies on the electric bass.

On the double bass, he began his studies as a student of Sandor Molnar at the Brooklin Paulista Conservatory.

Shortly after, he became a student of Nico Assumpção, who lived near his home and was already a friend.

He studied with Luiz Chaves (at the time with the Zimbo Trio and a close friend), took a digital music course with Wilson Sukorski, and studied harmony with professor Claudio Leal.

At the Tatuí Conservatory, he continued his studies with professors Sandor and Nikolaus Schevistschenko and became a student of master luthier Enzo Bertelli.

Enzo Bertelli, born in Verona, Italy, was the best luthier to work in Brazil in the 20th century.

IN MUSIC

He performed with orchestras and symphonic bands, as well as in jazz, bossa nova, rock’n’roll, contemporary, and MIDI music groups, among other styles.

He was part of the group Devas, led by guitarist Carioca, the Royal Jazz Band, All Blues Jazz Trio, and several other ensembles, performing on TV, radio, and in recordings.

Paulo Gomes, in a show held in SP in the early 80s, playing a piccolo built by himself.

He composed a few soundtracks, gave private lessons, and taught electric and acoustic bass at the Morumbi Conservatory.

As his work as a luthier evolved, he began dedicating himself almost entirely to the craft, and music became a hobby, practiced in nightclubs.

Over time, and after several surgeries on his hands and elbow, he began studying trombone and playing with his friends.

IN LUTHERIA

Working in the field of lutherie since 1980, luthier Paulo Gomes builds his instruments exclusively by commission, using only top-quality imported materials. His career is unique in Brazil and rare worldwide.

He runs the only workshop in Brazil specialized in acoustic double basses, crafting carved instruments using traditional Italian techniques learned from his master, Enzo Bertelli, and refined through decades of specialization in the double bass.

The creator of his own models, a musician himself, and with a life fully dedicated to the development of the double bass in all its aspects, he serves everyone from beginners to some of the finest bassists in Brazil and around the world. His instruments can be heard in recordings and live performances.

Luthier Paulo Gomes has given lectures throughout Brazil and abroad.

His workshop has welcomed trained luthiers from other countries for internships in Brazil — another unprecedented achievement in our country. Before that, it was common for Brazilian students to travel abroad to learn the craft. Paulo reversed that path, placing Brazil in a position of prominence.

After more than four decades, luthier Paulo Gomes continues to study, research, and constantly seek better and more effective methods for the restoration and construction of instruments.

RECOGNITION

With less than a decade of work, Paulo Gomes was already beginning to be recognized by the best bass players in the world, such as Major Holley and Ron Carter, among others.

In 1992, Paulo received in his workshop his most renowned visitor from the world of classical music — the internationally acclaimed “greatest double bass soloist in the world” (Time Magazine), Gary Karr.

Professor Karr, who has directed the Karr Doublebass Foundation since 1983, had the opportunity to play a double bass that was still unvarnished and in its final stage of construction. He was impressed by the high level of craftsmanship and the instrument’s sound quality.

Gary enthusiastically praised the luthier, later writing: “the finest bass-maker in Brazil and one of the greatest luthiers in the world.”

Ultimately, Professor Karr commissioned an instrument from Paulo Gomes’s workshop — a recognition that surpasses any praise.

Learn more about this instrument, among others crafted for true masters, on this website or by clicking here.

ABROAD

In 2005, he was invited to go to the United States to work on the restoration of some instruments, give lectures on lutherie, and assess the possibility of setting up a workshop there.

The trip was a success, and he established a workshop in New York, where he worked for several years during the autumn months in the northern hemisphere, until the unfortunate event of Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed part of the house.

The workshop was set up on the property of his friend and instrument collector, Jack Nowinski.

During this period, Paulo did the opposite of what had been done until then.

If in the past, good instruments were taken from Brazil to be sold abroad, Paulo brought high-quality instruments and materials into our country.

This is the house — a very peaceful place, just 100 meters from the beach.

Jack Nowinski. Instrument collector and connoisseur.

Unfortunately, the person with the greatest knowledge of musical instruments that Paulo had the opportunity to spend time with—another great master in his ongoing learning journey—passed away in 2016.

Jack owned thousands of instruments of the most diverse kinds in that house.

Some New York basses awaiting restoration.

Paulo Gomes has given lectures in various parts of Brazil.

Abroad, he also gave lectures on instrument maintenance and restoration, notably at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where he also restored some of the university’s instruments.

Publicity poster.

In 2006, he was invited to visit the Metropolitan Museum and tour the restoration room behind the scenes, an area to which few people have access, in addition to the exhibition halls.

He was welcomed by Stewart Pollens, who at the time was the museum’s instrument restorer, a published author, and a leading authority in the field of lutherie.

Among experts such as Stewart Pollens, Ken Parker and Jack Nowinski.
An unforgettable day of research and learning.

A moment of great pleasure, pride and responsibility for any luthier.

The honor of handling an authentic Stradivari.
This violin, built by Antonio Stradivari in Cremona in 1693, is known as “The Gould” and was valued at 3 million dollars.

In an interview at the time, Paulo stated that it had been one of the most important days of his career — both for the quality of the people who accompanied him and for the opportunity to study those magnificent instruments.

To give you an idea, after having handled a Stradivari in the past, it took 24 years before he had another one in his hands.

Access to the museum’s inner area — not open to the public — allowed him to examine and handle dozens of instruments made by the great masters of the past.

While the public exhibition displayed only two or three violins by masters like Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù,” protected under glass domes, the internal area contained another six or seven that could be studied and handled directly.

The value of such an experience for a luthier is immense.

Paulo with his son, Artur, in 2021.

This website offers many descriptions and examples of the excellence of his work in both the construction and restoration of double basses.

Luthier Paulo Gomes places Brazil in the first world when it comes to handcrafted instrument making, and some of these instruments can be seen by clicking here.