Our bowmakers are committed to making the highest quality bows in the industry. Our factory in Brasil produces some of the finest bows available on the market today.
Arcos Brasil is recognized internationally as the premier company for quality and value in the stringed instrument trade. We started as a company in 1995, when Celso De Mello observed a need for higher standards in the bow market.
Committed to quality, Arcos Brasil has been able to produce student bows of remarkable excellence, thanks to many bow makers, shop owners and other professionals in the field whose guidelines we have followed to make our bows as close to perfection as possible.
Alessandro Carlesso
Born in 1977 in the city of João Neiva, Alessandro started making bows in 1999 after a few years as general help in the industry. Currently he works for Arcos Brasil making exclusively the master replica line of bows. Modern makers that have influenced his work include Josef Gabriel, Emilio Slaviero, and Giovanni Lucchi. His bow stamp is “A. Carlesso – Brasil”
Tiago Deoclécio Pampolin
Born in the city of João Neiva in 1986, Tiago was hired straight into bow-making in 1993 learning the craft from his bench-mate Adriane Lima. A very meticulous craftsman, he enjoys making bows in the style of Peccatte. His bow stamp is “T. Pampolin – Brasil”
Frank Modenese da Rós
Born in 1983 in the city of Aracruz, Frank was a soccer pro before entering the industry. In 2012 he started preparing sticks and was making bows by 2013. Two of his biggest early influences were Claudio Chagas and Celso the Mello. Today he is the shop’s foreman and charged with the important task of grading the Pernambuco blanks for the various levels of bows we make. His bow stamp is “F. Modenese – Brasil”
Marcos Pereira das Neves
A veteran of the Brazilian bow industry, Marcos was born in Aracruz in 1972. It was in 1984 that he started roughing out sticks for bowmakers and in 1990 making his own bows. In 2003 Marcos spent three months working at the workshop of Pierre Guillaume to refine his skills and became the first maker of our special edition bows. His bow stamp is “M. Pereira – Brasil”
Vanderson Schaeffer
Vanderson was born in the city of Vitória in 1982. Guided by the late Antonio Cardoso and his own uncle, Floriano Schaeffer, he started making bows in 1998 and later spent three months refining his skills at the workshop of Pierre Guillaume in Brussels. His bow stamp is “V. Schaeffer – Brasil”
Claudio Roberto Carlesso Chagas
Claudio was born in 1973 in the city of João Neiva. In 1993 at 20 years old he started roughing out sticks for bowmakers, and in 1997 he graduated to making bows himself. You will not find a dull knife or plain on his bench. Today he makes a majority of our special edition line of bows. His bow stamp is “C. Chagas – Brasil”
Claudeir Carlesso Chagas
Claudeir, or “Deir” for short, was born in the city of João Neiva in 1976. In 1999 he entered the industry roughing out sticks and gluing tip plates. A year later he was making bows. His bow stamp is “D. Chagas – Brasil”
Claudecir Carlesso Chagas
The youngest bowmaker of the Chagas’ brothers, Claudecir was born in the city of João Neiva in 1981. He started in 1995 as general help and progressed to working finishing the shop’s bows. Making both since 2014 his biggest influences are his older brothers and Vanderson Schaeffer. His bow stamp is “T. Chagas – Brasil”
Our own bow workshop is located in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, a beautiful site 30 minutes from the Atlantic. Here, our great team of skilled artists put together their efforts for the production of bows following historical methods.
Our Offices in the USA
Vito Vissicaro
Founder of Arcos Brasil, USA
We have a great team of professional sales managers, accounting, shipping and receiving personnel to provide quality service to all our clients.
In 1997 Vito Vissicaro and Celso de Mello started Arcos Brasil USA, aimed at distributing the best products for the trade in North America. Since then, the company has expanded its line of products to include instruments, rosin, accessories and tools always keeping a focus in elevating the quality standards available.
Arcos Brasil is fully committed to shops, retailers and dealers all over the world. We do not sell to individual musicians or teachers. However, we do offer free advice in bow care, maintenance, and dealer referrals to anyone interested. Every member of Arcos Brasil is proud of contributing to the process by which musicians evolve in the perfection of their artistry.
Company Commitment
We are fully committed and only sell to professional violin shops, dealers, luthiers and bowmakers, it has been our policy since the company’s inception. Our products can only be found at these venues; as a result our clients have helped improve the quality standards of all our products sharing their valuable knowledge.
Quality of Our Bows
Today, we proudly hold a reputation for the highest quality in our field. We believe that quality is not something that can be merely controlled; it must be carefully crafted at every stage. We take immense pride in our products and are grateful to work alongside the best professionals in the industry.
Social Responsibility
Community engagement is a cornerstone of our company’s mission. We’ve established partnerships with other businesses and local government to support projects focused on music and environmental education. We are passionate advocates for preserving natural resources and have taken an active stance against the illegal trade of Pernambuco wood.
Arcos Brasil is deeply committed to the conservation of Pernambuco wood, and our efforts reflect that dedication.
Since our founding, we’ve planted 14,000 trees on our own private land and have distributed over 100,000 seedlings to various organizations, including Banco do Brasil, Indigenous tribes, the Environmental Department of Aracruz, INCAPES, and Aracruz Celulose. In 2004 alone, we provided more than 25,000 seedlings; by 2005, that number grew to over 60,000, and by the first quarter of 2006, we had already distributed over 22,000. Seedling numbers vary based on seasonal rainfall, but our approach is focused on the long term. The true impact of our work will be seen in the decades to come.
