Paoletti Guitars: Where Modern Meets Tradition

While others turn water into wine, the Italian Fabrizio Paoletti has focussed on turning wine into musical instruments. To put it in a nutshell: Fabrizio produces handmade electric guitars and basses from the wood of old wine barrels. Here in session's Custom Reserve you will find a small but fine selection of hand-picked Paoletti guitars from Florence.

Read the full story here

Our selection

All instruments currently available are listed here. If you can't find the right one for you, please contact us with your questions and requests. We will find out for you whether your ideas can be realised by Fabrizio Paoletti and his small team and will do everything we can to make sure you get the perfect Paoletti guitar you want!

Norbert Fudalla Oliver Lohmann Simon Keller Marco Ramazzotto-Joppe

We would be happy to tell you more about it!
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Paoletti Guitars Alfa Loft HSS Heavy Aged Gold Ruby #165522

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The full story of Paoletti Guitars

But first things first. Fabrizio Paoletti founded his company Paoletti Guitars in 2005 and is based in Tuscany, where the Paoletti family has lived since the 19th century. Amidst the mesmerising landscape of the Tuscan hills, tradition and innovation come together when centuries-old techniques are combined with modern precision to create instruments that embody the timeless beauty and elegance of Italy's artisan heritage.

Guitars made from old wine barrels

Fabrizio's family has been successfully producing Chianti wines in Tuscany for several generations. Instead of following his family's tradition and getting into winemaking himself, he had a new idea for utilising disused wine barrels.
In order to pay tribute to the old family tradition and make the best possible use of the available material, Fabrizio used old wine barrels from the family business. His family's wine barrels can look back on a tradition of between 130 and 180 years. After initial experiments with barrels made of chestnut wood, it soon became clear that this gave the instruments a special sound. Since this realisation, from the foothills of the Alps in the north down to the southernmost tip of the boot in Italy, the whole country has been searched for wine barrels made of chestnut wood that are no longer used for wine production.

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The factory in Tuscany

Fabrizio's discovery and vision made chestnut wood Paoletti Guitars' trademark. For over 15 years, Paoletti Guitars has been using chestnut wood from old wine barrels and giving it a new lease of life. In the meantime, Fabrizio has moved out of his small workshop and has gathered a small, well-trained team around him. His new factory and the new company headquarters are of course also located in Tuscany, where the company and Fabrizio's family have their roots.

Large selection of woods and colours

The Paoletti workshop offers you an unrivalled personal experience as you embark on the creative process that will lead you to the guitar of your dreams. From choosing the perfect wood for your fingerboard to selecting custom hardware, designing elaborate, multi-layered finishes or intricate inlays, every aspect of your guitar can be tailored to your unique preferences and style to ensure it will accompany you on stage for years to come. Every stage of production is meticulously supervised by Fabrizio Paoletti and his staff and nothing is left to chance when designing the guitars. The high-quality woods, such as roasted maple, ebony or pao ferro, are personally selected by experts and the pickups are wound by hand at Paoletti.

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Visual highlights

At Paoletti Guitars, every guitar and every bass is unique. Here you'll find finishes and colours that you won't find from any other guitar maker: Firemist Purple, Heavy Blue and Violetburst are just some of the exciting looks to discover.

Some finishes are even up to five layers, giving the instruments a unique refinished and used look. It is also worth taking a closer look at the hardware: Paoletti works with elaborately aged pickguards made of brass and other metals to give the guitars their special look. The industrial look is rounded off with poti caps made from old cartridge cases, which are colour-coordinated with the pickguards.

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What makes Paoletti instruments so special?

100% hand made in Italy
chestnut bodies made from 130 - 180 year old wine barrels
handwound Paoletti pickups
colourful multi-layered finishes
metal pickguards and poti caps made from old cartridge cases
large selection of woods

Familiar models in a new look

Fabrizio Paoletti's body shapes are largely based on proven designs: the Nancy (T-style), Alfa (ST-style) and the 112 (offset) are all based on famous, classic models that we all know and love. However, the modern design and loving details set them apart from their historical role models. Fabrizio Paoletti also regularly launches special models on the market, which are actually far too good to be played with thanks to their even higher-quality features and luxurious appearance.

Famous Paoletti players

Tom Doyle

Don Broco

Lee Malia

Bring Me The Horizon

Jeff Stinco

Simple Plan