Handmade quality cavaquinhos from Portugal, beautifully finished and made in Europe

Born in 1951, António Pinto Carvalho, founder of APC Instrumentos Musicais, opened his company in 1976 with the aim of producing high quality stringed instruments.

Already at the tender age of 10, António Pinto Carvalho began to learn the art he still devotes himself to today. Guided and inspired by his grandfather, he built the first cavaquinhos and guitars. Today he is one of the most famous guitar makers in Portugal, the company is still in the hands of his family.

With around 50 employees, APC is the largest national company in this field and produces and sells a wide range of instruments worldwide. Despite its traditional background, the company invests in the latest technology and strives for the greatest possible accuracy and precision in the manufacturing of string instruments. However, the irreplaceable work of a luthier remains important, turning every instrument into a unique piece and defining its beauty and sound. The symbiosis between 19th century craftsmanship and today's technology is the key to the quality and authenticity of every APC instrument.

APC Instrumentos Musicais stands for Portugal's reputation for string instrument making, a country as rich in chords and sound scapes as the string instruments themselves. Genuine Portuguese culture and tradition.