Made in Everett: Schachle Guitars
Pat Schachle, Everett artisan, doesn't make lousy instruments.
His guitars are for collectors or serious musicians looking to level up to a fine, handcrafted six string.
"They're nobody's first, second, or even third guitar," he says of his work.
And they're made in the heart of the city.
In his small shop on Hoyt he makes everything from scratch.
The tops of his guitars are sitka or Carpathian spruce. The sides and back are made from rosewood, maple, or mahogany. Some are inlaid with abalone shell.
No two guitars are exactly alike.
"They're all different in terms of tone. As it should be," he says.
He demonstrates the difference by playing a couple. One has a dominant low-end boom, one has a balanced sound with lots of sustain. Both of them resonate warmly.
"When you spend time with a hand-built guitar you begin to note the difference," says Schachle. "They're lifetime guitars."
Pat started making guitars in 2003. He's always collected them. He has worked in machine shops, at Boeing, doing aircraft repair. He approaches his craft from a workman's point of view as when he talks about "close-tolerance machining."
"When I bought a Martin D-28 I thought I can build one of these."
He made seven guitars before he sold one. It takes him about six months to make each. He says every time he builds a guitar he fine-tunes the process and makes changes on the previous model. "You improve with tiny variations."
He has multiple guitars going at a given time, each at a different stage of construction.
The Schachle Guitars shop, located across from the library, is many things. A lot of Pat's work is repairing instruments. He glues bridges and fixes broken necks. He says knowing how guitars commonly break helps him build better six strings.
Pat shares the spot with Kinny Alvers, a seasoned guitar teacher who gives lessons on guitar, banjo, and pedal steel.
After I interviewed Pat I played one of his maple-bodied Schachle guitars. It truly sounded beautiful. Honestly, it was like no other guitar that I've played in terms of tone and comfortable action.
Schachle Guitars, made in Everett, are one of the many things that this city can be proud of.
Good things happen (and are made) here.
Are you a guitarist? Need repairs? Want to take lessons?
Support local by visiting Schachle Guitars.
2721 Hoyt Ave.
Tues-Sat: 11 AM-5 PM
Richard Porter is a writer for Live in Everett. He plays guitar and his favorite chord combo is probably Gm and C.
