Inside d'Aigle Autoharps & Folk Instruments

While the autoharp may not be as widely known as guitars or pianos, it has a dedicated following, and d’Aigle Autoharps serves that community from right here in Seattle Southside.

“We are actually the largest builder of autoharps outside of the Oscar Schmidt factory,” Pete explains. “The autoharp is our main business, and it’s a niche business, so we really deal with people all over the world.”

Visitors sometimes travel specifically to SeaTac from countries as far as South Korea just to see the shop, browse the small instrument store out front, and learn more about the craft behind these instruments.

“We’ve had people come here specifically to [Seattle Southside] just to come to our shop,” Pete says.

Inside, wood, strings, and precision craftsmanship come together to create instruments that carry music into homes, festivals, and concert halls across the globe.

The autoharp is a stringed folk instrument that was invented in the 19th century. It consists of a series of strings stretches across the instrument while buttons, called chord bars, allow players to create chords instantly.

“All you have to do is push a button and strum, and you have music,” Pete explains.

That accessibility makes the autoharp popular with beginners, but mastery can take years.

“It’s a simple instrument to get started on,” Pete says. “It’s a difficult instrument to really get good at, but that gives you a whole lifetime of learning and of playing.”

That balance between accessibility and difficulty is part of what has made the autoharp beloved in folk and acoustic music circles.

For Pete, the autoharp became more than just an instrument thanks to a memorable moment early in his marriage. Pete and his wife married in 1979. The following year, their first anniversary arrived under unusual circumstances.

“I was a drummer playing music in a dance band,” Pete recalls. “We had a gig in Yakima, Washington. Well, on May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens decided to blow. So we did not make it."

A month later, they finally had the chance to celebrate their anniversary. Polly surprised Pete with a thoughtful gift, but Pete realized he hadn’t gotten her anything.

“She presents me with this beautiful pocket watch, and I didn’t have a thing for her,” Pete says. “I now was in trouble, and I knew it.”

Thinking quickly, Pete remembered something Polly had mentioned wanting. "One of the things that Polly had talked about wanting was an autoharp,” he says.

He went to downtown Seattle, bought an Oscar Schmidt autoharp, and brought it home. That moment marked the beginning of a journey that would eventually lead to a full-fledged instrument-building business.

After years of performing, Pete eventually returned to woodworking and remodeling. But the autoharp never left his life. Working with another instrument maker, John, Pete began building autoharps on the side.“

We just started building autoharps and started selling them,” Pete says. “Pretty soon, we had to make a decision because we couldn’t do both businesses at once.”

They chose the path that combined their craft and creativity. Pete built a garage shop at the home where he grew up, about 1.5 miles from the current location. As demand grew, so did the need for more space. Eventually, the team moved into their current shop in SeaTac, where additional equipment and staff helped the business expand.

Today, d’Aigle Autoharps continues to evolve with the help of a skilled team. One key member is Gregory Olsen, who has worked in the shop for more than a decade and is now a partial owner.

"I’ve always had an interest in building things and an interest in playing music,” Olsen says.

He began experimenting with instrument building long before joining the shop.

“I had built a couple of instruments before starting here, but they were made out of particle board and stuff I found in my parents’ backyard,” he says. Now, he is helping carry the tradition forward.

"It’s an exciting thing to be a part of,” he says. “Being able to take the reins at some point to continue this on is a great thing. This is what I want to do. Run a shop building instruments for people to play for the rest of their lives.”

For Pete, the shop's mission goes beyond crafting instruments. It’s about helping people make music together. He’s been active in SeaTac’s arts and culture community, helping support events and performances across the area. One example is The Roadhouse, a venue located at the Angle Lake light rail station that hosts cultural events and live music.

"The venue was for presenting cultural events in the arts and music to the people of South Seattle,” Pete explains. Whether it’s a concert stage or a living room, the most meaningful moments often come from everyday musicians.

"We have the special things where we see somebody playing in front of several thousand people,” Pete says. “But the best part is just the average people making music, bringing it home. That’s why we do what we do.”

Pete has traveled widely through his life as a musician and craftsman. But for him, there’s no place like home.

"I’ve traveled all over the world,” he says. “But when I come home, Seattle Southside, this is my home.”And inside a small workshop in SeaTac, that home continues to resonate with music, craftsmanship, and the enduring sound of the autoharp.