'It's the right time': Sawchyn Guitars owners bid emotional goodbye as they prepare to close Regina store
Sawchyn Guitars opened its doors in 2012 and will close them permanently on May 31
The owners of the instrument repair and retail store Sawchyn Guitars in Regina's Warehouse District are closing their doors for good this spring.
They want everyone to know that they're OK. In fact, luthier Peter Sawchyn and Kendra Walker are doing great.
"It's not like the bank is repossessing my house or we have to leave or we're both sick and dying or something … which has been what people have been asking!" said Walker.
Sawchyn and Walker, who have been married for 47 years, are healthy and said the business has been very successful.
"I keep comparing it to Seinfeld … everybody was in love with that show and they left when everybody was feeling that it was at a high … I think that's what we're trying to do. As hard as this is, I know it's the right move for us at this point in our lives," Walker said.
"We wanted to leave on our terms. It's the right time. I know I'm emotional about it, but I'm dealing with it," Sawchyn added.
WATCH| Sawchyn Guitars will permanently close its doors:
Friendships
Sawchyn had already been an instrument repairman and a guitar-maker in Regina for decades before he and Walker opened the store on Dewdney Avenue in 2012.
"We were a little later in life … when we opened it. And our motivation was really to have a space to work out of where there are lots of high quality instruments. And we wanted to incorporate a community feel," Sawchyn said.
The store hosted house concerts, and the owners said they tried to create a homey feel.
Sawchyn and Walker said they have built many relationships with local bands and musicians over the years. In fact, Regina folk-bluegrass group The Dead South were just starting out when Sawchyn Guitars first opened.
"We were brand new as well. We got to know them. They're one of our favourite customers. We have lots of favourite customers though," Sawchyn said.
"That's going to be the hardest thing to actually leave behind us is all the day-to-day kind of relationships."
Scott Pringle, who plays mandolin and guitar and sings in The Dead South, said Sawchyn Guitars has always been a very personable place. He wished Sawchyn and Walker good luck with their next steps.
"They've provided such an amazing service to the Regina music scene over the years," said Pringle. "I'll miss them for sure."
The musician plays a custom-made Sawchyn mandolin.
"To this day it's the nicest mandolin that I've had," he said. "I love it very dearly."
A legacy of craftsmanship
Sawchyn's love of music started early in his life. He remembers his older siblings and family members playing musical instruments when he was a kid.
"I remember looking at their mandolins and guitars and thinking, 'oh, you know, I don't really want to play these, I want to know how are these made.'"
Sawchyn started making instruments in high school, and as time went on he became deeply entwined with Regina's music scene.
Walker plays a mandolin that Sawchyn built her, but she said Sawchyn Guitars is a successful business because her husband has the musical expertise, and she has the accounting and business expertise. This has made for a dream team.
"I think my biggest regret with this business is that we didn't do it 10 or 15 years earlier. We spend a lot of time here, we're still here probably six or even seven days a week," Walker said.
"It's hard for me to say goodbye, because I think we've built something really, really nice and love what I'm doing here. But, you know, we've got to maybe pay some attention to doing other things with our life before you reach the end, to be quite honest," said Walker.
The couple plans on traveling, first to Italy with family in the summer, then on to Switzerland and France. Sawchyn is hoping to throw himself into painting after the store closes. But ultimately, the two just want time to relax and do nothing.
The last days and beyond
Within less than a week of announcing that the store would be officially closed as of May 31, the couple sold a massive amount of product, thanks in part to deep discounts. In fact, the walls are nearly bare already.
"It was a madhouse in here," Walker said. "It's going to clear out way faster than we expected it to."
She said the store will be empty long before May 31. In the meantime, the community has reached out to the owners in a big way.
"People's reaction to our announcement has been just, well, it's been wonderful actually," said Sawchyn, choking back tears.
"People just [saying] that we will be missed, which is nice to hear. It kind of breaks your heart. It's nice to know that so many people really cared about you, you know?" Walker said.
As the couple prepares for their next phase, Walker has a message for the Regina community.
"Thank you so much for everything. For the support. For the friendships. This has been my favourite job."
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