**This article originally appeared in our September 2026 issue**

"Happiness is a well-played string.”

Many a Capital Region local has driven a friend or family member to the Albany International Airport and observed the signs for “Shaker Heritage Village” on their way in. In case you never stopped to ponder their history, the brief summary is that Shaker Heritage Village is otherwise known as the first settlement of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Established by “Mother” Ann Lee in 1776, they became known as “Shakers” due to their ecstatic movements during worship. Their small community and brief history (mostly nonexistent by the early 20th century) left a large impact on America, from technological inventions to architecture to values. For local luthier Stephen Iachetta, they directly influenced what he would eventually name his business, as well as his vision for that practice.

“Besides graduating from Shaker High School, I am also a past President of the Shaker Heritage Foundation,” Iachetta elaborates. “Life here 200 years ago was pretty tough, but they created a work ethic — ‘hands to work, hearts to god’ — that I try to live by.”

Iachetta’s business is Shaker Violin Repairs, which he runs out of his house in Latham. A luthier for all stringed instruments in the violin family for 50 years now, he started this business as his post-retirement life began. While he enjoyed his time as a project manager for various agencies, he now gets to spend his days chasing his passion, channeling old world methods to setup and repair these instruments

“The violin is an ancient instrument that dates back 4,000 years, only perfected in the last 200 by the likes of Stradivarius, Amati, and Stainer. So, I try to use ancient tools on ancient instruments.”

Some of the instruments that he works on are new and, much like the Shakers, he embraces modern technology with tools like belt sanders and band saws. However, even with the use of these tools, his shop is running a power deficit; completely powered by solar energy, he actually sells electricity back to the power company. To his knowledge, he is the only luthier shop in New York State that can make that claim.

Nature is intertwined with his shop: the Mohawk-Hudson Rail Trail, his first project in his former career, runs through the back of his property that sits along the Mohawk River. “While you wait for service, you can walk the labyrinth spiritual walk my wife built, you can sit on our deck overlooking the river — we get incredible sunsets if you happen to be here for one,” he tells me.

It’s this sense of connection with the world around him that bodes well with his mission to give back to the community in every way he can. And, as a luthier, he has the rare ability to provide, offering cheap instrument rentals for children and their families. For just 10 dollars a month, a child can rent an instrument and be part of their school's orchestra. At this point, he is helping to support over 50 school orchestras across the Capitol Region. Ultimately, the joy of putting instruments into the hands of budding young musicians is what it's all about for him.

“Helping young people appreciate strings — that’s amazing to me. When they come in, I teach them proper maintenance of the instrument and a couple of basics so that they can go right home and start playing,” Iachetta then tells me with a smile. “Happiness is a well-played string.”

In addition to his work with student musicians, he rents, sells, and works on instruments for professional players as well. He’s done work for players from the Albany Symphony Orchestra and even the Zurich Orchestra — they were in town and needed help repairing their bass that opened up midflight and suffered damage. However, in one of his proudest moments, he was able to do setups on two instruments for Grammy and Emmy-nominated artist, Jay Ungar’s instruments.
“He’s a hero of mine,” Iachetta admits. Out of the blue, Ungar called to ask him to work on several fiddles. “He gave me a par excellence, so I'm very proud of that. Best of all, I got to play with him twice,” he reminisces.
While Iachetta has been a luthier for five decades, he’s been playing for six. He started in the third grade at Boght Hills Elementary School and has been playing ever since, which gives him a unique perspective, knowing what the optimal sound of the violin is and how to achieve it. He performs with duo Shelving Rock, as well as Friends Union Band; the former once opened up for and sat in with a multi-platinum artist. He tells me the story as he points to the framed photos on the wall of his shop, displaying these memories for everyone to admire.

“That’s me getting the chance to play with Natalie Merchant’s quartet after we warmed up for them at the Shaker Meeting House,” he recalls. “She was generous enough to let me sit in on a couple of songs, no rehearsals.”

With all of the experience and stories, Iachetta maintains that his true expertise lies in expert repairs, restoration services, and supplies. “My expertise is taking a broken instrument or a badly setup instrument and getting it into optimal performance condition. I have 20 to 30 contacts in the area that are very qualified teachers that I refer people to.”

While Iachetta gets most of his instruments from other luthiers as they retire or estate sales, he’s always keeping an eye out for damaged or cheap instruments he can give a second life to.

Visit shakerviolin.com for more information on his shop and mission.