09.11.2021

As Heraclitus stated, everything is subject to time and transformation, and although we at Schertler, like all of you reading, are definitely very special, we certainly cannot escape this universal law. We started out as a small company, more than 30 years ago, that from day one has focused all its energies on sound quality.

The LaFaro, an excellent amplifier for the double bass, was born back in 2012 and owes its name to jazz legend Scott LaFaro. For almost ten years it has been on the Schertler catalog, alongside many other products dedicated to this instrument. The decision to abandon its production came after the closure of our facilities in Italy. Making our products 100% Swiss Made, indeed, implied a reduction in production capacity. We have therefore decided to pursue other paths by creating the new range of X amplifiers.

As well as the LaFaro, another milestone in the Schertler catalog has left us: the Lydia. The latter, already an optimization of the first product called Bluestick, is a unique system (patented more than 20 years ago by Stephan Schertler) to amplify classical and acoustic guitar through an under-saddle electrostatic transducer with a class A preamplifier and simple controls in the sound hole. This product, designed specifically for OEM, has also been used for many years by market giants such as Martin and Gibson on their magnificent instruments. Unfortunately, because of its OEM-oriented nature, the Lydia, despite its superior sound quality, could no longer compete with the low-cost competition from Asian countries, and it was precisely this factor that made it no longer sustainable for us.

Finally, this year, we will also say goodbye for good to the Basik, a product that has always been so loved and appreciated that tens of thousands of musicians around the world use it. This lightweight contact microphone, extremely easy to use and with countless applications, has been on the market for several years as a universal microphone, alongside other contact microphones signed Schertler, such as the Stat and Dyn lines. Although it has always been an excellent product, even and above all for beginners, the sound quality did not reach a sufficient level to meet our quality standards. We have therefore decided to concentrate our forces on other products, optimizing the DYN line with proaudio products of even higher quality.

It is therefore with affection, awareness and a touch of melancholy that we say goodbye to our beloved products and thank each of you who have chosen and used them over the years. Ad maiora!