Chance Walte, Owner
Chance Walte is a seeker, questioner and tireless experimenter. For more than twenty years he has utilized guitars and basses as the tools to study organized sound. From birdsong to Bach he has listened with a loving ear and responded to the music around him.
Over two decades, he recorded modifications to the tuning, setup and construction of the instruments at his disposal, using the same three songs for control. In this way, he became very familiar with the variables involved in sculpting a tone.
Running parallel to this private study was a public life of club gigs, teaching, tech work, retail sales, and purchasing. The more time he spent working with clients and students to help them find their own tones and express themselves, the more rewarding this service became to him.
A series of full-immersion programs at several respected schools of luthiery complemented his work. Spending time as a buyer going to trade shows and touring factories helped hone his understanding of the industry. Eventually, he stopped performing regularly and began focusing on writing, experimenting, tech work, and teaching.
After several years at a pro shop in a major market, he formulated a plan for a shop of his own. Two accidents -- one with an off-road vehicle and one involving a Jeep rolled on the way back from N.A.M.M. 2004 -- resulted in injuries which further cemented his letting go of club gigs in favor of working with other players on their sounds, songs, and gear.
His plan? A small, full-service shop dedicated to high-quality gear and personal attention to customers' needs.
After meeting the love of his life on a trip to Antarctica, he proposed and relocated to her home city of Portland, Oregon. It was in this way that, after time spent in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Austin, he opened Fearless Guitars in the Pacific Northwest. The summer of 2005 was marked by the birth of both Fearless Guitars and his first child. Both have made him very happy.
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