Hidden Gem Guitars, a shop selling guitars and guitar accessories in the Brown Building in downtown Flossmoor, celebrated its two-year anniversary on Saturday, April 5.
Everything in the store was 15% off. Hidden Gem offered a free pack of guitar strings to any customer who wanted one. Community members brought in old guitar strings, and Hidden Gem recycled them.
Hidden Gem started the day with 40 packages of D’Addario strings and ended with only 15 packs left, Hidden Gem owner Kyle Asche said. While free installation of the strings also was offered at the event, Asche said no one took advantage of this.
“Most people know how to string their guitars,” Asche explained.
The two-year anniversary celebration lasted from noon to 5 p.m., the entire time Hidden Gem is open on Saturdays. Asche said most customers who claimed their free strings arrived around noon.
Guitar strings can’t typically be recycled with curbside recycling. In celebration of Earth Month, customers took advantage of the recycling opportunity at the event.
Ed Bryzgalski was at the event, claiming a free package of strings and recycling his old strings.
“It was a nice swap,” Bryzgalski said.
Bryzgalski said it was his first time at Hidden Gem, adding that he discovered the shop because of Hidden Gem’s Facebook post promoting the two-year anniversary event.
Bryzgalski said he plans to return to Hidden Gem because he appreciates that Asche knows how to adjust acoustic and electric guitars.
Angel Lopez, a Homewood resident and regular customer at Hidden Gem, also received free strings at the event after conversing with Asche. He said he heard it was Hidden Gem’s two-year anniversary so he stopped by the shop while running other errands.
“It’s a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon,” Lopez said.
“You can go to the big box stores or buy online, but they can take way more time. Some of those stores – they don’t have a personal feel,” Lopez said, adding that at Hidden Gem, Asche “knows my name.”
Asche, a Flossmoor resident, jazz guitarist and part-time Loyola University music professor, said he opened Hidden Gem after the pandemic obliterated live musical performances and Loyola reduced the number of classes he taught.
“One of my goals with opening the shop was to create a community gathering spot for people that love guitars and love music,” Asche said. “We can have those sorts of exchanges about specifications on a certain guitar. I’ve sat down and played music with customers.”
Free coffee and donuts were provided to community members at Hidden Gem’s two-year anniversary celebration.
In addition to guitars, Hidden Gem has a small selection of ukeleles. The shop offers guitar lessons to children, teenagers and adults and also guitar maintenance and repairs.
Hidden Gem is at 2630 Flossmoor Road. It’s open Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Saturday from noon until 5 p.m.