After nearly 50 years in Evanston, Guitar Works set to close at the end of August

The music will be silent after nearly 50 years at Guitar Works in Evanston, as the beloved shop prepares to close for good at the end of August due to rising costs and declining sales.

A constant flow of customers shared embraces on Thursday after learning of the looming closure.

"It made me feel great, but it didn't make me feel great about closing," owner Terry Straker said.

After nearly 50 years on Main Street in Evanston, as every song has a final note, the final note for Guitar Works is being played.

"It's been my identity for decades. I am Terry from Guitar Works. That's been me, and I'm not that anymore, and that makes me sad," Straker said.

Straker said two potential deals to sell the business fell through. Skyrocketing tariffs on instruments from China, coupled with soaring property taxes and public online buying behavior, led him to the difficult decision to close at the end of the month.

"I cannot compete with that," he said.

Straker says the store's walls hold lots of memories.

"We've had a lot of high-profile people through the years," he said.

Some of those names include Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco, and Jethro Burns, of the comedy duo Homer & Jethro, who was at Straker's wedding.

"He used to teach out of his home, and a lot of high-profile people came through him," Straker said.

As the walls gradually become bare, Guitar Works is much more than a place where people were coming to buy instruments. Musicians followed their passions and lifelong relationships were built.

"This store is a family, and it is family," said customer Phil Upchurch Jr.

"Here, you've got personalized service. There's a feeling of community here," said fellow customer Norm Friedman.

Among the friendships formed, Straker has fond family memories too, like a photo of his daughter Kaitlin surrounded by guitars in the store when she was a little girl.

"I had one of those wind-up swings, and I'd put her in there and put her in the window. People still remember the baby in the window," Straker said.

Now that little girl is all grown up with two children of her own, and the next chapter in Straker's life will be that of doting grandfather.

"Out of the guitar biz, into the daycare biz," he said. "The new song."