An Unlikely Arrival On The Upper East Side: A New Guitar Shop

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — What began as a guitar-fixing hobby by two Upper East Side hardware store proprietors has evolved into an unlikely brick-and-mortar store that became the neighborhood's newest music shop when it opened earlier this month.

Brothers Frank and Shawn Gorelik held an official opening Nov. 15 at their brand-new store, fittingly named Brothers Guitar Shop, on East 84th Street between 1st and 2nd avenues. As far as they can tell, it's the only dedicated music store on the Upper East Side.

It was the culmination of an obsession that began more than three years ago, when the Goreliks, who live and work on the Upper East Side, were looking for a new employee at one of the three hardware stores they owned in the neighborhood. The person they hired, Joe Rodriguez, mentioned on his resume that he knew how to fix up guitars.

"We said, let’s hire him — if anything, he’ll help us tinker with our guitars," said Frank, who started playing guitar about four years ago, while Shawn has played since childhood.

The brothers, who say they've managed to convert most of their hobbies into businesses, quickly set up a repair shop in the back of their New York Paint & Hardware store on East 87th Street and First Avenue, eventually expanding to also buy and sell guitars.

Once the guitar business expanded further and began to share space with Em Studio, a drapery store in Yorkville owned by the Goreliks' mother, the brothers realized their burgeoning passion was "suffocating both businesses," and started to search for a place of their own.

During the spring's coronavirus lockdowns, when many businesses suffered deeply, the Goreliks' hardware store remained open as an essential business, allowing their guitar trading to continue and further emboldening them to expand.

"We kind of flourished during the quarantine, buying and selling," Frank said.

The brothers said they were delighted by the reception they got on opening day, where a crowd of several dozen gathered to watch a jam session outside the shop.

They have a long list of special events and promotions on tap, including outdoor lessons for kids and livestreamed concerts for artists who have lost gigs during the crisis. Rodriguez, whose hardware store hire sparked the brothers' journey years ago, has joined as head guitar tech.

Savvy businessmen as they may be, the Goreliks emphasized that profits are far from being the main motivation behind the new shop.

"It’s about spreading music, spreading love and building the Upper East Side community," Frank said. "It’s not at all about money for us."

Brothers Guitar Shop is open daily at 316 East 84th St. For hours and more information, visit brosguitars.com.