I was visiting Missoula to see a friend when I stumbled upon Greg Boyd's House of Fine Instruments,…read moreand it turned out to be the highlight of my trip. As someone who used to play in a city orchestra in my younger years, I'm very particular about violins. I haven't picked one up in years, but I've been dreaming of owning a truly exceptional instrument again. Initially, I walked in for guitars--having been playing those lately--and Greg's selection is absolutely stunning. Every piece in his collection is gorgeous, and his shop has an air of care and craftsmanship that sets it apart from any other music shop I've visited. I often find guitar shops intimidating; where I live in Texas, they're often filled with kids cranking amps and shredding. While that energy is fun, Greg's shop felt refreshingly personal and inviting. Part of that welcoming atmosphere comes from the shop itself--it's literally in a house! But mostly, it's Greg himself who makes you feel at home. He was so kind and excited to see my face light up as I tried different instruments. I hadn't planned to buy anything, but when I mentioned my long-time dream of finding a violin of exceptional quality, Greg's eyes lit up, and he brought me to his violin collection. That's when he placed a model made by Even Smith into my hands, and I was utterly blown away. This instrument sings. The warm tones, the rich resonance--this violin felt like it was alive. Greg shared the story of the luthier, Evan Smith, who harvests his own Engelmann spruce and makes his own varnish. That level of dedication and craftsmanship is rare, and you can truly hear it in every note. This violin isn't just an instrument; it's a work of art, and I'm beyond excited to know it will only sound better with age. I didn't come to Montana expecting to find the violin of my dreams, but thanks to Greg and his incredible shop, I did. I can't wait to return to Missoula just to visit Greg Boyd's House of Fine Instruments again. If you're a musician--whether you're just starting out or you've been playing for decades--you owe it to yourself to visit this treasure of a shop.

Wow. I don't know who in their right mind could leave a review of anything less than 5 stars for…read morethis shop. I showed up about 45 minutes before it was time for them to close. I had a tough time finding it because it's literally a house, and there isn't any marketing outside that says Boyd's. I called and they were like, yes it's the house, come on in. For people who know... this place is a Mecca. I spent 10 years in Austin, and went to every guitar shop we had. First of all, Collings (built in ATX), you might find a shop with 3 MAYBE 4 of them in some of Austin's best shops. Boyd's got a whole wall full of them. I've never been in a shop with more "holy grail" type guitars in one place before in my life. Greg's got guitars on floor stands that would be on the top shelf in the locking hanger at 99% of the "really good" guitar shops in the country. Man, what's even more impressive than that, he came and sat down with me, had me play a bunch of different guitars (guitars that I thought I'd never get a chance to see out in the wild)... and he was so down to earth, and nonchalant about the level of inventory he was holding. I know it's not a facade because the kids that work there have no clue ... they're so desensitized. Hahaha Even better: he wants players to play the guitars. This is hard to come by when you're talking about guitars that are for connoisseurs. A lot of times, when you get to the master-builder, Brazilian rosewood back and sides... aka Rolex of guitars... there aren't many shop owners that are quick to hand them to you. Uh by the way... I saw guitars on the wall that on reverb would have been listed for 150 - 175% of what Greg had them listed for. I mean, from what I can tell... Norman's Rare, Carters Vintage, and Boyd's Fine are the top 3 in the country. Honestly, there isn't too much about this place online... I knew he was holding some unicorns, I didn't know he had a whole shop full of them. It's the best guitar shop i've ever been to... oh yea, and he kept the shop open for another hour for me. So, I'm going to do business with Greg.