Fretted Instrument Workshop

Cool spot with great service & solid selection! Tony gave my guitar some much needed love. I highly recommend Fretted Instrument Workshop!
FYI - it's upstairs, accessed by the door next to a.j Hastings with #49 on it.

Great selection of guitars, mandolins, and banjos at all prices. Bought an inexpensive mandolin, and it was very well set up saving me a lot of pain over buying one online.

Great selection of instruments, friendly staff, great repairs. The owner is a fixture in the local community and knows his stuff -- when he fixed my banjo, he even knew to ask questions about my playing style to get it set up right. Highly recommend

Absolutely love this store! The owner tony is incredibly knowledgeable and will take time to make you feel at home. Whether you're there to get your guitar repaired, buy yourself a banjo, or simply admire the vast selection of vintage instruments, you'll have an enjoyable experience

None better. Going to Fretted Instruments is a treat in itself. Old school knowledge and love for stringed instruments.

First class.🎸

Tony has been working on my Guild guitar for 45 years with support from great staff. A buzz issue cropped up in the course of recent maintenance on my guitar. At repeated labor & materials expense to himself, Tony kept on trouble shooting until the problem was identified and fixed. Having also bought a bass uke & amp from Fretted Instruments, I highly recommend FIW.

Owner was very knowledgeable about guitars and famous blues guitarists. My only disappointment was that he only had 1 left handed guitar in the entire place. He probably had a thousand guitars in his tiny shop. Place is hard to find, hidden on the second floor of a hard to see location. But definitely worth the visit - unless you are a lefty.

Amazing collection of guitars, banjos, and mandolins, excellent repair services, custom string assortments.

Went in the shop and the repair person thoughtfully and thoroughly examined my acoustic guitar and found what needed to be repaired. Fast and easy. I will definitely be returning for my repairs.

Excellent service in my opinion, as a buyer of a beginner guitar. They offer two basic options, the least expensive Cort and more expensive but excellent value for the money Eastman line. This made for an easy, simple buying experience. I later shopped around. These really are some of the best beginner options. I went back, bought the Eastman PCH1 and couldn't be happier with it. They gave me advice about care and patiently answered my questions. Recommend highly!

Although I’ve met him or ever set foot in his shop, and was dealing with him by phone from 3,000 miles away, I was completely confident in dealing with Tony. I was looking for a used National Model D squareneck, and he had something even better ... a “new old stock” guitar. (National stopped building them in 2010.) He put some new strings on it, polished up the cover plate, put in its case, and boxed it up securely. He notified me as soon as it shipped. Everything went well; it arrived unscathed and almost perfectly in tune. And although my guitar was in the store for more than ten years, it does not have a single ding, nick or scratch. Although I wish I could have worked with a local small business, I highly recommend Fretted Instrument Workshop!

Sounds like some of the reviewers need a hug.
Never had a bad experience at Fretted Instrument Workshop, in fact I have played many great guitars there. Bought several of them. The owner is not a typical salesman, he is a player and a musician himself. I don't mind not having some guy hanging over my head while I audition guitars. To each their own.

Outstanding service. Brought a Martin guitar in for setup and strings. It was done while I waited. Had a great conversation. They are the primary care physician for my guitar Cecilia . Great vintage guitars and banjos to look at. They also can do warranty work on Martin guitars.

Knowledgeable staff. Friendly, prompt, reasonable prices. Had work done to an electric bass guitar. Very happy with the work. I will return to this store for all future service needs. Highly recommended!

FIW has done extensive work on my vintage D 18 for three decades, including straightening the neck, a difficult and demanding job. I have been completely satisfied on all counts. I would trust them with any kind of stringed instrument repair. They are honest and know what they are doing.

For years I have been on a mission to visit all of the truly great American guitar shops before they succumb to the internet.
The FIW is a wonderful example of this endangered species.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone with more knowledge than it's soft-spoken, self effacing proprietor, Tony Creamer.
As a lover of all stringed instruments, I was like a kid in a candy shop.
The upstairs shop in the heart of Amherst, MA is a comfortable place to visit.

Amazing shop with a huge variety of vintage guitars. They don't seem to have many "beginner" instruments, but if you want a good older instrument, this is the place to go. They also do repairs, but I've never used that particular service.

A unique music shop specializing in fretted instruments and beautiful old guitars.

I had strings put on my childhood guitar here and purchased a harmonica.

Great collection of vintage stringed instruments. Tony is a nice guy, who gave me options on a repair/set-up, and was willing to work within my limited budget. Job was done on time.

Just had frets replaced and a buzz removed. Guitar has never been better. Excellent workmanship, fair price for skilled work.