Buying a violin from Mr. Moen was, quite simply, one of the most enjoyable and satisfying experiences I've ever had of buying something you can hold in your hands. Earlier this year, I found his name while searching for someone local who could sell my family a violin by Scott Cao, Snow, or Eastman. I couldn't find anyone else closer than Toledo that sells any of these highly-regarded names. I understand that Eastman makes some violins under other names, but it's hard to shop that way. We liked Mr. Moen's selection better than that of Shar and other sellers we looked at. Many vendors have larger showrooms with a larger total number of choices, but the combination of quality and price was much better with Moen. He also makes his own violins, after a thorough apprenticeship. We didn't try those, as we were looking for a relatively simple intermediate-level violin. But his expertise and friendly nature are just amazing. The violin we chose sounded better than others we tried elsewhere that cost 2-3 times more, so I'm guessing his set-up skills are a lot better than those of non-luthiers. And for anyone that has never met a pleasant and fun lawyer, be aware that he's also an attorney who specializes in assisting musicians and music organizations! After hearing this, it gave me an excuse to bombard him with a dozen more questions, none directly related to the instruments he sells :) He answered them all without the slightest grimace. read more