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Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

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  • #31
    Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

    Hey Peter,

    This is outstanding, especially since you're staying up all night to do this (please stay away from the machinery tomorrow LOL.)

    1. Where/how did you begin to acquire the requisite knowledge to build your own unique designs? Books? Internet? Trial and error?

    2. How do you do your top carves? By hand? Machine? Mix of hand tools and machine?

    3. How greatly do templates and story sticks feature in your build process? Do you have a template for the entire guitar, or just the significant features? (body contour, pickup routes, bridge location, fret slots, etc.)

    4. Given the choice of being machine only or hand tool only, which of the two would you choose? Why?
    I started out with nothing...and I still have most of it left.

    Comment


    • #32
      Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

      Hi Pete

      Are they Schaller roller bridges that you use?

      Are you in Melbourne?

      If so, want me to come round and make the coffee? (I just got up, at 1 a.m., hehe)
      Lumbering dinosaur (what's a master volume control?)

      STALKER NO STALKING !

      Comment


      • #33
        Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

        Originally posted by ganzosrevenge View Post
        Having seen some of the work you have done, are there ever times where a wood combination, or a guitar / pickup combination just makes you ask yourself "what is this customer on?!".

        Also, have there ever been guitars where for one reason or another you have just been like "how am I going to make this wood do this shape / design?"

        What's the hardest wood to work with (in a crack-prone / hardness / doesn't want to do anything you want it to sense)

        What was your favorite guitar to work on, and why (more than one answer = fine)
        yes there are customers that do ask for strange things.....
        I find gentle guidance is the best resort. sometimes however you just gotta say NO!!!!!
        The nice things about so called "tone timbers" is that they are primarily selected for their resonance, but also their workability.
        The worst timber I have worked with in regard of splitting etc is Tasmanian Blackwood. It really is brittle. But if you take your time, it all works out in the end.

        I think the favorite guitars, have been the protypes of the P and H series and the hollow P series. Its always a buzz to design something and then bring it to fruition.
        www.crossleyguitars.com

        Comment


        • #34
          Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

          There a couple of amateur luthiers on here. Some like myself, just build the bodies, do the finish work and buy the necks and others do the whole thing. You are obviously in a different category to most with the skill level of your work.

          If you had to impart one or two things on us to improve our skills, what would they be? Either strictly guitar related or wood working in general.
          Originally posted by Empty Pockets
          yngwie sounds like an orchestra of cartoon bees.

          Comment


          • #35
            Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

            Originally posted by super rad stuff View Post
            who is that woman in your avatar?

            thats a secret agent girl.......................
            www.crossleyguitars.com

            Comment


            • #36
              Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

              Originally posted by Mr Wolf View Post
              Hmm, a minor curiosity... what are those bridges? I've only ever seen them on your guitars

              The bridges are Schaller 3DS roller bridges.
              German made, really good quality.
              www.crossleyguitars.com

              Comment


              • #37
                Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                Are you strictly a builder, or do you repair as well?

                Do you offer your guitars through stores (possibly on cosignment?), or is everything built to order?

                You'd answered a question about SS fretwire and tone, but how do you like it's workability?

                What is your prefered method of crowinging frets? A fret file, or do you use the traditional 3 corner file and round?

                Do you build completely custom guitars as well (customer's body style, neck profile, nut width, etc)?

                You wouldn't happen to have any pictures of the first three builds, would you?

                What type of heel do you use to mount your necks?

                Do you use a negative neck pitch like the Les Paul, or is it more of a flat surface such as a Strat or Tele?

                You've mentioned breaking out and doing an archtop, have you given thought to a traditonal acoustic? I'm sure with the amount of tools you have, you'd only need a side bender, and possibly a good set of chisels.

                Thos Japanese pull cut saws are wonderful aren't they? I talk about them with my grandfather every chance I get (long, but funny story)

                Have you thought about expanding your opperation to allow other's to work with you as well? All building on the Crossley platform? Or possibly branching out to include other models?

                Are your instruments serialized? So that you can keep track of what guitar had what, who it went to and when?

                I don't care to know who the woman in your avatar is, but I would like to know where I might find a larger photo.
                This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. - St. Augustine of Hippo

                Comment


                • #38
                  Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                  Originally posted by Iron Horse View Post
                  Hi Peter, I really appreciate you pros doing this kind of thing. Of course we can and should get books on the subject etc, but this is a great way to learn about guitar building.
                  Anyway, what are your favorite neck/fretboard woods to use with certain desgins/body woods ?
                  Also, how come you use the bridges you have in the guitars (no trems, no TOMs, not exactly like Fender HT's)?
                  Again my fave neck timbers are the Queensland maple/ebony or cooktown ironwood combo's
                  Although I have used a fair few American maple necks, which I also really like.
                  They are different in tone, the American maple tends to be that little bit brighter. its good to mix up with a heavier body timber like ash or alder.
                  The bridges I use are based on efficieny of design. I just love things that are designed well. Schaller make some great bridges. I do use TOM's, but they are a Schaller roller saddle TOM called a STM bridge, I like the Schaller Hannes bridges, like on the Rybeena burst guitar in the above pix.
                  I do tremolos occasionally... Mainly Wilkinson Contemporary 5+1
                  I have tried a few others in the past, which I disliked. mainly the two post types. These trems tend to be very unstable.
                  I like a bridge to be stable and precise. If its not I feel it somehow compromises the instrument.
                  www.crossleyguitars.com

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                    What a great idea Evan. THANKS!!!

                    Thanks to you too Pete for the Q&A session.

                    Recently I saw online an interview with Paul Hamer telling how his trip to Woodstock in 1969 eventually lead to his company Hamer Guitars. Was there an artist or musical event that made you pick up the guitar and eventually build them?
                    Aint no pro but I know what I like....
                    Guitar to sound output:
                    Hamer, Dean, or Various, Levy's straps, Dunlop straplock/picks, Daddarrio strings 10-46, Duncan, Dimarzio, Mogami, Monster, MojoDrive pedal on occasion, Marshall, Crate, Vox, Mesa Boogie, Black Shadow Celestions, Eminence,..

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                      Hey Pete, at first I was not sure whether I should post since I'm not that knowledgeable about all things luthier nor did I feel I had a question that wouldn't be asked by somebody else (and indeed most were both asked and answered already) but in the end I think I'll be a little selfish and ask about what I'm personally interested in

                      So, as you might have gathered I am a Rock/Metal player at heart (albeit not a very proficient one...).
                      Thing is if I were asked how my perfect guitar would be like I would spend an exhaustive amount of time describing the neck, a few minutes describing the wiring scheme but when the time would come to choose woods then there'd be a complete blank...
                      I know some attributes of the famous woods that I like/dislike but I'm not really that sure that I'd be successful in choosing a right combo for what I have in mind.

                      I like a fast attack (like with Ash/Maple) and the greatest definition/note separation possible, good sustain, a full but tight bottom and mids that never become overpowering but still cut through the mix with ease. I'm not especially fond of shrill highs but I always seem to reach for more treble rather than mids at the amp, resulting in a "hollow" EQ.

                      Which woods would YOU choose for a trem HH guitar that would yield IYO the best results? (ANY woods)

                      Also, while on the subject, I know your dislike for trems but I can't help it, a lot of my personal technique comes from use of the trem, either for flutter effects or diving before/after a bend. A trem however IMO must lie flush with the body and is only useful to me for dives - I don't need pull-ups when I can bend.
                      On the other hand I always seem to like a Floyd Rose best, not so much for locking the strings (I HATE locking nuts with a passion because of what they do to the tone) but because of the added mass that improves sustain and lows as well as for the fine tuners (which even with a conventional nut I much prefer as they are much more precise that headstock tuners plus there's the added bonus of not fearing of a string binding at the nut during fine-tuning).

                      What would be your trem of choice for a player such as I that you'd feel would have the best combination of stability, usability (see fine tuners) and tone?

                      EDIT: Sorry for the long post but I couldn't find a quicker way to describe what I wanted...
                      Last edited by KeeperOS; 09-01-2009, 09:36 AM.
                      Originally posted by Blue_Fingers_Jay
                      I prefer cheaper guitars, nothing is as cool as a cheap guitar that sounds awesome.
                      Originally posted by That90'sGuy
                      Not all guitars are created equal, so make sure it sings and if it does, you'd be silly to pass it up.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                        Originally posted by pzaxtl View Post
                        Hey Peter,

                        This is outstanding, especially since you're staying up all night to do this (please stay away from the machinery tomorrow LOL.)

                        1. Where/how did you begin to acquire the requisite knowledge to build your own unique designs? Books? Internet? Trial and error?

                        2. How do you do your top carves? By hand? Machine? Mix of hand tools and machine?

                        3. How greatly do templates and story sticks feature in your build process? Do you have a template for the entire guitar, or just the significant features? (body contour, pickup routes, bridge location, fret slots, etc.)

                        4. Given the choice of being machine only or hand tool only, which of the two would you choose? Why?
                        1. Yes books mainly, but also the net has some great things on lutherie.
                        a killer book to get started with is "Make your own Electric Guitar" by Melvyn Hiscock. Melvyn is an English luthier and has really nailed a lot of stuff.
                        And yes trial and error is the greatest teacher of all.

                        2. I do my top carves by putting a pencil line where the peaks are, and then using wood rasps to roughly carve the shape, then bastard files, then 100 grit papers. Its all hand done.

                        3,I have templates for the body shapes. these are used to first draw out the shape on the assembled body blank, this is then cut out on the band saw, to within around 2mm outside of the line. The template is then stuck onto the body blank with 3M double sided tape, and sent through a spindle cutter that has been adapted as a heavy duty table router.
                        Now this machine is one evil sonofa***** and will eat any body parts recklessly placed in its path. It has also destroyed some nice maple tops.......
                        but its quick, and providing a clear head is used its efficient. Deadly, but efficient.
                        The pickup routs, neck pocket routs, tremolo routs, control cavity routs all have individual templates. I make all of my templates from 8mm thick Marine Ply.
                        I split my top timbers with my bandsaw, these are then sanded through a conveyor drum sander, and bookmatched on a 6" jointer.

                        4. even though my guitars are "hand built", there is obviously a component of machine work involved. This speeds up the process, and I suppose its ultimate expression is the CNC machine, which is what all the major manufacturers use as the primary tool, cuttiong not only bodies but necks also.
                        Good question..
                        I think I have the balance OK, although there are one or two more large machines I would like........
                        www.crossleyguitars.com

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                          Originally posted by crusty philtrum View Post
                          Hi Pete

                          Are they Schaller roller bridges that you use?

                          Are you in Melbourne?

                          If so, want me to come round and make the coffee? (I just got up, at 1 a.m., hehe)
                          yeah mate Schaller is the go............

                          coffee is flowing like water as I write.....

                          Cheers
                          Pete
                          www.crossleyguitars.com

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                            Hello Pete and thank you for donating your sleep time to us.

                            A lot of guys are going to be sick of seeing this post but I guess one more time won't hurt, eh?

                            I've got a 1975 Les Paul custom pancake and all the pickups I've tried (Super Distortion, Antiquity, Moe'Jo, Dragonfire Distortion, Brobucker) except for the Brobucker sound thin and bright in this guitar. When I put them in other guitars, they sound great. The Brobucker sounds very good but still not quite there. It has an ebony neck and one of the posts for the bridge just falls out due to an ill advised "repair" over twenty years ago. I'm going to plug up the hole and redrill it this week to get a tight fit, but is this guitar just a bad sounding guitar? I don't know what value the pots are because they don't seem to be marked, but it does have the serial number which shows the year. I've been given a lot a great things to try from forum members but right now I'm flat broke and can't really afford to take it in for repair or to keep buying pickups, pots, caps, stuff like that. I'd like to see what you think.

                            Thank you sir,
                            Mario
                            My songs....enjoy! (hopefully )

                            http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=652921
                            or for older stuff too, but slower downloads
                            http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp...=301569&T=7414

                            Originally posted by DankStar
                            700 watts is ok for small clubs, but when you play with a loud drummer or at a medium-large sized venue, you really need 1,500-watts at least. no one should be left alive.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                              Thanks for the reply, I have to second that Melvyn Hiscock book, it's great.


                              How do you draw the body templates and such ? On a PC CAD software?
                              Guitars:
                              http://my.opera.com/KK91/albums/slideshow/?album=969652

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

                                Originally posted by scottish View Post
                                There a couple of amateur luthiers on here. Some like myself, just build the bodies, do the finish work and buy the necks and others do the whole thing. You are obviously in a different category to most with the skill level of your work.

                                If you had to impart one or two things on us to improve our skills, what would they be? Either strictly guitar related or wood working in general.
                                Great question..

                                where to start though..

                                I think having an open mind, talking to craftsmen of all types, they are just regular guys that are passionate about what they do, as such they are more than happy to talk to you about how they get the results and the steps involved.

                                Dream

                                I dont want to come across all hippy here but, the more you dream about a subject the more you get to understand the subject.

                                Passion

                                Love what you do. Share what you do with anyone that asks for assitance.

                                Do It

                                the worse thing that can happen is you end up making a piece of crap.
                                no one has suffered (except you), but the experience gained in making that piece of crap is invaluable, and the next one will be just that little bit less crappy...............
                                www.crossleyguitars.com

                                Comment

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