Guest Luthier Series - Peter Crossley (Crossley Guitars)

[Peter Crossley]

Peter, on the question about "woods that were off-limits", I think it was slightly vague the answer, does that mean that only endangered woods are off-limits, nothing has every consistently just "sucked" to where it's on the "do not use" list, or a mix of both.

Also, as for the prog-guitar... what's a G3-switch?, and what's it look like? (pics!)

Jason

sorry Jason, also getting a little fuzzy,
yes timbers that are CITES listed are definetly no-go.
of all the timber out there, probably only 5% is any good for guitars building. a lot of it is just plain wrong, no tone, etc.
If its used for building a house/boat/pier its no good for a guitar. generally speaking of course.

A G3 is a midi system.
makes a guitar sound like a synthesiser, or a banjo, or a piano, or a police siren etc.

[Evan Skopp]

Is there one final question for Pete?

[elscorcho]

Hey Peter:
I had to work all day..... But hurried to my computer to read your answers and get a quick "thank you" in.....and also tell you how much I admire your work!
Thanks so much for spending all night here and helping make this such agreat place!
Ron

[crusty philtrum]

no question, just a suggestion....GO TO BED, PETE.......


and thank you.

[Evan Skopp]

Evan,
Thank you for the opportunity to share a little of my life on the other side of the world with a bunch of great people.
I have really enjoyed my time here tonight/today even though I am a little weary at the moment.

Thanks to everybody for the great questions, what you have done in many cases tonight is make me look at what I am doing, and my principles and reasons for doing it. It really has been an eye opener for myself, and I thank you again for this opportunity.

I hope you all have a great evening, as I watch the sun come up. Isnt the world a crazy place !!!!

Cheers
Pete

Pete, the thanks is mine, or should I say ours. You've outdone yourself with very thoughtful answers to a litany of disparate questions. And you've done a great job to kick off the Guest Luthier Series.

You've left a tough act to follow. I'll announce next week's Guest Luthier tomorrow.

The guitar strap was won by KeeperOS in a random drawing (PM sent).

Also, thanks to everyone who posted in this thread and even those who just lurked. I think this kind of dialogue between builders and the public can be very beneficial for both sides.

I'll keep this thread up in the Guitar Shop for a few days and then Vault it.

[Peter Crossley]

Pete, the thanks is mine, or should I say ours. You've outdone yourself with very thoughtful answers to a litany of disparate questions. And you've done a great job to kick off the Guest Luthier Series.

You've left a tough act to follow. I'll announce next week's Guest Luthier tomorrow.

The guitar strap was won by KeeperOS in a random drawing (PM sent).

Also, thanks to everyone who posted in this thread and even those who just lurked. I think this kind of dialogue between builders and the public can be very beneficial for both sides.

I'll keep this thread up in the Guitar Shop for a few days and then Vault it.

Thanks guys,
had a ball,

now its sleepy time for Petey........................................

[KeeperOS]

Peter fearing that you won't get to read this until perhaps tomorrow I really wanted to thank you for taking the time (and in my case patience) to open up your soul as well as our minds.

I always had a great admiration of your work but now that I think I understand you a tiny bit better I start to have admiration for the man behind the work as well...

My most hear-felt thanks for today Pete as well as Evan and the rest of the SD team!

Oh, and Pete, sleep tight

[75lespaul]

Hello Peter,

If you're reading this sometime after getting some rest, thank you VERY much. I wired an Antiquity straight to the output jack of my Les Paul like you suggested and it sounded fantastic. All new electronics it will be!

Thank you again,
Mario

[ganzosrevenge]

Peter, Thank you so much for everything. I learned a lot (now I want a G3 in my strat ;-)). Get some rest, you've earned it.

Jason

[tone4days]

peter - i'm late checking in but read it all and LOVED it - thanks for a great session ... very generous of you - first pint's on me if i ever make it down under

cheers
t4d

[Ayrton]

I missed the question part, but thank you so much Peter for sharing.

[Iron Horse]

Thanks again, Peter!

[scandoslav]

AUGH I missed this. Well, I'll just go ahead and ask my (non-live) questions anyways. If they don't get answered before this gets vaulted fair enough.

1) You mentioned two big machines you'd like to add. What are they?

2) You've worked in a number of scales; do different scales mean different considerations in terms of wood/pickups/anything else? I'm particularly interested in the 24" scale.

3) You said you found this place after meeting Seymour and Evan; how'd that end up happening in the first place and how'd it go?

Like I said I understand if these don't get answered. Thank you for taking part in this, I am definitely illuminated after reading this thread!

[dr. ad]

good questions, hopefully pete might catch them before the thread's vaulted?

[grumptruck]

I love Fusion !!!

We are lucky here in Australia to have a great fusion player by the name of Brett Garsed.
Brett plays one of my Hollow H series guitars.
That has a mahgoany body, maple top, pacific ebony fretboard, Queensland maple neck.

I really like the combination of mahogany and maple, it takes the nice tones from each timber and blends them into a great tone.
maybe a cooktown ironwood fretboard to mellow up the sound a touch more..

I would like to try a guitar that is completely made from Queensland maple. That could be a fusion beast.

Yeah I like Brett Garsed on Planet X. He sounds much better than Tony Macapline.

[Peter Crossley]

AUGH I missed this. Well, I'll just go ahead and ask my (non-live) questions anyways. If they don't get answered before this gets vaulted fair enough.

1) You mentioned two big machines you'd like to add. What are they?

2) You've worked in a number of scales; do different scales mean different considerations in terms of wood/pickups/anything else? I'm particularly interested in the 24" scale.

3) You said you found this place after meeting Seymour and Evan; how'd that end up happening in the first place and how'd it go?

Like I said I understand if these don't get answered. Thank you for taking part in this, I am definitely illuminated after reading this thread!

1)The Machines would be a large bed table saw and a 20" thicknesser

2) No the scale length doesnt require a different timbers or pups, its just a smaller fret spacing.

3) Seymour and Evan did a tour of Australia a while back, organised by the distributor of SD pickups. I knew the distributor Steve, and they organised a meet & greet day followed by a jam. Was a good day.

Cheers
Pete

[beandip]

Pete, thanks a lot from the bottom of my heart. To some of these guys, it's just a learning experience. To me, it's looking into the future...

[Peter Crossley]

Pete, thanks a lot from the bottom of my heart. To some of these guys, it's just a learning experience. To me, it's looking into the future...

All Good mate,

Its great that you know what you want to do in life. I'm sure you be a success..
Keep the faith bro...

[Ayrton]

Pete, if you get a chance for this (very) late question.

When you do a taped binding finish, what procedure are you doing to prevent the stain from bleeding?

Like this...

[Peter Crossley]

to prevent a taped, or natural binding getting bleed into it from the top colour.
Ok first really polish the timber so that it shines, Go through the grits, finishing off with say 800, then hit it with 00 steel wool, then 0000 steel wool, hold the body to the light, it should gleam.
Now mix up a batch of wash coat. This is 1 part boiled (clarified) linseed oil to 9 parts mineral turpentine.
put a fair bit onto the body and rub in with an old piece of denim. Keep rubbing, this will increase the shine of the guitar top.
what you are doing here is sealing the ends of the cells in the timber.

Get ready with your stain. roll up into a small ball a piece of t shirt material.
the ball should be about the diameter of one of your American Quarters.

Oh I forgot a step. wear latex gloves, unless you like the idea of very stained fingers for a couple of weeks !!!

now put another coat of the washcoat on the guitar top.

rub it in again but not completely, should feel a little oily.

now with your small ball of t shirt, get the stain onto that and rub the stain from the middle of the top to the edges.
Dont mask off the sides of the guitar, you are doing it all by hand here.

Take your time, and make sure that the stain does not get stripey. So keep that ball moving.

Its all done by hand.

It does take nerves of steel, and a self belief in your own ability, but its how I do mine, and they dont bleed.

If you do get a bit of stain onto the edge, dont worry, sand paper will take it out.
let it dry a bit first, dont try to remove it with thinners, as this will push the stain further into the wood.

Oh the reason I dont use tape, is that the adhesive on masking tape (even the good stuff) will wick the stain under it, making more of a mess than no tape at all.
Capilliary action. Not what we are after.....

Good Luck !!!

Pete


Better make this the last one, or it could keep going on for ever !!!!