Custom-made musical instruments and repairs in peterborough

We are a Peterborough, Cambridgeshire based luthier shop specialising in custom
repairs and restoration, setups for Guitars, Mandolins and Banjos. We also offer a
custom-made guitar service.

about Us

Two reasons to choose our custom services:

We are experienced players of the whole range of instruments that we make and therefore understand players' individual needs.

We work with you to help you define your actual needs to ensure that the instrument we build, restore or repair is exactly what you want. No job is too small and a free estimate service is available.

Please contact us via the webform or call 07856 343137 to make an appointment.

What our customers say

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Barry

I wish I had found Leo a long time ago as I have wasted a lot of cash with so called professional guitar techs. Leo recently carried out a service on my Ibanez SR500 bass which, despite the attention of others, still had a few issues. I can honestly say that it has never played better in every respect. I will be dropping off my EDC700 next week for the same treatment. Many thanks Leo.

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Brian B

Having upgraded my guitar to an Eastman AC322CE which is a lovely instrument, I was surprised that the setup wasn't what I expected. I took the guitar to Leo and he very quickly identified the cause of the string buzz. Leo was able to to rectify the issues with the frets and kindly installed a better quality set of strings. The instrument is now sounding amazing and I'm enjoying my practice so much more!

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Gordon H

Found Crossfield Stringed instrument on a google search and I am so glad I did.
Quick story is that I have just acquired a banjo and have not played a stringed instrument for about 30 years and that was only a brief stint. My Grandson came round and twanged a string so hard that the string ended up in the wrong place and the bridge had moved.

Leo accepted the job willingly and set the bridge in its correct position as well as a few other things that I didn't know needed doing.
It is now sounding so much better....even though I have only actually "Played" it a few times before it got damaged.

I would highly recommend a visit to Leo if you have any problem with a stringed instrument

I will also hopefully be taking some lessons from Leo very soon.
A very competant and very helpful person

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Richard G

I purchased my forever mandolin in the knowledge that it would need some Luthier expertise due to its age and history. I found Crossfield String instruments online and spoke to Leo the business owner.

I asked for the mandolin to be set up and any irregularities corrected.

I left the mandolin with Leo and was really pleased that he emailed me complete details of the repair including all measurements as well as great quality photos of the work in progress.

I dropped off on Friday I received a completion email on the following Monday. I checked the mandolin and the workmanship is immaculate.
Leo then set up with all string to fret distances measured, and recorded for me.
The whole fretboard was also treated and new strings put on.
The mandolin sings.
The whole experience was nothing short of excellent. I even got to check out the various instruments currently being made by Leo dropping my mandolin in for repair turned into a really interesting hour.

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Brian B

I have a stock Yamaha acoustic guitar (FS820). As I’ve learnt more about playing the guitar well, I realized that it’s important to have your guitar set up correctly. I had a good email correspondence with Leo and visited his work shop. The workshop itself is very impressive and you can see the skill that Leo has just from other projects that he has on display. Leo recommended adjusting my strings and three of my frets (in addition to fitting a button to the neck for my strap). When I came to pick the guitar up, the difference was really surprising…it felt like a new and better quality instrument. The strings were easier to press and barring cords felt much more comfortable. Leo had also kindly oiled my fretboard and bridge which were both dry, which just rounded things off perfectly. I would have no hesitation in recommending him – he knows his instruments (not just guitar) and is genuinely passionate about the quality of his work.

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Ian D

My vintage Jedson banjo was unplayable due to the tuning pegs unable to hold tension. Leo replaced them with Leader Planetary tuners and generally refurbished the banjo. Now plays beautifully. Leo certainly knows his stuff.
Highly recommended.

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Paul D

I took a Gibson electric guitar to Leo to be setup properly. When I picked it up the playability and resonance of the guitar had been transformed and it now plays beautifully with wonderful resonance. Leo certainly knows and loves his job.

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Graham H

Had a fair amount of structural damage on my Taylor acoustic after it was accidently dropped. Leo was very realistic and talked me through what he could and couldn't do. Despite it turning out to be more difficult than expected he stuck to his original price. Leo's done a great job with the repair and my Taylor lives again. I would definitely recommend to others. Thanks again Leo

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Sam Wallace

Leo did an awesome job of finishing my Strat’s aftermarket neck with an amber tint, nitrocellulose lacquer and some fret/setup magic, all for a very reasonable price. It looks absolutely stunning now and of course plays beautifully. Thanks Leo!

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graham Dinsdale

Last week I took my authentic long-neck Turkish saz to Leo as I have had it for 45 years since leaving Turkey in the 1970s, and it needed some minor repairs including a new bridge , re-stringing and tuning. Collected it today and it looks and plays as good as new. It was the first saz Leo has ever worked on! Great work from a great craftsman. Can't recommend him high enough.

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Nick Habibi

Thought I needed a refret for my 1992 Ibanez RG; Leo was kind enough to explain that I just needed a fret dress and - less that two weeks later - it was done! Immaculate work, glassy frets and perfectly set up despite going up two string gauges, too! And he'd re-lacquered the maple fingerboard!A great person doing great work - very, very happy! Thank you! :).

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Barry Eley

I wish I had found Leo a long time ago as I have wasted a lot of cash with so called professional guitar techs. Leo recently carried out a service on my Ibanez SR500 bass which, despite the attention of others, still had a few issues. I can honestly say that it has never played better in every respect. I will be dropping off my EDC700 next week for the same treatment. Many thanks Leo.

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Brian Burke

This is my second time working with Leo at CSI. His standards are exemplary and he did a great job of eliminating significant fret buzz on my new Eastman guitar while also dialing in the set up to a much higher standard than the shop from which I bought the guitar. Leo has tremendous knowledge around stringed instruments and this is matched by his passion for music. Great job Leo, thank you!

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Tony Nurse

After an initial phone call to Leo, I dropped my Gibson SGJ in to him for a general fret dress and fret end tidy-up, as there is no neck binding on this guitar. The 'nut' was also too low and needed shimming. I like a low action and the guitar came back with a similar action as before but now without any fret buzz. As I play with a fair bit of overdrive, a little bit of fret buzz won't be an issue, so i'm going to try dropping the action a bit more. I don't expect any issues as Leo has done a great job.

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Matt Casey

I got in touch with Leo after I realised my clumsy attempts to setup my new strat were not giving good results. He rang me back the next morning and we had a good chat. Few days later and the guitar is back and is perfect. Action is beautiful and just how I wanted it. The tone is clear and resonant and the tuning and trem system is all adjusted to perfection. Leo also gave me lots of great tips and advice over the phone and was very understanding as this is my first real Stratocaster. Crossfield Stringed Instruments offers a wonderful service and genuine expert advice; one I will recommend and use again no question! Thanks again Leo.

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Jonathan Tan

Amazing job done on an unusual instrument - restoration and new fingerboard on a Japanese Lute (Shamisen) - Leo was willing to take on the job and displayed his skills in working on an instrument others would not touch. The end result looks like it has just rolled out of the workshop in Tokyo and plays like a dream! Many thanks.