Crossfield Stringed Instruments

Can't recommend Leo highly enough, I had an old acoustic with cracked bracing and uneven frets and he carefully talked me through all the work that needed doing, why the cracks had ocurred and ways to help prevent them happening in the future. The guitar is now amazing to play after a full repair and set up. Thank you!

Leo is fantastic, I has my custom shop Strat and Ibanez Jiva setup and changed from 9s to 10 gauge strings. He levelled all the frets and dressed them and made the action on both guitars perfect for me. I cannot recommend him highly enough, his work is worth every penny. Both guitars are completely different and one is 4x the price of the other, yet both were given exactly the same care and attention to the point where they both feel like they have been worked on by a master of their craft. I don't think I could trust anyone else to work on my guitars now. Not only is he a great luthier, he is also a great person. My partner dropped off my guitars to him and she doesn't play, yet he explained to her what work needed doing in a way that she understood and not in a condescending manner.

I decided my guitars, Epiphone les Paul (Slash (Snakepit) Signature model and my Crafter semi, had been resting in their cases in the attic for far too long, so decided to bring them out of retirement, however, both required some TLC. I found Leo through google and how pleased I was. Leo quickly sorted my Crafter however, the Les Paul was a different story. Although the body was in excellent condition (purchased mid to late 90s), it still had the cheaper electrics/pick ups. My fretboard also required a fair bit of work to sort the action out. My ask to Leo was to replace all the electrics with the best available Gibson (& Seymour Duncan) replacements. Leo gave me a shortlist of pickups to close from and I decided to go with the Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro APH-2S Humbucker Zebra Pickup Set with Slash Signature. Leo also fitted pre-wired Guitar wiring harness | 50s Les Paul 'Long Shaft' kit and new, Gibson style 'Speed' Control knob with embossed numbers for 5. 95mm 24 Spline USA spec pots, New Jack Plate, Schaller strap locks, Cream pick surrounds. The only issue was that when Leo received the pickups, although in the Slash Zebra alnico packaging, they were not Alnico II pros or indeed Slash ones and were in a poor state. Leo fought with the vendor and was able to return and purchase correct ones from a new vendor. Leo kept me informed at all stages of what he was doing. He even, due to some mobility issues, offered to deliver the finished guitar to me, some 40 miles away. It was a pleasure to meet such a genuine, knowledgeable and skilled gentleman. I am now in possession of my lovely Slash Snakepit epi LP. I was so impressed by Leo who always went above and beyond and unreservedly recommend him.Moreexpand_more

I took my Gibson RB250 banjo to Leo in a dismantled state, having tried to tinker with it myself in the quest for a livelier sound. I wondered if some major part change might be needed, but Leo changed the head and bridge, put new strings on and made a new bone nut. This, along with a set-up by someone who really knows what he is doing, made a dramatic difference to the sound. The banjo now has a sparkle that it did n't have previously. Besides this, Leo polished all the metal and re-finished parts of the woodwork to make the Gibson look as good as it sounds. I'm chuffed with my 'new' banjo and Leo was a pleasure to deal with. Extremely good value also! Many thanks Leo. John. .

An excellent job of re-fretting my hollowbody. A professional job with freindly service.

I discovered Leo’s company online and, having recently used his services, I found him to be a skilled craftsman and sage counsel. The fret wires on my acoustic guitar, which I’ve had for something like 15 or 20 years, had become sharp and I’d begun to catch my fingers on them whilst playing. Leo was able to address this along with so much more; he lowered the action, replaced the nut with a handmade bone item, repaired a couple of defective tuners, cleaned the guitar and oiled the frets. The results are fantastic and the instrument plays better than it ever has before. I am delighted with the results and can heartily recommend Leo’s services. .

Just quick thank you to Leo for work completed to my Eastman EZO OM acoustic. Love the sound of this guitar problem as always the profile of the neck. With Leo's knowledge and craftsmanship. The neck profile is now greatly improved together with frets re-dressed and fitting a Fishman pick-up. Is now an instrument I finding hard to put- down. Thank you once again Leo. From Norman. .

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! :).

My 1960s Admira Spanish guitar was badly cracked on the front. Leo replaced the front and inserted a new rosette. It now plays very well and should last another 60 years at least.

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.

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!

Leo has done a fantastic job on renovating our antique banjo, and bringing it back to life, would definitely recommend him.

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.

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. The work was dropped off on Friday I received a completion email on the following Monday. I checked the mandolin and the workmanship is immaculate. Work undertaken. Refixed and polished all loose frets. 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. I also found out that Leo teaches how to make your own musical instrument as well as one to one music lessons either in person or via Skype on more than one discipline.Moreexpand_more

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.

I have a stock Yamaha acoustic guitar (FS820) which I’ve been learning on for the better part of nine months now. I love my guitar and 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 a few days later 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.Moreexpand_more

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.

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. .

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.

Thankyou so much Leo for the fabulous work you’ve done on my guitar. It is heaps better to play and sounds great :D. A very happy customer!