Tech: Pete Back Guitars

Subject: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 28 Jan 09 - 12:47 PM

Does anybody know if Pete Back is still making guitars. Does anybody have an opinion on the their quality?

Cheers

L in C

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 30 Jan 09 - 01:05 PM

I have learned that he is, but does not currently have a website.

L in C

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 01:52 PM

Still seeking info on his guitars ..............

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Raggytash
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 03:53 AM

Been to his workshop in Reeth some tears ago, beautiful looking guitars, didn't play them enough to comment in any depth on their quality although the bit I did play sounded good

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 04:12 AM

Thanks Raggytash

L in C

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 03:41 PM

Hi I had a Flying V Bass made by Pete, it was amazing. Stainles scratch plate active pick-ups, I was a guitar player but was joining a band as a bass player. the 2 guys both had Pete Back Explorers.

Anyway it was stollen in Doncaster in the mid 90s, still looking for it.

He is a great guy..

Tony Landells

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 02:44 AM

Thanks Tony,

a friend of mine has a big acoustic made by Pete. I had a play of it yesterday and it sounds loud and mellow. It would be good to hear somebody play it really well

L in C

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Raggytash
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 08:23 AM

Les
I been thinking since I last posted, I was up in Reeth doing a gig and wasn't happy with the set up of my Kinkade, Pete had it for 4 hours on a Sunday morning and it came back like a different instrument, I was contemplating having a serious look at one of his creations if mine couldn't be brought back to the standard it had been, so based on that they must have been pretty damned good guitars, I seem to recall they were very reasonably priced at the time.

Raggy

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 08:41 AM

Thanks Raggy, it's always good to find craftspeople like Pete making quality stuff that competes with famous names

cheers

Les

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Smyke
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 04:48 PM

I have a Pete Back SG shape bass that I bought from Pete's shop in Rotherham in the early 80's. The two guitarists in the band I was in at the time had Flying V's built to order by Pete.
They are all good guitars.
I have noticed his website has gone missing and wondered if he was still building guitars.
I found this Pete Back guitar for sale
http://www.musicland.co.uk/products/925

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 02:41 AM

Thanks Smyke, he is still in business but doesn't use a website (!) A friend of mine has a Back acoustic and was rtying to get some idea of its value

L in C

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,David
Date: 07 May 09 - 05:07 PM

He's retiring again. If you're quick, you may get a bargain. I did.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,j w grummett
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 05:45 PM

pete back now has a wall page on face book

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: C-flat
Date: 04 Mar 11 - 02:24 PM

Back in the late 80's Pete made me a guitar just as he was toying with the idea of selling up his Sheffield hardware business and returning to his previous occupation as a luthier.
I persuaded him that he should get back into it after he showed me his old scrapbook of guitars he'd made in the past. Some wonderful instruments and as I recall, some famous endorsments.
I've played a lot of Pete Back guitars and they're of a high standard. Mostly made to order with a neck profile to suit the customers specification, I always thought they were good value.
I haven't seen Pete in years but anyone who knows him knows he's a straight-talking honest Yorkshireman and a gentleman too.
I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend him or his guitars.
C-flat

I seem to remember Pete had a son who played guitar in a big name Sheffield-based rock band whose name escapes me? No relevance to the topic, just a passing aside.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 10:38 AM

Had Pete make me a 7 string Jem-type guitar in the mid-nineties when they weren't readily available elsewhere.

While Pete was indeed very pleasant to deal with he experienced some problems getting trem parts and pickups sorted and rather than being honest about time delays, he fobbed me off, avoided my calls and, I think, hoped I would just go away.

Anyway, a 4 month job eventually took a year and 4 months and when the guitar came he had not only ignored most of the small cosmetic touches I had requested, but also the tip of the headstock had snapped off in transit.

The guitar actually played quite well, to a point, although the fret work wasn't that good - biggest problem was the edges hadn't been filed properly and they had a tendency to snag the player's fingers.

I still have the guitar, although it hasn't aged well at all. Despite numerous pro setups the action is very very high beyond the 12th fret and lowering it causes choke points down low.

It was £600 and almost certainly not worth the hassle when you look at what that kind of money gets you these days.

To be honest, I can't really imagine why anyone would go chasing these guitars, but if you are looking for the culprit, I would imagine you'll find him pulling the levers at petebackguitars.com the "unofficial" fanpage.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Jose
Date: 03 Jun 11 - 08:42 AM

I have a pete back guitar, model Burns, is there anybody interesting?

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,guest rhcp
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 03:26 PM

ive just bought a 1981-82 pete back custom special double cut away electric guitar with a natural finish alder body with a 7 piece laminated thru neck and i can say it is the best guitar i have ever played. a truly brilliant instrument

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 09:46 AM

I played a very nice old-ish (maybe 20 - 25 years) Pete Back acoustic a couple of weeks ago. An exceptional instrument in every way - sound, styling, finish, you name it. I think it needs a neck-reset - fair bit of relief, the action's low and so's the saddle - but I reckon if that was done, it would be stellar.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 09:48 AM

"the action's low and so's the saddle"

Duh, stoopid.........the action's high and the saddle's low!

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Chris near Bristol
Date: 04 Oct 11 - 01:07 PM

I did 6 hours of driving to get a Pete Back jumbo acoustic (F50/SJ200 type thing) prob made mid 2000's.

Typical Yorkshire fashion: solid, straight, no nonsense, bit rough in places, will take years to completely loosen up, but full of character & has a life & personality of it's own. Practically writes it's own songs. Love it!

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 04 Oct 11 - 01:27 PM

Chris, with no disrespect to Pete Back Guitars, you could have stayed local and bought a Kinkade, fabulous instruments !

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Chris near Bristol
Date: 04 Oct 11 - 04:03 PM

Ooh yeah love to have the spare £2000+ to spend on a top quality custom Kinkade, Waghorn etc.

The Pete Back jumbo cost £500 second-hand, seems like a good bargain by comparison.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 04 Oct 11 - 06:39 PM

Fairy Snuff, point taken

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Graham
Date: 02 Dec 11 - 08:55 AM

Had a custom fretless bass made by pete I used to play in a few bands with his son sold the bass to buy a keyboard....Big mistake wish I had it back

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 14 - 12:57 PM

Hi No I retired 4 years Ago

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,CJ
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 04:55 AM

Hi, I have an acoustic guitar made by Pete Back. I bought it in 2001. It looks beautiful and very large! I would like to know its approximate value.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,ian nicholls
Date: 13 Apr 15 - 06:25 PM

hi i bought a super strat from doncaster it turned out it used to be pete backs sons.green maple top seymour duncans gotoh trem maple fret board.fantastic guitar still got it to this day.i was so impressed i visited pete where he confirmed it used to be his sons guitar, i got him to build the same guitar for my wife but left handed.later i got him to build me another orange super strat which i later sold due to desparetly wanting a 7 string.this was about 10 years ago,apart from the wifes guitar having very sharp fret edges i always thought his work was fantastic and a reasonable price.i wish i could get him to build me a 7 string guitar now.all the best pete.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Musket
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 02:47 AM

I preferred Pete's electrics to acoustics. When I lived in Sheffield years ago he used to set guitars up, and was reasonable cost too I recall.

Thanks to old links etc, Electro Music in Donny often have the odd second hand guitar of his.

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: Musket
Date: 14 Apr 15 - 02:56 AM

Of course, if you play rock, you tend to have the guitar low slung covering your crotch....

I never owned it but thought about doing so once...

Pete Back to Front

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Shelley Back
Date: 03 Nov 15 - 08:35 AM

Hi everyone. I'm just wondering if anyone has a Pete Back guitar they are selling or know of anywhere I can get one? I've searched the whole internet and can't find any anywhere!

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,CHRIS LEE
Date: 13 Sep 16 - 04:43 PM

when i was a kid in the 70,s ,my old man bought 3 of his guitars , he made beautiful instruments ,,from what i remember he built for many named bands ,Thin Lizzy being one of them ..he supplied guitars on their 1977 tour , i owed a natural
coloure sg ..with gibbo pickups ,,,a ibianez artist style guitar , that scot gorhrem used and pete made me a white fire bird ...saddly at some point in my 20s i sold them in A1 MUSIC MANCHESTER ..a stupied youthful move just to buy a gibbo les paul ..if any one has a white fire bird ...style guitar in the manchester area , dot inlays ..please get in touch with me ..or a clear ash sg pete back ,with gibbo pickups , please email me [e-mail] ...the sad news is i did here he had passed away 5 or so years ago ..he had retired , and was enjoying time with his family and grandkids ..and seemed happy to be taking it easy ,,i did mail he before he passed ..so glad of that for the record , pete was a One of craftsman ...he did things at his own pace , and his instruments were a labour of love ..x many happy memories of him at his little shop in rotherham xxx REST IN PEACE PETE ..... if you have one of his instruments hang on to it ....x

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Ray in st helens
Date: 20 Sep 16 - 08:23 AM

Pete Back retired in 2010,leaving his workshop in teeth to live in Richmond, think I bought the last guitar he sold, for my sons 21st birthday!

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Graham trow
Date: 13 Jan 17 - 03:24 PM

I have the last guitar he built a very nice les paul

Subject: RE: Tech: Pete Back Guitars
From: GUEST,Rod Kirkham
Date: 30 Aug 18 - 07:47 PM

I have recently bought a Pete Back "Thinline Tele" It needs a bit doing a good set up. Really looking forward to playing it. It certainly looks interesting ??