Open Bench: your bench in our workshop

Open Bench lets anyone who has taken a Red Star course rent a bench in our Cross in Hand workshop for the day, for £90. It's your time to put what you've learned into practice on your own guitar, with full use of our hand tools. It isn't a lesson, but we're working alongside you, so you're welcome to run the occasional question past us. Open Bench runs on the first three Tuesdays of each month, 09:30 to 17:30.

What can I work on? Your own guitar or project, using the skills from your course. The one rule: no painting or finishing.

How do I book? Pick a Tuesday in the booking calendar on this page.

Students on a guitar setup course working on electric guitars around the workshop bench
A tutor talking a group of students through a guitar setup at the workshop bench
A student checking a white Stratocaster-style guitar during the setup course
A tutor showing a guitar to students around the workshop bench

our other courses…

Create the instrument you’ve always wanted

learn how to give your frets a new lease of life

discover how to shape the tone of your own pickups

The full luthier experience