Perfection pegs?

[polkat]

I have not yet tried the Perfection pegs or Pegheds, and I am wondering if they add any weight to the front of the neck?

[~ Ben Conover]

I've no idea, but I just ran out of pegs and I have two violins to finish.....

I prefer ebony pegs and I usually just buy good quality polised pegs, nothing fancy.

[andrew weinstein]

I've used the pegheds a few times now. Never did a comparison weight, but I suspect they weigh less. They work quite well, and you can get them with wood heads. The only problem in my mind is that string changing is slower, plus the reservations about gluing them in.

[BarryD]

I use the "Pegheads" quite a bit and have many happy customers. Chuck also has some with Titanium shafts that are really nice.

Gluing them in with just a tiny drop on the end of a tooth pick touched to the threads when you twist them in is all it takes. They are removable and you can even go back to wooden pegs if you wanted to.

Both of these are Pegheads.

[mcarufe]

I use the "Pegheads" quite a bit and have many happy customers. Chuck also has some with Titanium shafts that are really nice.

Gluing them in with just a tiny drop on the end of a tooth pick touched to the threads when you twist them in is all it takes. They are removable and you can even go back to wooden pegs if you wanted to.

Both of these are Pegheads.

Hi Barry,

I did a five string also and put PH and really love them especially in light of the fact that I am using metal strings. I don't event notice any weight difference between the 5 and four string models for that matter. I will get their actual wight later on if someone does not beat me to it. Question for Barry is how do you get over the reality that you will have a nice collection of treble side pegheads with the way they sell them in fours. I guess if I get the ambition after I make my next five string I could try to recut the threads and convert the treble side to work on the base side.

Mike

[davet]

4 Ebony violin pegs = 17.7g

4 Fine tuners = 20.8g

4 Perfection pegs = 29.8g

Ebony/Boxwood/Rosewood pegs all vary in weight. The choice to use or not use fine tuners on the tailpiece or how many fine tuners to use also varies. The distribution of weight on the scroll versus on the tailpiece is a subject for discussion (and has been discussed on this forum and others). The weight difference between regular pegs and Perfection pegs does not seem to be significant but some have indicated that they can notice the difference.

[BarryD]

I agree that the weight is a non-issue.

When I order from Chris I order 5 string sets so I get 2 bass side and 3 treble side.

Most of my customers that try them wonder how the ever lived without them in the past.

I can't speak for the Knilling "Perfection" pegs I have never used them.

They are the same design, which was created by Chris, but perfection has the made in China, I think.

Chris makes them in South Carolina

[Josh Henry]

I've installed a number of sets of the Knilling Perfection pegs with good success. I don't really like to call them perfection, because I don't think that they improve on a perfectly installed set of traditional pegs (meaning properly fit, sealed, adjusted, drilled, etc.).

The main arena that I think these pegs work very well in is in setting up a violin for someone that has arthritis in the fingers of the left hand. The perfection pegs are a 4:1 geared ratio (if I remember correctly) that turn very smoothly without having to push into the pegbox. For older (usually) folks that have joint stiffness, pain, or arthritis, the heads of these pegs are much easier to use than the very small fine tuner screws.

None of the people that use them have ever mentioned anything about the slightly additional weight of the pegs.

[Rokovak]

Have these pegs ever been finished to look like rosewood or boxwood or any other type of wood other than ebony? I know the pegheds can have wood heads installed but the bodies would (I assume) still be black.

[baroquecello]

Gluing them in with just a tiny drop on the end of a tooth pick touched to the threads when you twist them in is all it takes. They are removable and you can even go back to wooden pegs if you wanted to.

Both of these are Pegheads.

Just how easily are they removed in case you decide to change back? I'm asking since I'm considering buying some for my baroque cello, because since the pegs are used so frequently and more violently than on modern cellos, they tend to disform faster and I need adjustment every year, apart from the problems that arise with changes in air humidity. The fact that they need to be glued in is my only reservation against them....

[Michael_Molnar]

I installed a set of Pegheds years ago and did not use glue. I made sure that the thread was tight by reaming just enough material to get the thread started. They are magic.

[Darren Molnar]

I think the word glue scares a lot of people. And rightly so. But in this case, the glue acts more like a "loctite", which just basically puts some goo in the threads, so they won't loosen on their own. It's not supposed to be a permanent bond.

[BarryD]

Have these pegs ever been finished to look like rosewood or boxwood or any other type of wood other than ebony? I know the pegheds can have wood heads installed but the bodies would (I assume) still be black.

If you look at the two photos you will see one ebony and one set in rosewood. I am waiting on a set of boxwood that should be here any day. Again these are not from Knilling I buy them from the person that came up with the original design. He sold production rights to Knilling.

I select my pegs for a given violin and send them to Chuck at "Pegheads"...he installs the mechanical shaft onto my pegheads.

I agree with Michael and Darren. I ream the holes to where the pegs threads twist in tightly. They would probably be fine with out any"glue" but as Darren puts it I only use a pin drop of super glue really to act as locktite.

To remove them you only need to wrap a sturdy cloth or thin piece of leather around the shaft and use a pair of pliers to break the pin piont of glue loose. Then just twist them out by hand.