martin swan Posted June 22, 2019 Report Share Posted June 22, 2019 It can be difficult to tune the A string if the peg orientation isn't convenient. But the one that really matters is the E peg. If it's aligned with the pegbox it will inhibit the left hand index finger in first position (particularly F natural), so the peg should always end up at right angles to that line, or close to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Allen Posted June 22, 2019 Report Share Posted June 22, 2019 1 hour ago, nathan slobodkin said: Yes exactly but in a busy shop with lots of violins being set up there really is a significant amount of time spent diddling with the alignment of the pegs and then often having to do it again after the strings have stretched. I have found players extremely sensitive to this and will say the pegs don't work if the orientation is not perfect I suppose we can't blame the players, though. They don't know any better lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff White Posted June 24, 2019 Report Share Posted June 24, 2019 On 6/22/2019 at 2:54 PM, nathan slobodkin said: Yes exactly but in a busy shop with lots of violins being set up there really is a significant amount of time spent diddling with the alignment of the pegs and then often having to do it again after the strings have stretched. I have found players extremely sensitive to this and will say the pegs don't work if the orientation is not perfect Yes, I almost never get it on the first try. But you got to admit, it's important. I can't imagine any other way. I'm a LOUSY violin player and misaligned heads even drive me crazy. Not as much a pain as the on and off getting the tailpiece afterlength the way I want, you gotta admit, that's much more of a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacksonMaberry Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 On 6/22/2019 at 6:45 PM, Nick Allen said: having to do it again after the strings have stretched 21 hours ago, Jeff White said: Not as much a pain as the on and off getting the tailpiece afterlength the way I want, you gotta admit, that's much more of a pain. All of which is even more irritating when using real gut, for either application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 On 6/22/2019 at 6:37 PM, martin swan said: It can be difficult to tune the A string if the peg orientation isn't convenient. But the one that really matters is the E peg. If it's aligned with the pegbox it will inhibit the left hand index finger in first position (particularly F natural), so the peg should always end up at right angles to that line, or close to it. Never thought about that. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Appleman Posted June 30, 2019 Report Share Posted June 30, 2019 Guys, I think you're over thinking this and over estimating the time involved. First of all, if I'm replacing a string with another of the same overall length, and the peg was where I wanted it before, I look for the kink in the old string where it came out of the hole and try to insert the new one to the same length. That usually works fine without any need for diddling afterwards. If I'im installing "cold" after repairs or finishing a new fiddle, I do a "guesstimate" based on the fiddle size, brand of string and string length, nothing fancy or mathematic, just 45 years worth of putting on strings, then as I start to approach pitch I can feel where the peg head will end up, and if necessary I loosen and pull a little more through or tug a little out, trying to leave 5-30° less rotation than where I want the head to end up, depending whether I'm putting on a metal, synthetic or gut string. It hardly takes more time than just "slapping on a string," and in the worst case, I just go back and re-adjust. Sure, some strings don't like to be repeatedly tensioned and released, like plain gut E's, but one doesn't need to do that more than 2-3 times to get the head in the right place, and in the life of a string, between slipping pegs and soundpost/bridge adjustments and replacements, I don't think a couple cycles more should do much to shorten the string's lifespan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Appleman Posted June 30, 2019 Report Share Posted June 30, 2019 That said, I'm starting to put geared pegs on more of the fiddles I make, especially the ones meant for advanced students/young professionals. A friend of mine who's leader of one of the big french quartets had them put on his Gagliano, and that convinced me to start taking them seriously. I won't be putting them on my Gagliano, but I've had them on my teaching/orchestra back-up fiddles, and I have to admit, it's nice not being the last one in the section to finish tuning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Allen Posted June 30, 2019 Report Share Posted June 30, 2019 15 hours ago, Michael Appleman said: That said, I'm starting to put geared pegs on more of the fiddles I make, especially the ones meant for advanced students/young professionals. A friend of mine who's leader of one of the big french quartets had them put on his Gagliano, and that convinced me to start taking them seriously. I won't be putting them on my Gagliano, but I've had them on my teaching/orchestra back-up fiddles, and I have to admit, it's nice not being the last one in the section to finish tuning... I think geared tuners are the inevitable future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted July 1, 2019 Report Share Posted July 1, 2019 16 hours ago, Michael Appleman said: That said, I'm starting to put geared pegs on more of the fiddles I make, especially the ones meant for advanced students/young professionals. A friend of mine who's leader of one of the big french quartets had them put on his Gagliano, and that convinced me to start taking them seriously. I won't be putting them on my Gagliano, but I've had them on my teaching/orchestra back-up fiddles, and I have to admit, it's nice not being the last one in the section to finish tuning... 54 minutes ago, Nick Allen said: I think geared tuners are the inevitable future. I've been a definite convert to them. Properly installed, the Wittner type are fully reversible (though why would you want to?), freely removable, they get rid of the need for fine tuners, and make tuning while listening to a tone (or watching an electronic tuner) much easier. They also make retuning due to drift during a performance less of a nightmare. I've had mine for a few months now, and I like them a lot. IMHO, someone needs to produce a set which can have custom wood heads and tips made and fitted by the luthier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted July 1, 2019 Report Share Posted July 1, 2019 10 hours ago, Violadamore said: IMHO, someone needs to produce a set which can have custom wood heads and tips made and fitted by the luthier. I thought Pegheds.com can customize theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted July 1, 2019 Report Share Posted July 1, 2019 4 hours ago, Michael_Molnar said: I thought Pegheds.com can customize theirs. You might glance at this discussion: https://www.violinist.com/discussion/archive/27669/ I personally prefer the 8:1 action on the Wittners to the 4:1 on the Pegheds/Knillings, along with some of their other characteristics. I was suggesting that figuring out how to fit the Wittner action into a package suitable for local customization would "make a better mousetrap". OTOH, I'm not interested in opening or pursuing a comparison discussion of the brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violguy Posted July 1, 2019 Report Share Posted July 1, 2019 1 hour ago, Violadamore said: You might glance at this discussion: https://www.violinist.com/discussion/archive/27669/ I personally prefer the 8:1 action on the Wittners to the 4:1 on the Pegheds/Knillings, along with some of their other characteristics. I was suggesting that figuring out how to fit the Wittner action into a package suitable for local customization would "make a better mousetrap". OTOH, I'm not interested in opening or pursuing a comparison discussion of the brands. Picky....Picky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted July 1, 2019 Report Share Posted July 1, 2019 Can you cut the length of the Wittners to reduce overhang outside the pegbox? Anyome like their rosewood colored pegs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violadamore Posted July 1, 2019 Report Share Posted July 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, Michael_Molnar said: Can you cut the length of the Wittners to reduce overhang outside the pegbox? Anyome like their rosewood colored pegs? Yup, the stuff on the tips is cuttable and polishable, but has the usual caveats of working a thermoplastic. Using a razor saw on it leaves a "fringe" that has to be cut off with a knife. Rounding it afterwards must be approached with slow caution and fine abrasives. Haven't tried the "rosewood" yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 I'll get a set, Vi, and see how they compare to Pegheds. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Jennings Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 49 minutes ago, Michael_Molnar said: I'll get a set, Vi, and see how they compare to Pegheds. Thanks Let us know your opinion of the comparison please. I have installed Perfections/Pegheads on a couple of my instruments.... haven't had the opportunity to try Whittners. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 12 hours ago, Michael Jennings said: Let us know your opinion of the comparison please. I have installed Perfections/Pegheads on a couple of my instruments.... haven't had the opportunity to try Whittners. Thanks Will do, but I have a lot on my plate. So it might be some time before I get around to doing this. Stay tuned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Merkel Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 On 6/22/2019 at 6:37 PM, martin swan said: But the one that really matters is the E peg. If it's aligned with the pegbox it will inhibit the left hand index finger in first position (particularly F natural), so the peg should always end up at right angles to that line, or close to it. Somehow I got that in the back of my mind, and it's something I usually look for about a player. Seems like most probably don't care, to me. But depending on how much string they push through, your well-laid plans are for naught. One thing along those lines I can't stand is if the treble side of the nut doesn't taper into the fingerboard and there's a sharp edge there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Garcia Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 Does anyone know how far from the wall of the pegbox the string hole is located in the peg on a viola? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Allen Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 On new pegs? If you're building new, or installing a fresh set, I go with slightly off-center towards the head. It makes it so the hole isn't super close to the narrow end wall once the pegs compress and end up pushing in a couple of mm after a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Dorsey Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 37 minutes ago, Nick Allen said: ...slightly off-center towards the head.... A good rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Garcia Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Thank you so much, it seems to me a good rule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.