On 29.04.2007, at 21:56, The Other wrote: > On Saturday 28 April 2007 03:25, John Scott wrote: >> What can I use to tighten the tuning pegs? One has a tendency to >> slip >> every time I try to adjust the tuning. The lute came with a little >> piece of black wax labelled 'Peg Paste', but it looks like it might >> lubricate the peg rather than add traction. What is the best >> material >> for a) giving pegs more friction and b) giving them *less* friction? > > Check with the violin/fiddle players in your area. Violin players often use fine tuners and are not always peg experts.
Good peg paste normally is the way to go. If one peg slips, it is most likely not fitting properly. I'd recommend to look at the wear marks (polished spots where the pegs grip) and look whether both ends have contact to the holes and whether holes and/or pegs are round and not oval. If at all one side grips less, this should be the side next to the peg head. If you know what to do, the peg can quite simply be refitted with fine sandpaper. If you don't, find a luthier and get it fixed. > I got the suggestion to use Lava hand soap (in bar form). Lava > contains 'pumice', a form of volcanic ash. The pumice adds a soft > grit to > the pegs and helps keep them from slipping. > > I keep a bar of Lava in a zip-lock bag in the lute case. But be > warned, the > wood of the lute has absorbed the smell of the Lava soap. I like > the smell. Some use blackboard chalk for the same purpose. Be careful not to use something too abrasive because pegs and pegbox might wear prematurely. Again, if the pegs are properly fitted, peg paste will do the trick. g To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
