Fitting Pegs

A well-fitted peg of reasonably good quality ebony, rosewood or boxwood usually needs very little attention. Humidity changes in the weather can make it stick or stutter. To eliminate the problem, remove the string from one peg and remove the peg from the pegbox. Apply a small amount of a good quality peg compound to the shiny contact area of the peg (the area which makes contact with the pegbox), insert it into the pegbox and turn it back and forth a few times. Remove the peg and wipe excess lubricant off with paper / cloth wipe and re-string.

Note: Doing one peg at a time will prevent the possibility of the soundpost falling and the resulting necessity of resetting the bridge.

Fitting new pegs Quite often pegs of poor quality wear in the area where they have contact with the pegbox and even show deep cuts where the strings'wrap around the peg. Saving these pegs and re-fitting them is usually a futile effort and we would strongly recommend the fitting of a new ebony or rosewood peg.

Choose a peg of proper headsize with a stem diameter large enough to be shaped on the opening of your peg shaper which is slightly larger than the hole in the pegbox.

A. Shape the peg on your peg shaper to assure perfect roundness.		   Apply some dry soap to the peg and insert it in pegbox. (the diameter of the peg should be too large for the hole.)
 
B. Remove the peg, insert the reamer and re-shape the hole in the pegbox. Check the fitting of the peg frequently until desired proper fit is achieved.   C. Mark peg with knife and cut the protruding end of the peg flush with the pegbox wall.
 
D. Remove peg.   E. Round off the end with file and sandpaper

Drill a hole of about 1/32" through the peg slightly off center between the pegbox walls (closer to the headside of the peg).
   
F. Apply peg compound to the contact areas and work into pegbox by turning back and forth. Apply more peg compound as needed until the peg turns smoothly and firmly.

Clean off excess and re-string.		    










Copyright © 2008 Conn-Selmer, Inc.  P.O. Box 310 Elkhart, Indiana 46515-0310 U.S.A.