Everything about Tuning Peg totally explained
A
tuning peg is used to hold a
string in the
pegbox of a
stringed instrument. It may be made of
ebony,
rosewood,
boxwood or other material. Some tuning pegs are ornamented with
shell, metal, or plastic inlays, beads (pips) or rings.
Turning the peg tightens or loosens the string, changing the
pitch produced when the string is played and thereby
tuning it.
Friction pegs
Friction pegs are most often used on
violin family instruments (not on the
double bass, which typically uses geared tuning machines.) They are also used on older instruments, such as the Bulgarian
gadulka and the
hurdy gurdy, as well as on
flamenco guitars.
A properly working peg will turn easily and hold reliably, that is, it'll neither stick nor slip. Modern pegs for
violin and
viola have conical shafts, turned to a 1:30 taper, changing in diameter by 1 mm over a distance of 30 mm. (Modern
cello pegs have a slightly more aggressive 1:25 taper. 19th century and earlier pegs, for use with gut strings, typically had an even steeper taper of 1:20.)
The taper allows the peg to turn more easily when pulled out slightly, and to hold firmly when pushed in while being turned. Since the typical wear pattern on a peg shaft interferes with this action, pegs occasionally require refitting, a specialized job which amounts to reshaping both pegs and holes to a smooth circular conical taper.
Geared pegs
Pegs for
acoustic bass and
guitar family instruments are usually geared, and are called tuning machines or
machine heads. Geared pegs for
violin family instruments also exist, although they've not gained wide use. The most recently marketed pegs of this sort use
planetary gears designed to fit inside a case shaped like a friction peg.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Tuning Peg'.
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