Peg Complications

Just as in many other areas of life, it is often assumed that peg problems are there to stay and to be endured with a stiff upper lip!

With the expensive price of a new set of strings and the difficulty of handling the pegs properly, there are fears of failure when it comes to using them. Because of this, many students avoid the process of achieving mastery in tuning; some putting it off for several years. While using the pegs takes some practice, they don’t have to be impossible hurdles to overcome.

Being structures of wood, string instruments can retain moisture. Due to varying levels of humidity and dryness in the air, the wood contracts and expands. As this happens, the holes in the peg box contract and expand as well. If they become loose or stuck, there are compounds such as peg soap or peg dope that can be applied to the pegs. This is something that can be learned by the musicians and, in most cases, is sufficient to fix the problem. However, there are times when the pegs simply need to be re-fit by a professional luthier.

Either way, there are solutions to these natural problems that can make your life easier when tuning with the pegs.