On 14/01/2011 8:43 AM, Edward Mast wrote:
When I received a lute that had sticking pegs (it hadn't been played in a long while) I didn't want to order and then wait for a peg winder. I used pliers. Two caveats, though: put enough tape on the jaws to keep them from marring the pegs, and be careful not to let the pliers slip, fall and hit the instrument! Apply pressure gently and slowly.
I recommend against pliers, or any other extreme twisting force on the pegs. I've known that to end with broken pegs.
My solution for a jammed peg is to gently tap it loose from the thin end using a very small hammer and a piece of dowelling or unsharpened pencil. Once it is free you can tune up the string, being careful to not push the peg in again beyond what is absolutely necessary to avoid slipping. This may even solve the problem permanently if the instrument is now adapted to the humidity.
I decided to remove all the pegs and apply peg compound. This solved the problem and they became tunable without the aid of a peg winder or pliers.
Sometimes peg compound can make the problem worse - it seems better adapted to slipping pegs as it tends to make the pegs swell slightly. The removal and replacing of the pegs in itself could solve the problem of swollen pegs. A little soap on the sticking pegs sometimes helps.
By the way I live on the coast of British Columbia with high humidity in the winter and not so much in the summer, plus sometimes travelling to arid areas, plus having a not-so-great lute to begin with, so I have had some experience with both sticking and slipping pegs ;)
Welcome to the list and best of luck with your new instrument!
This statement I heartily endorse!!! Stephen Fryer To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
