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Aloha everyone,
I just got my first violin and I really like it (not the sounds I've produced this far, but I've heard that learning a violin is supposed to teach you patience :D). I have a rosewood/jujube chin rest and tuning pegs, with an ebony tailpiece. I was curious as to what both Amazon and eBay had to offer on the order of a whole "set" - chin rest, end pin, tail gut, and tuning pegs. I saw some where the holes for the mounting bracket were pre-drilled in the chin rests, but none of them had pre-drilled holes in the tuning pegs. Is that common?
Secondly, I have seen some videos showing how a chin rest is replaced, as well as how to restring a violin, but where does one drill the holes in the tuning pegs? I have yet to see anything on that, and I was wondering if anyone here had actually replaced any or all of the parts mentioned above that could answer my question. Not that I'm actually worried about that yet - I still have to learn proper bowing, but I'm looking down the line and like the non-ebony look but want all of the pieces to match each other in both wood type and color.
Thanks in advance for any and all replies
Honorary advisor
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Hey ,
Welcome to FM ...if you look at pics in Ferrets post on peg taper it may answer some of yer questions ...i think Pierre has some videos on some of the other stuff ...there are many folks here that can answer yer questions as well but there's nothin' like a good video fer clarification ...other vids online as well ..
There is also plenty of vids here to help you get started playing as well ...
Have fun Be happy
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Welcome as well from me... Hope your stay here is rewarding and helpful.
I have changed pegs, tailpieces, made bridges from blanks, and many other things concerning a violin. Some things are easily done without tools, others require some special skills and/or special tools to make the job easier.
Pegs: They are at a precise taper and the holes need to be that same matching taper, for the most part, all violins have the same taper, but... making the hole larger changes how deep into the peg box the pegs go, and this may affect the location of the string hole. Not a big deal but if you're a perfectionist, it does.
Tailpieces: Changing a tail piece is easy enough now that we've gotten away from the gut string that had to be tied in a knot and done several times to make it the correct length. Now there's a simple nylon string with tiny threads on each end and a collet with a tiny nut that can be adjusted easily and that makes attachment so much simpler.
Chin rests: They are for the most part pretty much the same, as they use a clamp that has a tiny "turnbuckle" attached that you can tighten with a paperclip (be careful not to scratch the violin by sticking it too far into the turnbuckle nut!) One end of the clamp is like a little pressure pad that fits under the violin body and usually has a small piece of cork attached to protect the finish. The other end is slipped into the chin rest material and when you tighten the clamp nut it all stays secure. Easy and can be done in a few minutes.
Bridges, Nuts, and Pegs: These things are a little more complicated and must be fit to your specific violin so engaging the assistance of someone who has the tools and/or skills to do the work is strongly advised.
All of these items are sold in many many locations all over the web and fiddlerman can assist you in buying some of them that he stocks, I suggest sending him a PM or asking in this thread. Prices for all things violin are from cheap to outrageous and your decision must be based on the value of your violin, your ability to maximize the result of your choices and what look you are trying to achieve for it.
Good luck..
Denny
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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I believe you are referring to the peg holes for inserting the strings right? Provided you shave the pegs to the correct size, you'll want to make those holes in the center of the pegbox or slightly closer to the thin side. One mistake some makers make is making the holes too close to the this side of the peg. The problem is when you have a string that is slightly longer or thicker, as you roll up the string towards the thick side (as should be the case) the string can end up against the wall of the peg box pulling the peg inward, making it difficult to turn and even wearing the string.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
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Hi and welcome. The first Crescent violin I bought had the string holes in the pegs offset (which means the workman wasn't doing his job correctly) and the wood of the peg box was not hard enough so that the peg gouged it's way into the peg box as I was pushing in while tuning the string. Eventually the string coming out of the peg hole was rubbing against the peg box which made it necessary to drill new holes. I pushed the peg into the box, saw where I wanted the hole, marked it and drilled it. The peg stood out farther than I wanted so I rolled the peg under a razor blade to cut off the excess, filed a radius and colored it with a sharpie. On a new peg be aware that it will seat itself 1 or 2 mm into the box as it settles, but you can use your current pegs as a guide as to where to drill. Again welcome.
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Aloha everyone,
Thanks for all the responses. I think the best approach, for me, is to order them not pre-drilled and let a local luthier drill/shave everything so as to get the best fit. That's probably a little ways down the road, but thank you for all the information y'all have provided. I can now make a much better-informed decision what that time comes.
For those of you that have replaced these parts, from where did you purchase them? I'm just curious which "better" options than eBay and Amazon exist. Additionally, if your choose was between boxwood, rosewood, and jujube, which would be your choice and why? I'm just trying to weigh all of the options and would rather ask actual violinists than try to read between the marketing speak I can get off different websites.
Thanks again for any and all responses.
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Personally, I would choose Rosewood. However, boxwood is beautiful providing you can get some good stuff.
Janka Hardness for Rosewood is 1780, Boxwood 2730, Ebony 3220
Jujube is debatable. Apparently the best samples grows in the south of Italy and called "Giuggiolo". It resembles Boxwood in any case. Also called Ziziphus and the Chinese versions may be softer, faster growing....
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
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Aloha Fiddlerman,
Thanks for your response. I was really alternating between rosewood and boxwood, although my wife would probably say that I need to concentrate on actually learning to play what I have, before I try to change parts out 
I have rosewood tuning pegs and chin rest, so I could just replace the tailpiece, but if I were to get a complete set (chin rest, tuning pegs, tailpiece, and mounting hardware (fine tuner(s) would also be a plus), I would have a backup in the event that anything would need to be replaced. Some of the tailpieces I've seen have a carved design in them, making it more attractive than a "normal" tailpiece.
I have one last question about tailpieces. Mine is Tulip-style ebony. I understand that there are also Hill style (English) and French style. Does one style make a better sound than the others? I tried to research this, but got a little confused. I don't think there's a real consensus, although it appears that a thicker, harder wood seems to make a richer, darker sound.
Thanks again for all the responses
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One style is not better than another. Just a question of taste. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
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I would say if any one thing would help you with playing your violin it would be the chin rest. Start by taking off your chin rest then hold the violin in a comfortable position for you to play it. Have some one note where your chin is and then find a rest which duplicates your position.
As far as where to buy these things, http://www.fiddlershop.com or international violin are my first choices.
The pegs. Like you decided let a luthier do them but have him or her show you how to do it.
Rosewood although being the softest of the woods to me is the most beautiful. I did fix up a violin witch I put all rosewood parts including a rosewood fingerboard and gold fittings. To me it was beautiful but I knew the fingerboard and pegs would never last as long as ebony before the fingerboard needed to be planed again so I left the fingerboard a little think.
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Aloha Kevin and thanks for your reply,
I apologize for getting back to you so late, but I wasn't really expecting any further replies
I really like the rosewood color, but am leaning more towards boxwood, as it is a harder wood. I don't have any particular opposition to ebony, but as the violin is a brownish color, I think brownish colored fittings would look better. It would help if my playing improved, though, as my wife would be more amenable to replacing parts then
I still haven't decided any anything other than the tailpiece at this point, but I need to get a better shoulder rest (I have a Fom at the moment) before I do anything else.
As for the luthier, he would have to show my the tools he uses as well as the technique used to shave and drill the tuning pegs and chin rest.
Speaking of chin rests, I would be interested in knowing what type y'all use. I have a Guarneri chin rest, but have seen lots of different types, some of which are centered over the tailpiece, and some that are only slightly offset from the tailpiece (and not as large as mine).
Thanks again for any and all responses.
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Hi, move your current chin rest over to the right and try playing with your chin centered to see how you like that position. Your rest will hit the tailpiece like that but this is not for the sound its just a trial. See what you think.
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Aloha MrYikes,
Thanks for that tip! I never considered moving my chin rest over. That new position would be like the Flesch chin rest, correct? I understand about hitting the tailpiece, so I need to be careful, but that's an excellent suggestion. Thank you!
Honorary advisor
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Howdy ,
Just got back from picking up another center chin rest ...like the first one enough to get another fer a different fiddle ...could be where yer headed ?Have fun Be happy Oh , by the way .....chin rest may be the correct name but it could have been called jaw rest as it's more about the jaw than the chin ...
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