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Just recently the a string peg has started sticking when trying to tune, but even before this it's been a nightmare, it will never tune bang on, it jumps a tiny fration sharp, then on turning a tiny fraction flat, I actually felt like smashing the violin I got so wound up, seriously. Any help or suggestions appreciated.
Also a question for fiddlerman if he would answer it. How long does it take for the fingerboard to start to get finger marks in it? I have had this fiddle a few years from new and it's already showing the same kind of wear that you get on guitar fretboard, after about 20 years. The fingerboard is supposedly ebony and the fiddle was bought from a reputed luthier in Liverpool, what are your thoughts.
Cant beat a sunny day
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@stringy are you using something like hill peg compound when you change strings?
also like guitar if you have to tune down..best to tune below your target then back up. Throwing that out there just in case.
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Never needed peg compound up till now, as for tuning I have always done what you suggest below then up, don't know what's suddenly gone wrong. It just will not land exactly on the note no matter what I do, it's a bout 3 cents flat or sharp, impossible to get it to land directly in tune, I have even changed the peg, which leads me to think something gone wrong with the peg hole itself. Thanks for the advice though I appreciate it, and for you taking a look, if you have any more ideas please post them, before I smash the fiddle to bits.
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Id forget about the tuner in that case and use a tuning fork and tune everything to the A string. 🙂 And new strings not helping? Also if fine tuners.. back them out and back in range possible you have one or more run all the way down?
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,I always tune everything to the a string anyway, I may leave it a touch sharp and tune everything to that. Not ideal but I can't think of a solution.
Strings are tonicas, 2 months old, I only have 1 fine tuner on the E, I am thinking of getting one for the A string as well. Its annoying though, as I shouldn't have to.
I will be honest if those wittner pegs or others were not so expensive to buy and have fitted I would get them, but would prob cost about 350 quid, heard lots of very good reports about them though.
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stringy
Peg paste is important to keep the pegs turning smooth, if you don't have peg paste, I used a bar of lava soap to lubricte my pegs for years before I bought Hills peg paste, It worked well.
If your just a tad sharp, I'll gently pull up on the string around the end of the finger board that normally will bring it down, if flat press down on the string in the peg box to sharpen it. The last teacher I had who had perfect pitch and went to Juilliard showed me that trick to stasify her ears.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
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Thanks for that Mark I tried your idea out and it does indeed work, surprised I have never heard about that little trick before. I am putting another fine tuner on though as well, so I will have one on the A And one on the E
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Time spent tuning is time away from playing. And balky pegs are an unnecessary aggravation.
So I put mechanical pegs on my fiddles (one Wittner and one Perfection) and also four fine tuners. And I have the small D’addario electronic display that clips to the body.
I recognize that some folks may think this is somehow a poor idea, but it works for me. Tuning is fast and easy, even with cross-tuning. Minimal loss of time and mental bandwidth.
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@Strabo, Nothing wrong with geared pegs and fine tuners. The tools are there, and even professionals say if tools work for you, use them. At times, I think, there are those who will accept the new car, new mixer, improved items, etc, but for some reason, new tools for other things, ie instruments, sewing machines, etc, is considered cheating, not good, etc. It is very strange.
It is all personal preference, no right or wrong, unless a person using or not using a specific tool or aid is telling those if the opposite mindset that they are wrong. That is wrong. I hope I said that right.
In now way am I saying that is going in here, but I have read these comments elsewhere and it does detract some people from using tools that really could help or make things easier and therefore, more enjoyable. I use both fine tuners and geared pegs, a tuner attached to my instruments and tapes.
Why make it harder on yourself? Life is short.
I do have one violin without the geared pegs, but does have fine tuners. Part of me wishes I had gone for geared pegs, but I liked the original pegs. so far, I am not having issues. There are pluses and minuses to both. For some reason, I feel that if using these tools, I need to apologize, just me, and is not meant to be discussed. I just want to encourage people to use tools.
Just my opinion. A bit off topic, sorry about that, but, as was pointed out by Strabo, if finances allow, having geared pegs installed, is an alternative to dealing with peg issues.
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Strabo The wittner pegs are brilliant, if I could afford them I would get them, no doubt about it, from the minute I got this new fiddle I wanted them.
Mouse if you read my post you would see that I stated I wanted geared pegs but can't afford them.
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@stringy I had the same problem with my other violin, but on the D string peg. Drove me crazy. I got the Hill compound, & that worked well. I read about the lava soap thing that Mark mentioned (after I got the Hill)--I think I would have tried that first if I had known 
Another thing I tried was to trim a bit of the string off (used a nail clipper) so that once I wound up the string, the angle of the peg head was different--i.e., so that it was at an angle that was easier to turn. Sometimes that worked--sometimes I just didn't trim the right amount so that there wasn't much difference
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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