I'll start this post off saying I'm new here, if there is a thread to address my question, I will gladly be pointed there and have this one deleted to
reduce your forum clutter.
I just bought on oud online, it was inexpensive, but I bought it simply for starter/learning purposes. I've only played the piano, and messed around
with guitars, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on an instrument I might brush aside.
Everything about the oud is fine except for the tuning pegs. I mean, I can handle less than perfect decorations and woodwork, but the pegs aren't
threaded which makes tuning a nightmare. A few strings I can can tune by twisting past and letting it naturally slip into range, but the majority of
the pegs just spin too much to tune.
What kind of solutions are there to this problem? My Do-It-Yourself personality wants to just thread the pegs by hand, but that personality also
breaks things a lot. Any help or advice given would be appreciated.abc123xyz - 11-5-2011 at 08:04 PM
Everything about the oud is fine except for the tuning pegs. I mean, I can handle less than perfect decorations and woodwork, but the pegs aren't
threaded which makes tuning a nightmare. A few strings I can can tune by twisting past and letting it naturally slip into range, but the majority of
the pegs just spin too much to tune.
It doesn't have worm-gear tuners like guitars have, is that what you mean when you say that it's not threaded???
My Do-It-Yourself personality wants to just thread the pegs by hand, but that personality also breaks things a lot.
When you say that you want to thread them by hand, are you talking about removing the wooden pegs and attaching guitar worm-gear tuners in their
place???
Yours is a rather astonishing post.
David Rosetta - 11-6-2011 at 07:41 AM
Right, the problem is mine slip too much. I don't want to add the worm gears, but rather take out each peg, and groove the threads on, hopefully
gaining some additional friction. If I spin the peg once, it usually slides back a turn and a half.littleseb - 11-6-2011 at 07:49 AM
before you do anything - have you tried pushing them in real hard? honestly - be very careful with diy on your oud....Sasha - 11-6-2011 at 08:02 AM
Do yourself a HUGE favor and search the forum for the subject 'slipping pegs' BEFORE you do anything else.
The real solution is much easier than what you're suggesting.abc123xyz - 11-6-2011 at 03:06 PM
Right, the problem is mine slip too much. I don't want to add the worm gears, but rather take out each peg, and groove the threads on, hopefully
gaining some additional friction. If I spin the peg once, it usually slides back a turn and a half.
O.k. I see what you're getting at now, though please don't do that.
The threads on a guitar tuner are only there to work in conjunction with a gear. Cutting threads into a wooden tuning peg alone, without a gear,
isn't going to enhance its operation.
It's hard to know what to advise you without seeing your pegs, since they actually may not be working properly. However if you've never used
old-fashioned friction pegs before, as it seems, it may be nothing more than you're not knowing that they have to be pushed gently inward as you turn
them.
The pegs are tapered, and so the further in they are pushed the tighter they fit, and the less likely they are to slip. Naturally this has to be done
within reason, and it is possible to force them too much and damage the peg box.
I wish someone familiar with friction pegs was there to show you.
Right, the problem is mine slip too much. I don't want to add the worm gears, but rather take out each peg, and groove the threads on, hopefully
gaining some additional friction. If I spin the peg once, it usually slides back a turn and a half.
Welcome! These are standard friction pegs, as used on most string instruments before the introduction of gears etc. Violins are like that too. For
reasons that are both historical and practical (see countless discussions on this forum), the pegs on ouds and lutes tend to have a much steeper taper
(e.g. 15:1) than e.g. a violin (30:1). This is easier to make and makes it more tolerant of humidity changes. But it requires skill in simultaneously
pushing the peg in and turning while you tune. That said, the precision with which the peg taper matches the hole leaves a lot to be desired on
inexpensive ouds. Having a set of 12 better pegs precisely fitted could cost more than your oud (multiply a violin peg job by 3). So maybe learn to do
the tuning dance and read up about the countless remedies. dkhoury35 - 11-7-2011 at 04:29 AM
try chalk and soap littleseb - 11-7-2011 at 04:56 AM
before trying chalk and soap - make sure the strings are properly wound up. sometimes the string itself winds around the peg too close to the hole
opposite the peg-handle (if that makes sense), pushing the peg out naturally.littleseb - 11-7-2011 at 05:04 AM
i'd recommend to post some pix before doing anything.Rosetta - 11-18-2011 at 07:37 PM
Sorry it's been so long, life keeps one busy I suppose!
A lot of great feedback here, and I did take it to a friend who works with violins. Most of the pegs have been easily fixed by pushing in as I spin,
the rest I used soap on.
