Mehran
Oud Junkie
Posts: 210
Registered: 4-27-2006
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Snapped peg repair time???
Hey
I snapped my the bass string peg of my Cengiz Sarikus after a small knock against the pegbox  .
Coincidentally I am incidentally going to Istanbul next week to play in a few concerts and gigs. Im planning to take it back to the Sarikus workshop
for a fix.
My question is will fitting a new peg properly be a quick job? I can take my oud there on next friday morning but need it back the same evenig for a
gig. Is this realistic or should I be thinking about trying to organise a replacement oud?
Thanks
Mehran
*Out of interest to others - the oud was in an Oudstrings/Khalaf oud case when the pegbox area took a knock against a overhead doorframe while I
carried the oud on my back. While it protects the body quite well, the pegbox area could perhaps be padded a bit better. On closer inspection areas of
the pegbox are easily felt through the case. It wasnt a particularly a big knock either.
Its still a worthy case, but maybe some points for design improvement.
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Mehran
Oud Junkie
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The broken peg itself
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SamirCanada
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it would take me, an amateur oud maker, approximately 10 minutes to fit a new peg.
In the mean time you could try to epoxy this back together though. Looks a clean break, which by the way also means the grain structure was weak along
the whole peg anyways. Just don't get any glue on the contact areas which rest in the peg holes.
People don't realize that ebony is quite hard in terms of resisting dents by scratching etc... but it is a little brittle.
@samiroud Instagram
samiroudmaker@gmail.com
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
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To support Samir's observations.
The grain of the wood in a peg should run parallel to the shank - this is a faulty peg that, as such, should be replaced by the the maker. The maker
will have a stock of matching pegs, cutters and reamers so should do the replacement work which should only take a few minutes.
Epoxy might work as a repair but it would be a challenge to align and clamp everything up perfectly. The oblique break would tend to cause the joint
to slide out of position when clamped for gluing. The peg would need to be removed for repair by knocking the end of the peg to loosen it from the peg
box and avoid damage to the broken joint surface. Besides that break seems to run into or very close to the wall of the peg box so may be problematic.
Best get the peg replaced.
Ebony is not the best peg material but is a popular choice and can otherwise work reasonably well.
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Mehran
Oud Junkie
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Good good. I've learnt not to take anything in instrument making for granted but it sounds more straightforward that I thought. Thanks for the
advice.
However every cloud has a silver lining. I have a reason to visit the sarikus workshop again and admire his immense oud and instrument collection.
If ebony is brittle would rosewood or another wood be preferable? Im sure people have used different materials!?
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jdowning
Oud Junkie
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Assuming the pegs are made of true ebony and not some other dark species of wood - you do not say.
If the wood grain does not run parallel to the shank of a peg then it is a fault that cannot be corrected by choice of wood. Rosewood is more open
grained than ebony so in that respect is 'weaker'. However both ebony and rosewood are popular choices for pegs of the violin family of instruments so
are often used for convenience and economy (they are mass produced) by oud makers. Boxwood pegs are also used by violin makers. Other important
factors affecting choice of woods apart from straight grain and hardness are dimensional stability as well as being easily and smoothly shaped (by
turning in a lathe). Ebony contains abrasive silicon particles that tend to abrade the wood of a peg box (future business for the luthiers!). Box wood
takes forever to properly season and become stable.
The European lute makers of the 16th/17th C did not use ebony but instead chose woods like boxwood and fruit woods such as plum and pear - often
stained black.
I make all of my own pegs and have used ebony (baroque and 'romantic' period guitars), Brazilian rosewood (before it became an endangered species),
Indian rosewood, Persian boxwood and Brazilian 'boxwood' - all without significant problem. As I have a quantity of very old, clear, straight grained
billets of Brazilian 'boxwood' I am currently using that for peg making.
In your case I would stick with the pegs that you currently have (assuming that otherwise there is not a problem with the remaining pegs) and get the
broken peg replaced by the maker - hopefully 'while you wait'.
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