Violin/Fiddle: Preventing the Tuning Pegs from Slipping

Subject: restringing a fiddle

Hello, Mickey,

Greetings Beth,

Thanks, first, for your great (if overwhelming with info!) site. I've already picked up some great tips, and will echo another fiddler's question, to which you answered:

Thanks for tuning in with us...

"We'll try to get a tutorial up on our website for changing strings and installing a violin bridge..."

Yes, this is still on the agenda...we can only blame it on time for now...yet, we really do hope to put together a slide show on stringing up a violin.

Any further news on that idea? I've found very little on the web about changing strings - the original search (which brought up your site) stemmed from my popping a string I'd put back on after applying peg dope. Needless to say, I'm a pretty new fiddler. After a visit to the shop, where they showed me how to restring and how important it is not to have the string wound up right against the peg box, I think I've kind of got it.

That's great to hear...

Also, re. your suggestion about peg drops/dope and rosin, I've read elsewhere that one *shouldn't* use rosin on the pegs, because it can eventually make them stick solid....But perhaps that's only when you over-apply?

In my experience of using rosin dust, I haven't seen this ever happen to date. I suspect it can...maybe after applying the rosin, and then storing the violin for a couple of years...however, the functionality of the peg not slipping, while attempting to tune, far outweighs this minimal risk of the peg freezing. To be sure that you're not going to have this happen, I would suggest to stick with the Peg Drops which are designed specifically to prevent page slippage (not an old fiddler's trick such as applying the rosin to the pegs)....

Thanks for sharing this with me..for, this is the first time I've heard about this consequence...and, you can never be too careful with an expensive violin.

Mickey

Thanks again,

Beth L.