With the colder, drier months here, wooden instruments start to go through some changes. A common winter complaint for string players are that pegs no longer turn smoothly.

Traditional friction pegs are wood on wood (peg against peg box). As wood expands and contracts with the changing elements, pegs will no longer operate well. If you have been having problems with your pegs and have tried peg dope or refitting the pegs or peg box, another option is perfection pegs.

Perfection pegs look just like friction pegs. However, perfection pegs operate on a 4-to-1 gear ratio and turn like planets. Perfection pegs are not affected by the changes in weather, and therefore, do not slip or stick. Since you are not forcing a stuck wooden peg to move, you are not risking any damage to the peg box or pressure cracks.

With the smoothness of the perfection pegs, tuning is also a lot easier. Tuning no longer requires as much strength or coordination, and students can learn to tune their own instruments a lot sooner. Fine tuners are no longer needed with these pegs. You can spend more time playing and less time tuning.

Perfection pegs should be installed by a luthier. Luckily, West Music has one of the best luthiers in the Midwest, Tom Bielefeldt.

Tom installed perfection pegs on my violin (Happy birthday to me!), and I absolutely love them. I brought in my violin on Thursday morning, and that afternoon, they were installed. He let my violin sit over the weekend for the glue to dry and cure, and I was able to take my violin home on Monday and start playing.

If you would like to learn more about perfection pegs check out http://www.knilling.com or give Tom a call. They are well worth it!

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