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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.fiddlehangout.com/archive/56695
Creole - Posted - 05/18/2022: 13:59:46
Wondering how many of you have gone this route? Being a Guitar player the hardest part to deal with as I Fiddle Journey along has been the pegs.
Doc
BanjoBrad - Posted - 05/18/2022: 14:38:34
I'm about ready to spring for a set, but currently I do a "coarse tune" with the pegs, trying to stay a tad flat, then use my fine-tuners to bring the strings up to pitch.
Jaunskots - Posted - 05/18/2022: 17:28:00
I have one fiddle with Perfections and one with Wittners. Both are just fine and save all kinds of aggrevation. I haven't had a peg pop with changes in humidity and temperature in a decade. Nothing but smooth, controllable tuning. You really don't need fine tuners any more. I just acquired a new fiddle with old-style pegs and it's driving me crazy. I don't think I'll last another week without changing them.
KCFiddles - Posted - 05/18/2022: 18:16:06
I was an early adopter of Perfection Pegs on my five-string fiddles. I didn't like the Wittner pegs as much when they first came out, but now I prefer Wittner fine tune because I have fewer customer complaints. Not a problem with the pegs, but just ignorance among some customers, because you have to push in on Perfection pegs, just as you do normal pegs to make them grip. With Wittners you don't have to train your customers.
Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 05/18/2022: 20:36:45
I enjoy my traditional tuning pegs. Sure, I've got fine tuners to truly home in on pitches but I have little trouble doing things like tuning to cross. Thanks to the excellent luthiers at the stores I bought my fiddles from, everything works easily and precisely. All it takes is a couple of good yanks and I'm no more than a few herz from where I need to be.
The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 05/19/2022: 00:51:31
Although Perfection pegs do work fairly well, I tend to prefer the Wittners for their smoothness and from a conservation standpoint. I don’t like threading anything into the pegbox and I don’t want pegs glued in—Perfection pegs require both these things and make removal problematic. Wittners fit like traditional pegs, even if they work differently.
I still like traditional pegs and would say nothing beats a really well-fitted set, but the mechanical pegs are very useful in a number of situations.
A few years ago we started putting Wittners in one line of violins at the shop as a standard feature. Just that one change doubled our sales. Students and professionals alike were happy to have them.
Earworm - Posted - 05/19/2022: 05:35:36
I think the Wittners sound really interesting, and they're on my "definite-maybe" list for the future. But I figure that as long as my current old-style tuners are working, I'll use them until they wear out. Judging by the age of each of my 2 fiddles already, it seems like that could be sometime into the next century. But I'll put it on my calendar for the year 2144. That will be something nice to look forward to.
Edited by - Earworm on 05/19/2022 05:43:31
RobBob - Posted - 05/19/2022: 06:27:06
I've got Wittners on the two fiddles I play. Sweet tuning and no surprises when the weather changes.
TuneWeaver - Posted - 05/19/2022: 07:43:46
All of my fiddles and my daughter's fiddle have either Perfection or Wittner pegs.. Tuning is Never a problem anymore..
TuneWeaver - Posted - 05/19/2022: 07:44:52
quote:
Originally posted by EarwormI think the Wittners sound really interesting, and they're on my "definite-maybe" list for the future. But I figure that as long as my current old-style tuners are working, I'll use them until they wear out. Judging by the age of each of my 2 fiddles already, it seems like that could be sometime into the next century. But I'll put it on my calendar for the year 2144. That will be something nice to look forward to.
By 2144 there will be self-tuning violins..!!
doryman - Posted - 05/19/2022: 10:12:44
I had the shop where I bought my fiddle tune it for me when I bought it. So I don't have to worry about these issues any more.
The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 05/19/2022: 10:47:45
quote:
Originally posted by dorymanI had the shop where I bought my fiddle tune it for me when I bought it. So I don't have to worry about these issues any more.
Haha!!
Old Scratch - Posted - 05/19/2022: 13:06:48
By 2044 there will be self-playing violins..!!
In fact: youtube.com/watch?v=xs0mP2cOmJs (Skip to 2:30 if you're in a rush).
Edited by - Old Scratch on 05/19/2022 13:11:33
WyoBob - Posted - 05/19/2022: 14:09:05
I test drove a carbon fiber fiddle that had "Perfection" pegs and didn't care for them. I sent the fiddle back (for more reasons than the peg's) and got on the FHO and searched the archives and learned what I could about mechanical tuners.
The installation of the Perfections seemed more complicated than the installation of the Wittner's and the idea of a threaded fitting screwing into the peg box didn't seem like a good idea. The Wittner's could be converted back to conventional pegs. That seemed unlikely with the Perfections.
The Wittner's seemed like a "layman" might be able to install them so I ordered a set (along with the appropriate reamer) and put them on one of my Chinese fiddles. I ordered another set and put them on the other one. They work very well. Note: "layman". There are no violin luthiers with in a 3-6 hour drive of here so, as with many things "rural", you learn how to do things for yourself.
The pegs on the Kennedy fiddle that I first ordered didn't work well at all. That was almost 3 years ago and, at the time, I was having a lot of strength and dexterity problems with my hands. For the last two years, I've been taking a teaspoon of Turmeric every night and it's certainly helped with my banjo and fiddle playing and dexterity in general. I've since played a few fiddles with standard pegs and I think I can now operate them. I'll know more when the fiddle I just bought arrives.
BanjoBrad - Posted - 05/19/2022: 15:34:01
quote:
Originally posted by dorymanI had the shop where I bought my fiddle tune it for me when I bought it. So I don't have to worry about these issues any more.
I did that on my first banjo, then glued them in place so they didn't slip ( ;) )
Creole - Posted - 05/19/2022: 15:52:18
quote: Banjo string are not as "picky" Sorry you left the door open there. Had to. :) lol
Originally posted by BanjoBradquote:
Originally posted by dorymanI had the shop where I bought my fiddle tune it for me when I bought it. So I don't have to worry about these issues any more.
I did that on my first banjo, then glued them in place so they didn't slip ( ;) )
Dick Hauser - Posted - 05/27/2022: 09:24:11
I own both Wittner and Perfection geared tunes. I prefer the Wittner tuners and will eventually replace the Perfection tuners on one fiddle with Wittner tuners.
woodswalker - Posted - 08/27/2022: 17:38:51
quote:
Originally posted by JaunskotsI have one fiddle with Perfections and one with Wittners. Both are just fine and save all kinds of aggrevation. I haven't had a peg pop with changes in humidity and temperature in a decade. Nothing but smooth, controllable tuning. You really don't need fine tuners any more. I just acquired a new fiddle with old-style pegs and it's driving me crazy. I don't think I'll last another week without changing them.
I had the wittmer pegs on my Cecilio student fiddle. Just upgraded to a Friz Otto Kaiser fiddle and the friction pegs made me nuts. I decided to try switching out the Wittmer pegs from my student fiddle but they were a little too fat for the new one. (7.6 size.) Not sure if I should order the 7.2 size or if that is only for kids fiddles (3/4 size). Or if I should just order the reaming tool and steal the Wittmers off my student fiddle & do it myself.
People say I should have a professional do it, but it seems like a simple job, and if I went to a pro it would take months to get it done.
(One comment about the Witmers, they are a bit tricky. If you are not careful, your string will get into the gap between the geared section containing the stringhole, and the body of the peg. Then your peg is essentially useless.)
