Small Tuning Peg
A small tuning peg as the name suggest is a special type of peg which is used to hold a string in what is known as a pegbox of an instrument such as a guitar. These are some of the most commonly used pegs in music which is why musicians often require that they use the best quality pegs available. These small pegs are made from a number of different types of wood and other material such as plastic or metal. Special types of tuning pegs are often decorated with plastic inlays, shell, metal rings or beads also known as pips.
A wooden small turning peg is usually made from high quality wood such as:
- Rosewood
- Ebony
- Boxwood
Now because the job of a small tuning peg is to tighten or also loosen the string of an instrument in order to change the pitch when played, the peg needs to be able to take a lot of pressure. Often times low quality wood will break when twisted to tighten the instrument which is why musicians prefer materials which are more durable such as metal. But the general perception towards metal is that it hampers the quality of sound which an instrument can produce.
Friction small tuning peg
A small tuning peg belonging to the friction family of pegs are usually used in violin type instruments. In addition they are also used on some of the older instruments such as the hurdy gurdy and the Bulgarian gadulka. The flamenco guitars also use these types of tuning pegs to vary their pitch.
A peg which is well designed and made from high quality materials will hold reliably and will also turn easily, in addition it will not slip or stick. The modern form of these pegs have what appear to be conical shafts which are turned on 1:30 taper and change in diameter by around 1mm over a 30mm distance. However the modern cello is known to be more aggressive with a 1:25 taper. Older ones such as the 19th century pegs which were used for gut strings had a 1:20 taper.
The function of a taper in a small tuning peg is that it allows for the peg to easily turn when it is pulled out a slight bit and also holds well when it is pushed in. Now because the wear pattern does affect the performance of the peg they occasionally need to be taken out and refitted, this is a specialized job and requires lots of reshaping of both the holes and the pegs in order to get it back to the smooth circular taper shape.
Geared pegs
These types of small tuning peg is used in a guitar and double bass instrument and has gears and often referred to as machine heads, or machines. There are also geared pegs which are used for a few types of violins, but they are rarely used. The latest pegs are known as planetary gears and are designed to be fit inside of a cause which is shaped like what appears to be a friction type peg.