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For you peghead owners out there, what do you use on that uncooperative peg? I know that violin makers have a ready-made stuff from W.E. Hill, and I've read on other forums about a soap/chalk mixture but then elsehwere I've read that the soap/chalk mix is bad. I have soap obviously but I got some foot powder, would that work? If nothing else that'd protect my guitar from ahtlete's foot. Tom at La Falseta says pencil graphite works too.
Any other recipes out there? Would I be wasting $9 for the lipstick-looking stuff? My cello on the other hand has yet to need any peg dope, but I figured since I now have two instruments with pegs, maybe it'd be nice to have.
When I got my first Lester Devoe peghead, he told me the pegs are all ready to go, and that I shouldn't need to do anything, but he still included some pegdope with the guitar just in case. He said to use it sparingly, but he also suggested to use some candle wax, which he also included. I never really had to do much with my Devoe peghead as the pegs always turned smoothly and never slipped. And ever since, I have used this method (pegdope and wax) on all my other pegheads I've acquired, and this always seemed to remedy any sticking or slipping issues those guitars had.
The peg dope prevents the peg from slipping, and the wax helps to ease turning the peg. So you have to rub a mixture of both along the shaft of the peg and work the mixture into the hole by turning the peg. Once you get it, you'll know and you won't have to worry about it for a long while.
Yes, just regular white candle wax is what I use. Currently I'm using a birthday candle, but I suppose you could cut a section from a regular candle stick to fit in your guitar case. I"m not too concerned whether the peg dope is applied over the wax or the wax over the peg dope, as they both get mushed inside the hole anyway when turning the peg, but I do try to alternate the strokes between the peg dope and the wax.
After I put the peg in the hole and turn it a few times, I get a feel for how the peg is going to perform. If turning the peg still sticks a bit, I pull out the peg and put a few strokes of wax, or if it turns too easily and feel like it will slip, I will put a couple strokes of peg dope on the peg shaft. Sometimes I will have to wipe off the peg dope and wax from the peg shaft and start over, but that's just part of the process of getting the right mix on the peg. And as mentioned previously, once you get it right, you shouldn't have to mess with the peg much afterwards. At least that's been my experience, and I've owned a good number of pegheads.
Over the years I have had 7 peghead guitars. I grew up with them, and my first guitar was a peghead. I have 4 now. I use a touch of graphite lubricant -- the kind you can get from a shop that specializes in fixing locks and copying keys. It is a powder that comes in a tube. You can probably get it at Lowe's. Basically the same pencil graphite that Tom Nunez recommends, except pencil graphite has additives to make it bind together, and I don't know what effect they have. I have preferred the pure graphite lubricant because I know I can just wipe it off if it makes the peg too slippery to hold. (I never want to do anything to a guitar that can't be undone).
I have to say both my Salvador Castillo peghead guitars are smooth as butter and have never needed any help. In fact they are so smooth I half suspect he uses something like violin peg dope.
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My former teacher uses regular chalk. Black or Brown depending if you have ebony or rosewood pegs. In your case ebony. He wipes a little on the pegs and it does the trick. Anders recently told me to try using an oily soap and pumice mixture. There are a number of things you can do. Before spending money are a product made specifically for this, try some of the various home made stuff first.
Well I decided to experiment a little, and here's what I tried up to this point:
Soap: ehhh... it works great at first, but then it loses it's effectiveness for some reason.
Talcum powder: same story.
Blending the two didn't seem to accomplish much either.
Graphite powder: Holy s--- shinoli this stuff is AMAZING! Thank you a_arnold for the suggestion. One dinky little smidgen later, and these pegs are turning smoother than silk!
I won't even bother with peg dope, it's clearly not needed and I've heard it doesn't always work anyway.
thousands of violinists and hundreds of violin makers recommend/use a hill's peg dope. must be for a reason. i have used it with excellent results. it is inexpensive and lasts a very long time--and is not messy. although pegs work best when well fitted, changes in humidity and micro wear will make pegs work less than perfect and that is where peg dope comes in.
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Tom at La Falseta says pencil graphite works too. 
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