f.j.w. -> Peg taper and bushings (Oct. 11 2016 10:49:33)
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Hi All My first guitar is progressing. The top is joined and I am preparing the neck. However it is going to be a peghead guitar and I wonder about the pegs, what taper should they be? I am a vioin maker, I know how to fit pegs. However there are some considerations that are different for guitar pegs vs violin pegs. What is the best taper to use? Violins use 1:30, but the pegs on my teachers 1967 Ramirez blanca have pegs that are 1:17. Also I have seen in Dictum's catalogue a guitar peg reamer at taper 1:15. I just can not understand why such a steep taper. Tradition obviously, but things become traditional for a reason. One reason could be that they did not have accurate peg reamers and it was easier to fit steep pegs then. The other reason could be that is simply works better. Old violins also often had very steep pegs btw. The other consideration is the headstock. On my teachers Ramirez the problem is that the peg holes have become worn, and the head-veneer less so. Thus the pegs grip only at the head-veneer. This must be a common problem on old guitars. Is there a solution to this? Wooden inserts under the head-veneer is one option. If the head-veneer is rosewood should the insert not also be rosewood? Maple has been mentioned as a possible material for the inserts, but maple is also less wear resistant than rosewood, so it would diminish the problem, but not solve it. Also I always thought that pegs should be harder than the wood they sit in. So a rosewood peg fitted into a rosewood insert might not work optimally. Another solution would be to bush the peghole with cedrela or mahogany all the way through. This would show on the surface of the head as a light ring around the peg, but it could be retuched to match the rosewood. Cheers, any thoughts appreciated Frank JW
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