|
steve -> RE: new Green (Oct. 25 2006 20:43:00)
|
nealf,
Those that already know the process of tuning with pegs, just bear with me and please feel free add your own tips and/or tricks or a completely different method.
Starting from the presumption that the pegs are fitted properly and the strings are up to tension. When you need to adjust a strings pitch, lets say any of the first 4 strings, place the thumb of your right hand, on the fret board in the area of the second or third fret, so you can pluck the string to be adjusted with your first or second finger. This will give you much more control over your adjustments and prevent putting an undo load on the neck/body joint. When pegs sit in a position for a while they often tend to take set or settle into that position and it takes a little force to crack it loose (poor choice of words) for adjusting. Given that, take advantage of the tension of the string. Whether your going to tune up or down, always tune down first. Now when I say tune down first, I'm just talking about moving it off that set point. At this point, you should be able to freely move the peg to bring the string to its proper pitch. To adjust the 5th and 6th string, the procedure is the same except that you place your ring and middle on the fret board and pluck the string to be adjusted with your thumb. A couple additional notes, as with tuning machines, after a while, you begin to get a sense of how far you have to turn that button to get to the pitch you want. The same goes for tuning with pegs. Although machines are a geared ratio, and pegs are nearly 1 to 1, and as such they require a little more sensitivity, but your brain will adjust to the appropriate movement. Additionally, because pegs are fitted with a taper, and if their just to tight to move them resonably, just back the out of the hole so their free to move and push back into the hole when your at pitch. Also, I was told or read somewhere that Sabicas use to fine tune his guitar, we're talking subtle changes, by pulling up on a string on the sound hole side of the capo to lower the pitch, and push down on the peg side of the nut to raise the pitch. The pressure of the capo would hold the change. I know that when all this is laid out in detail, it sounds like a pain......its not. All this becomes very second nature after a while. Like learning a new piece, after you've got it down, you don't think about what note comes next, it just seems to happen.
Besides the look of pegs which think is cool, I can change strings on a peg head in a quarter the time it takes me to change them on a machine head. This carries a LOT of weight for me.
I hope this helps a bit. These are techniques I've learned by my personal experience. If anybody can add to this, please do.
steve
|
|
|
|
