selboudy - 8-29-2003 at 01:57 PM
I have just came back from an Oud shop in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, I complained to the man there about my oud slipping pegs, he gave an advice which I
want some one to verify; he said drop couple of drops of tea or some Pepsi on the pegs where they contact with the hole.
Is this true? would some one advise. Thanks
Peg Maintenance
Dr. Oud - 9-3-2003 at 11:52 AM
Don't drop any liquid anywhere on your oud, any time, period.
Many ouds made in the Mid East use poor quality soft wood pegs. Take a peg out and examine the shaft carefully. If it has a step or bump on the
shaft where it meets the peg box wall, the peg is softer than the peg box and cannot be made to work properly. These soft pegs must be replaced with
hard wood pegs made from rosewood or ebony. Viola pegs are large enough to be fitted without bushings. Fitting the pegs requires a special reamer and
some skill and experience. A violin repair shop can make this repair.
If the peg shaft looks ok and the pegs slip, use a bit of talc powder or chalk applied sparingly on the shaft where it fits in the hole. If the pegs
are sticky or jam, use a bar of dry soap or a soft graphite pencil to draw a line around the peg shaft where it fits in the hole. Peg conditioning
compounds can also be found at violin shops.
When you are tuning your oud, push the peg into the peg box as you turn it to hold it in place. If the peg is stuck in the peg box, push on the
opposite end while turning and pulling the peg out.
yiorgos - 9-4-2003 at 11:18 AM
I used some chalk and it caused a lot of friction. I tried to twist the ped and it broke. I started using ped dope which I purchased for my violin
(but never used it before). It's like a lipstick lubricant but it seems to be working okay for the moment.
Is that a bad idea?
I glued the peg and I'm going to make some new pegs from a harder wood.
mavrothis - 9-4-2003 at 02:16 PM
geia sou megale
i think the only real answer is new peg/peghole match.
those drops and other things can also cause you problems if you use too much.
take your oud to a violin maker/luthier and get some opinions, i know with my first oud, i had many problems with the pegs, and they really never went
away.
take care
yiorgos - 9-4-2003 at 02:50 PM
Euxaristo poli 
This is my first oud, so I guess I'll have to learn the hard way...
I understand there's a few different ways to tune it...
Any recommendations?
Jameel - 9-4-2003 at 03:19 PM
Geia sou Yiorgos.
I think new pegs would fix your problem, as the Dr. says. I have some new viola pegs (12) of ebony if you are interested to buy them, drop me an
e-mail.
Eucharisto poli.
Jameel
mavrothis - 9-4-2003 at 05:28 PM
Tipota, na'sai kala.
The most common tuning for a Turkish oud from lowest to highest is:
E A B E A D
The BEAD rarely changes, but the bottom two strings are tuned according to your preference, and which makam (dromo) you're playing.
Let me know how things are going, and send me an email for any questions. I'm happy to help you if I can.
By the way, what part of Greece are you from?
Take care.
yiorgos - 9-8-2003 at 12:38 PM
Hi Mavrothis and Jameel,
Thank you for the replies...
I'm from Athens... You?
I've being living in N. California for a long time.
Jameel, yes please... (about the pegs)
I have one more question...
How do you care for the wood?
Do you oil? And what about cleaning?
Xillia euxaristo
Yiorgos
yiorgos - 9-8-2003 at 01:19 PM
I should have read the "oud care" posting before I posted my last question...
Thanks
Yiorgos
Jameel - 9-8-2003 at 03:10 PM
Yiorgos,
My e-mail is
jambraham@mchsi.com
slipping pegs
Davoud - 9-13-2003 at 11:50 AM
I've also used violin bow rosin to help them from slipping. Just rub the peg on the block of rosin until there is a thin layer in one spot.
Don't do too much or the peg will stick.
mavrothis - 9-13-2003 at 04:10 PM
sorry yiorgo, i didn't read your reply for a while. my family's from xalkidiki, i live in pa.
geia xara
Yia sou Yiorgo
spyrosc - 9-18-2003 at 11:27 PM
Yiorgo,
You mentioned you are in N.California.
So am I.
Maybe we can meet.
e-mail me.
Yia hara
Spyros C.
Peg Maintenance-Bow Rosin NOT!
Dr. Oud - 9-22-2003 at 07:57 AM
I must caution people about using bow rosin on pegs. This is a fix used by fiddlers without much technical training. A violin repair technician will
tell you never, ever use bow rosin on the pegs. It can glue the peg into the peg box and it must then be cut off and drilled out, and new pegs
refitted.
Chalk, talc, or talcum power is the home remedy for slipping pegs. The best bet is to go to a music instrument store and buy some peg compound. It
will solve both slipping and sticking pegs by conditioning the peg & hole for optimum friction. I use it on every oud, and only once. A single
application will last forever it seems. The most common problem with bargain ouds anyway is soft pegs, and only replacing them harder pegs will solve
this problem.
samzayed - 11-12-2003 at 12:02 AM
I have this "Hidersine" peg compound that looks like lipstick. My experience with it is that it too "waxy", and more often than
not, it causes the peg to slip more. Am I using too much, or am I applying it wrong? I rub a little 3 mm dash on the peg where it sits against the
peg box. I don't rub it all around the circumfrence of the peg.
I've had the better luck with chalk when slippery, soap when stuck. And very, very small amount. . . .