Peg holding, YEA

Hey hey, pencil eraser - rub that on & the little bits (like adding fiber to our diets) has the bass peg holding. WOW, no slipping. Has anyone else tried an eraser?

Chalk will sometimes help with pegs which won't hold. Dan's suggestion of peg drops is good, too. I use "peg dope." It is actually jeweler's rouge, a very fine polish. It comes in a little tube and looks like a brown crayon or art pastel. Lightly rub the pegs with it where the pegs make contact with the sides of the holes. I bought mine in a music store which stocks goods for violin. 

I don't think water or spit are a good idea. 

(chalk I put on.)

So, does chalk not hold? What is chalk for then? W. May had said to just use chalk on his. I have a peg something, not drops - I will try that.

thanks

I've got 5 dulcimers with the wooden pegs and i use a product called Regal Peg Drops from Regal Music, Ely MN.  One drop holds for quite some time.  A lot longer than water or spit. (more hygenic too). LOL I think i got it throough EBAY.  It's very inexpensive and one bottle lasts for years.  One drop per peg.

( Mixolydian (D/A/d/dd) tuning.)

Bridge to nut in 28'.5    if I was to tune to DAddd, should the ddd be lighter than 12's. String Gauge Calculator shows 9, so I'm thinking 10's or 11's but not sure if 12's would be ok that sounds like what are used for this dulcimer but maybe not for DAddd

rob,

(putting water on the bass peg to swell it.)

After the water (or spit ;-)) dries would it be loose again?

So far I am not using that peg & even if I did not sure I would have the strings 4 equal courses - how do you play that? Not knowing, I would think my fingers would slip through or would miss a string in making cords.

Have it tone to DAaa now, beautiful tone. I'm not sure the pegs could hold dd but since this sounds is so nice, now sure I would keep trying on tuning up to dd

Pegs are a problem for me but other than that, what do you think of a Sam Carrell dulcimer?

That's the way my Maxwell is set up: 4 courses with double melody.  It's been a while since I've played it, but I think I tuned it D D A AA, or D A A AA.  I'm pretty sure it had 2 wound strings so I did 2 D's.  I would suggest putting water on the bass peg to swell it.  As I like to say, Just spit on it and wait a minute.  LOL

Photos

On the pegs - you can see all the chalk I put on them. I still can't get the bass peg to hold so are using the others at the moment - need to adjust the spacing over on last far one since no bass one at the moment.

The melody strings I have tune aa, sounds great & pegs hold them fine but I run into trouble getting the pegs to hold if I tune to dd. Also I notice a buzz on 3rd fret, not sure if I should just try & move strings over to another notch or raise the strings a bit with some string or paper. 

e mail sam carroll1.jpg  •  82KB

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Why are the strings set up like a 4 equidistant dulcimer except the melody strings are doubled? Not sure how you play that, just on melody strings? Can I move them over to have set more like DdAdd - double on the two far strings & melody?

So, what is the best way to start, mark the bridge, remove the strings & clean than put new strings on?

If a peg wont hold, first try chalk or sand just a hair to go in slot better?

 (Sam Carrell, who worked for a time with Bill Davis)

I just picked up a Sam Carrell dulcimer, signed & dated august 1984. it need some work but with your help something I can do.

What can you tell me about these dulcimers?

It is the 5 string fiddle shape type. May just need new strings, a good cleaning & some way to have the two bass end pegs hold.