New Design Peghead using lightweight Tuners (Pics)

[Barry Guest]

I understand that I shouldn't post pics of incomplete work, but this is meant to draw attention to a discussion on the peghead of the Violin. Besides, I will not finish this instrument until later in the year. We leave on a 6 month wood odyssey in outback Australia in a few days.(I should qualify...my wife will be holidaying and sightseeing while I will be looking for wood!)

Anyway, back to the subject. The tuners used on this instrument are the "relatively" new Gotoh Stealth tuners. They weigh only one gram more than the traditional ebony peg, or 4 grams more in total (.14 ounces). They have a gear ration of 18:1 and are very accurate.

I hear you ask why? Well, there have been many attempts to "modernize" violin tuning and I believe that these tuners do just that. Weight has always been an issue at the scroll end of the violin. These tuners remove that issue, and opens up a plethora of design possibilities at the peghead.

[Barry Guest]

Side view

[Barry Guest]

Rear of headstock

[Barry Dudley]

Very nice design!!! I love "out of the box" thinking. Be glad to hear how it sounds.

[Jim McConkey]

What is the price of the Gotoh Stealth tuners compared to Pegheads, or similar? Pegheads are planetary tuners disguised to look like normal violin pegs, with a similar tuning ratio to the Stealths. I haven't put them on a fiddle yet, but I did put a set on an old banjo and I love them. I've got another set destined for a bowed dulcimer, if I ever get my new shop built.

[Barry Guest]

Thanks Barry.

Jim, the Gotoh stealths are $75 a set of four. I'm not sure, but I think a decent set of planetary tuners are more expensive. The planetary tuners definitely have their place in the conversion from the standard wooden peg set up, but for new instruments, these stealth tuners open up a range of possibilities. I can't see them affecting the sound at all.

[John Mueller]

Amazon has the perfection peg set under $70. http://www.perfectionpegs.twofold.com.a ... ation.html

[Barry Guest]

Amazon has the perfection peg set under $70. http://www.perfectionpegs.twofold.com.a ... ation.html

John...that link shows a set at $85 AUD, that's US$91. I see they also declare a gear ratio of 4:1. The Stealths are 18:1.

[Bill Raymond]

I saw a price of $69.00US on amazon.com

[Barry Guest]

I feel that I am splitting hairs here. A few bucks is not really an issue. The issue I really want discussed is the design options that the Stealth tuners offer for new instruments.

[Jim McConkey]

There are advantages of a small tuner, not only where light weight is needed, like on fiddles, but also where space requirements are tight. I remember trying to design a headless electric for one of the challenges (never had time to build it), but I had trouble cramming enough tuners into the small space available near the tail. These would have really helped.

[Barry Guest]

Another pic just to show how small they are compared to a Grover guitar tuner.

[Tim Douglass]

Nice! Wish I'd had those when I was designing my headless acoustic.

[Rodger Bryan]

I like the curves shown on the side view of the peghead. The stealth option is making me re-think using planetary pegs or other guitar tuners on an electric violin design I have started- the photo taken with the Grover was very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

[Barry Guest]

No worries Rodger. Maybe you can post the results of your project when you get it done.

[Douglas Ingram]

I am curious about the torque that you can apply to the peg to tune the string up to pitch, and how the post diameter works for violin strings. To my mind those would be the core issues. If those are OK, then the rest follows.

[Barry Guest]

Doug, I assure you that neither of those issues are even remotely concerning.

[Dan Gilmore]

I'm a guitar guy, and have been asked to make an electric violin for a friend. I have thought of using something other than the standard tapered ebony pegs, specifically the Grover Uke/Dulcimer friction pegs StewMac sells. Has anyone used those, or another alternative? And, if so, what did you think in terms of quality, weight (no weight listed on the SM site or catalog) and function? The instrument will not be traditional in design at all, by the way. Thanks, Dan

[Craig Hodges]

Dan, I'm also a guitar guy building an electric violin. I've been designing it for awhile and built a prototype which my daughter played to check out the feel. I am using Gotoh minis but they are very heavy unfortunately. I have not yet found light weight open tuners that fit well where I need 'em to go. I'm building the finished product now - sure takes longer than I thought but I don't get to work on it as much as I'd like.

[Steve Senseney]

Interesting project.