Kiwaya and Peghed tuners

Matt Clara · Sep 15, 2009

Just an FYI,* Peghed tuners won't fit my Kiwaya concert--holes are too big. Elderly informed me that they could add bushings, essentially plugging the old holes, and then drill new holes for the Pegheds, all for $100, bringing the cost of adding Pegheds to my uke to $184. I said, no thank you, and went upstairs to the showroom and returned the Pegheds.

*not that I expect anyone to care, just thought it was a good factoid to add to the repository of googleable knowledge this forum is.

mailman · Sep 15, 2009

That is good info. Not to put you on the spot, but what size was the hole? What size hole do the pegheds require? That would be very helpful info for those of us who would have to shop online....

KC8AFW · Sep 15, 2009

Sorry to hear that. Friction tuners aren't so bad...I've actually grown to like them.

Matt Clara · Sep 16, 2009

KC8AFW said:
Sorry to hear that. Friction tuners aren't so bad...I've actually grown to like them.

Friction tuners hold the tune just fine, it's when the strings are just settling in and you constantly have to fiddle with them, or when the string reaches a point where it's rolling up onto the first "reel" of string, then little turns less than 1/8 of an inch can swing the tuning wildly (relatively) from just under to well over. And then back again, and so on, until you finally manage to twist the tuner a distance so tiny you almost are just imagining you moved it (and sometimes you are), and then it's right on, for right then, anyway. Yeah, I still see pegheds in my future!

mailman · Sep 16, 2009

mattclara said:
Friction tuners hold the tune just fine, it's when the strings are just settling in and you constantly have to fiddle with them, or when the string reaches a point where it's rolling up onto the first "reel" of string, then little turns less than 1/8 of an inch can swing the tuning wildly (relatively) from just under to well over. And then back again, and so on, until you finally manage to twist the tuner a distance so tiny you almost are just imagining you moved it (and sometimes you are), and then it's right on, for right then, anyway. Yeah, I still see pegheds in my future!

I agree wholeheartedly! I know some folks love friction tuners....but I think they're a PITA!

I'd love to be able to afford Pegheds for my soprano....

Matt Clara · Sep 16, 2009

mailman said:
I agree wholeheartedly! I know some folks love friction tuners....but I think they're a PITA!

I'd love to be able to afford Pegheds for my soprano....

Yeah, they're not cheap, and because pegheds are tapered, they have to alter your uke to fit them. And, no, I don't know the size of the hole, unfortunately. You're right, that would be good info, too.

KC8AFW · Sep 16, 2009

Are there any other planetary gear type tuners that might fit without modification?

Matt Clara · Sep 16, 2009

KC8AFW said:
Are there any other planetary gear type tuners that might fit without modification?

All the other ones I saw, which are basically banjo tuners, were heavy, and would really throw the balance of the kiwaya--the lightest concert uke I've ever held--off by quite a bit. Some day, I'll build my own, with some snazzy peghed tuners.

joezane · Sep 16, 2009

pegheads actually come in different sizes.
perhaps elderly just didn't have the size you need in stock.

check out the peghead website or write john with the size of your holes and he'll tell what he has that would work
http://www.pegheds.com/

you can install them yourself.
they are ridiculously easy to install. you just screw them in and you are off and running.

i'm one of those weirdos that likes friction tuners. they take getting used to, but once you do...
i like having a a 1:1 relationship with my uke

if you've never used pegheads, you should know that they aren't like geared tuners at all. the gearing is much lower then normal geared tuners. they are only 4:1, actually closer to friction tuners.
they are almost like training tuners for getting used to friction tuners.

BUT, they look AMAZING and they are light as a feather. both a big + in my book.

Matt Clara · Sep 16, 2009

joezane said:
pegheads actually come in different sizes.
perhaps elderly just didn't have the size you need in stock.

As far as I can tell, each size is intended for different types of instruments, and are not just fatter, but vary in length, too.

check out the peghead website or write john with the size of your holes and he'll tell what he has that would work
http://www.pegheds.com/

That's a good idea.

you can install them yourself.
they are ridiculously easy to install. you just screw them in and you are off and running.

Because they are tapered, one needs to take a tapered reamer to the headstock. That's what the website indicates, anyway. It may be easy, but my uke's kind of expensive for me to be screwing around with it like that, especially since it would be my first and only attempt--unless someone has some ukes I could practice on...

if you've never used pegheads, you should know that they aren't like geared tuners at all. the gearing is much lower then normal geared tuners. they are only 4:1, actually closer to friction tuners.
they are almost like training tuners for getting used to friction tuners.

I've never owned any, but several of the ukes at Elderly have them, and I've played with them many times.

BUT, they look AMAZING and they are light as a feather. both a big + in my book.

That's what I think, too, and I think 1:4 is still a far cry from 1:1.

John Colter · Sep 16, 2009

Hi Mattclara,

Your comment about "when it's rolling up onto the first 'reel' of string" is factually correct, of course, but the answer is not to wrap too much string onto the post. I doesn't HAVE to roll up.

Having said that, I'd love to try some pegheads - they look the bees knees, and 4/1 has to be an advantage. If only they were not so costly.

Ukantor.

buddhuu · Sep 16, 2009

I was going to get some for my fiddle, but they're not readily available in UK (or weren't when I looked) and, as you say, they're not cheap...

Kiwaya and Peghed tuners

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