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This particular page was created 28/11/2004 and last updated 17/05/2005
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| | Geared tunersOne of the two real advantages geared tuners have over tuning pegs is that they're easier to maintain. Make sure the adjustment screw at the tip are tight but not too tight, keep them clean and perhaps add a drop of oil or other lubricant (the kind you'd use at home for door hinges and such) every few years. That's all.
Tuning pegsOld-fashioned Tuning pegs doesn't require that much more work, but they are far more sensitive to bad mainteneance. Properly set up tuning pegs are wonderfully smooth and easy to use, badly maintained ones are an absolute nightmare to deal with!The first thing you have to do if your tuning pegs slip and/or stick is to clean them. Dust, dirt and corrotion gathered over the years are by far the tuning peg's worst enemy. Next step is lubrication. You can use a special peg soap for that - or you can simply combine a regular soap bar (for smoothness) with some ordinary chalk (for friction).
In either case, make sure every surface that is in contact with the peghead are well lubricated. Finally you put the pegs into place and adjust them. If the pegs are of the simple one-piece bone or wood kind, adjustment simply means how hard you push them into the holes in the peghead. A metal peg has an adjustment screw at the tip of the "ear" allowing you to tighten or loosen it. Adjustments are something you'll need to do frequently. If you use metal pegs you should always keep a suitable screwdriver in you banjo case. With one-piece pegs you'll soon find you automatically adjust them every time you tune, without even thinking about it.
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