Technical data
| Instrument | violin |
| Design | Geared peg with self-locking |
| Reduction | 8.5 to 1 |
| Taper | 1:30 |
| Fitting | by the violin maker |
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
Features
- 8.5 to 1 reduction, stepless self-locking
- Wittner in Isny, founded 1895, today a division of Gewa Music GmbH
In practice
- Fitting belongs in the workshop. The peg holes are brought carefully to the finished size with the reamer, and the peg is pressed in firmly without glue, not turned in.
- Because there is no turning motion, the peg is pressed in harder than a wooden peg. Small differences between peg and peg hole are taken up with a layer of paper: 0.1 mm of paper bridges an axial play of 2 to 3 mm at a 1:30 taper.
- The string must lie only on the ribbed, moving spool. If it lies on the fixed end it can break. Three or four windings are enough.
- You can feel the gear engaging as you turn, and the peg locks in any position.
- On the E string a fine tuner at the tailpiece complements the fine tuning pegs; this is how we fit our Audition violin as standard.
Versions
- 4/4 to 3/4 Medium Ø 8.6 mm, WIT-270111M
- 4/4 to 3/4 Medium Ø 8.6 mm, WIT-270111M 04
- 4/4 to 3/4 (Rosewood look) Medium Ø 8.6 mm, WIT-270111M 04-P
- 4/4 to 3/4 Slim Ø 7.8 mm, WIT-270111S
- 4/4 to 3/4 Slim Ø 7.8 mm, WIT-270111S 04
- 1/2 to 1/4 Slim Ø 7.2 mm, WIT-270131S 04
Sound and physics
The head of the Wittner FineTune houses a planetary gear with a reduction of 8.5 to 1 compared with an ordinary peg; the string is tuned through this gear while the shaft stays firmly seated in the peg hole. Only the head and the knurled middle section turn, so there is no wear on the peg or the peg hole. The gear is self-locking, and the string cannot lose its tension on its own. The shaft carries a 1:30 taper, the same as our wooden violin pegs. For 4/4 to 3/4 it measures 8.6 mm at the collar in size Medium and 7.8 mm in Slim; for 1/2 to 1/4 it is 7.2 mm in Slim.
The right size is determined by the diameter directly below the rings, not by the length of the peg. It is fitted without glue: the peg is pressed in firmly, harder than a wooden peg, because there is no turning motion. Small differences between peg and peg hole are taken up with a layer of paper: 0.1 mm of paper bridges an axial play of 2 to 3 mm at a 1:30 taper. Three or four windings on the spool are enough. To remove it, the peg is pushed out from the thin end of the shaft, which keeps the gear in the head safe.
Our experience
In our experience: we fit our Audition violin with Wittner FineTune as standard and add a fine tuner on the E string, because this has proved itself in playing on stage. There the FineTune hold their tuning for a long time and make tuning easy for young players too.
When another model suits you better
If you prefer the classic wooden peg, our Götz violin pegs offer the same 1:30 taper in ebony, rosewood and boxwood, with head shapes from the German Model to the heart shape.
Frequently asked questions
What taper do the Wittner FineTune for violin have?
1:30, like our wooden violin pegs.
Which size do I need?
That depends on the diameter directly below the rings: for 4/4 to 3/4, Medium measures 8.6 mm and Slim 7.8 mm at the collar.
How is a FineTune removed?
Push it out from the thin end of the shaft. Pulling at the head would strain the planetary gear.
Do FineTune pegs wear the peg hole?
No. The shaft stays put and only the head and the knurled middle section turn, so there is no wear on the peg or the peg hole.
These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.
