| Form | Solid block in a tin |
| Use | Peg shaft |
| Country of manufacture | England |
| Item number | HL-30H |
The shaft of a peg is conical and is fitted exactly into the conical hole of the pegbox. On our violin and viola pegs the shaft tapers at 1:30, that is 1 mm of diameter over 30 mm of length; on the cello the taper is 1:25. Peg soap has two jobs: the peg turns evenly while tuning, without jerking, and afterwards it holds the tuning.
In dry air the maple of the scroll shrinks and pegs slip a little; 1 to 2 mm counts as normal. Ebony reacts less strongly to dry air, and in humid air pegs become stiff. Ordinary soap attracts moisture and becomes unpredictable as humidity changes.
Clean the peg beforehand with a dry cloth and apply the soap very sparingly, only where the shaft touches the wall of the pegbox. Newly fitted pegs need time to settle, and the right amount is hard to judge at the first fitting.
Our Götz peg soap ZW-96 contains graphite and gives the peg a particularly stable seat, which is why violin makers like to reach for it. The Lapella peg soap ZW-40 does without graphite, is softer than ZW-96 and makes tuning easier; in return it holds the peg a little less firmly, and we recommend it to players who retune often. We carry the Hill peg compound HL-1788 as the successor to our former peg soap ZW-97.
Anyone fitting a new peg and looking above all for a stable seat is well served by our graphite peg soap ZW-96; players who tune often in concert life will find a pleasant partner in the softer Lapella ZW-40.
In dry air the maple of the scroll shrinks and the peg loses some grip; slipping by 1 to 2 mm is normal. If a peg never holds, it belongs in the workshop for refitting, as peg soap does not replace fitting.
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.