Technical data
| Model | Heart Model |
| Wood | Rosewood |
| Gauge | thin |
| Version | Single peg |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Shaft at the collar | 8.0 mm |
| Taper | 1:30 |
| Item number | ZW-984-THIN |
Features
- Götz peg soap lets the peg turn easily and keeps it in place against the pull of the strings
- Weight: ebony is the heaviest of the three woods, rosewood sits in between, boxwood is the lightest. In our experience the difference cannot be heard; boxwood is chosen because the left hand feels every gram
Dimensions and wood
Our violin pegs have a 1:30 taper (1 mm less diameter over 30 mm of shaft length). Violin end buttons carry the same taper, because peg holes and the end button hole are reamed with the same reamer.
We measure a peg's gauge on the shaft directly below the collar, where it enters the pegbox. For the violin our specification sets these values:
| Thin gauge | 8.0 mm |
| Medium gauge | 8.5 mm |
| Strong gauge | 9.0 mm |
Without further specification, our violin pegs are medium at 8.5 mm.
A peg one gauge up sits about 15 mm further out in the same hole, so the choice follows the condition of the peg holes.
A Thomastik Dominant 135 medium set pulls on the pegs with 21.2 kg in total, 7.8 kg of it from the E string 129. The pegs hold this pull through their seat in the wall holes; that is exactly where peg soap is applied.
In dry air the maple of the scroll shrinks, the pegs then travel deeper into their holes, and 1 to 2 mm is quite normal. In humid air they turn more stiffly, and as a guide for storage and playing we give 40 to 50 % relative humidity at 20 °C.
Palisander, known in English as rosewood, is East Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) in our pegs. At 12 % moisture content it has a density of 820 to 920 kg/m³.
In violin making rosewood is increasingly used as an alternative to ebony, from the fingerboard to pegs and chinrest. The timber is beautifully figured.
For the violin we make the heart shape in ebony (ZW-981), rosewood (ZW-984) and boxwood (ZW-986). In ebony and boxwood it comes thin with an 8.0 mm shaft and medium with 8.5 mm. The boxwood heart pegs are made in the correct style with a black ring and black button.
Our violins of the Cantonate series are fitted as standard with boxwood pegs in heart shape. The small black buttons of the thin boxwood heart pegs ZW-986-THIN are also offered singly as spares.
Our experience
In our experience: for a new instrument we like the thin gauge, for replacement and conversion the medium one, and a peg with a 9 mm shaft is our choice when a peg hole has grown wider over the years. A newly fitted peg needs some time to settle in its hole, and at the first fitting the right amount of peg soap is hard to judge. We recommend wiping the peg with a dry cloth first and applying the soap very sparingly, only where it touches the wall of the pegbox.
For a replacement on an instrument that already has pegs, we ask for a photo of the existing ones, because we have refined our designs over the years.
In our experience: on request we assemble a rosewood set by colour and grain, so that the four pegs form a harmonious picture.
In our experience: in conversations with our customers the heart shape is the most requested of our violin peg shapes. With a dark varnish such as that of the Metropol we recommend heart pegs in ebony.
When another model suits you better
If you love classic deep black, every one of our rosewood peg shapes is also made in ebony.
If you prefer a plainer head, the German Model ZW-910 and the Swiss Model ZW-940 offer two clean lines in ebony, each in thin, medium and strong gauges.
Frequently asked questions
Are the four pegs in a set identical?
Yes. The pegs in a set are identical to one another and can be used for all four strings on either side of the pegbox.
Are there Götz violin pegs for 3/4 violins?
We make our violin pegs in size 4/4.
Is palisander the same as rosewood?
Yes. Palisander and rosewood name the same wood; in our pegs it is East Indian rosewood.
How dense is rosewood?
East Indian rosewood has a density of 820 to 920 kg/m³ at 12 % moisture content.
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.
