this is great stuff...Thanks

I had no idea that the E strings wound in the opposite direction...and it seems the rules is as little string as possible on the poles

Comus wrote:I wonder if you could please explain a little more about what you meant about the diagonal peg leverage i couldnt quite picture what you meant...i did wonder if there was a correct way to string peg head flamenco guitars ?

Strings should be wound down tuning pegs toward the peghead, rather than up pegs toward their protruding top ends, so the strings pull away near the bottom of each peg. That results in more uniform tensions between the pegs and sidewalls of the holes they sit in than would be the case if the strings pulled away near peg tops.

Comus wrote:I had no idea that the E strings wound in the opposite direction...

It is true that the two E strings should be wound around their pegs in opposite directions compared to the directions the other strings are wound. That makes it necessary to rotate those two tuning pegs in opposite directions compared to the other pegs when tuning those two strings, but if those two strings were not wound that way they wouldn't pass over the nut at nearly right angles as they should.

Comus wrote:and it seems the rules is as little string as possible on the poles

That is a common recommendation. D'Addario & Company, Inc. sometimes includes an instruction sheet with their strings that recommends in part "Use only a few wraps on the tuning key post. If you tie the string properly, it should hold. Remember, the fewer the wraps, the less string there is to stretch and drift out of tune." However, I question the significance of that recommendation, especially for the base strings, because tight raps are able to stretch very little due to the significant friction between the strings and the pegs and because a few extra wraps makes very little percentage difference to the total lengths of strings under tension.

I used to tie strings around tuning pegs as shown in the video at_leo_87 linked to, but I have found it to not be necessary. I simply pull the three base strings straight through their peg holes and wind a turn and a half to two turns as necessary to bring the strings up to pitch. I pass the three treble strings through their peg holes and then pull the string ends half way around their pegs and pass them through the same holes a second time. Then I turn the pegs and wind two or three wraps as necessary to bring the strings up to pitch. Strings wrapped that way never slip and the end result looks better without the string crossings that result from tying strings as shown in the video.

Most modern players prefer mechanical tuning mechanisms to wooden pegs, but strongly prefer the traditional wooden pegs. I discovered that I didn't have any new strings when string broke on my Ramírez guitar last week, so I spent a few days playing other guitars that have mechanical tuning mechanisms while waiting for new strings to arrive by mail. The new strings arrived yesterday and I am glad to be playing my Ramírez again. I find tuning with wooden pegs to be quicker and easier, because pitches change quickly as the pegs are turned. Furthermore, I like the light weight of traditional wooden peg tuners, which makes guitars easier to hold as they should be held.

-Bob

Thanks for the advice Bob....especially the bit about winding down the peg...i will try it tonight.
it is all so diffrent to standard tuners which i am used to.

I read that if you compared two identical flamenco guitars apart from, one had a peg head the other regular tuners that the peghead would have less sustain than the regular tuners...which is of course is very desirable in a flamenco guitar...i think we may be splitting hairs though

thanks

Comus

Hola:

If I have uploaded correctly you can see a photo of one of my guitars with pegs.

Please note: the string is wound to the correct outside for the bass and the top E but you will see that it is wound going up as if to come off the peg. This is incorrect and should be done going down to the face of the head. As the wood on the face was wearing it was an emergency solution while waiting for it to be fixed.

I hope it helps.

Saludos


Tomas

Ok here is a second photo from a different angle.
Saludos

Tomas

Thanks for the photos very helpfull...i can actually see how it is done

your Guitar it is made by Gerundino fernandez...very nice indeed...if it sounds anything like the one i saw Paco Pena play at the wigmore Hall in London play...then it must sound amazing....he made a joke when he "apologized for Spanish Technology" when a peg slipped and it went slightly out of tune

Hi, check your pegs and make sure that they are a good fit and that they are making good contact along the taper. Also number the pegs and do not change them around into different holes when you change strings. With good fitting pegs you should not be having this problem and you will be chasing your tail getting nowhere if you don't fix this first. I have had the same tube, probably intended for violins for years and hardly ever have to use it.
Good luck, Harry.

Hi Harry

Thanks for the info...i bought the guitar from an auction....the pegs were in a bag tied to the head...(see my other post for photos and description)so i had to guess..and i have moved them around a bit to find the best fit with that and a little hiderpaste...seems to have sorted them out...they are all tuning up nicely.

Thank you to all who have helped me with advice over the last couple of weeks...i think that i have sorted out my guitar now and it seems to be tuning up nicely...thanks again I couldnt of done it without your help