It Worked for Me: Hardanger Fiddle Pegs

by David Golber

Originally published in American Lutherie #83, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015



I do a lot of work on Hardanger fiddles. One way in which these instruments differ from violins is the pegs. In the violin world, pegs are disposable. When they wear out, you replace them and throw away the old ones. But in a fine Hardanger fiddle, the pegs are decorated work of the maker of the instrument, and must not be thrown away.

But what do you do when the old decorated pegs are severely worn? There must be other instruments and circumstances with similar problems, so maybe the question is interesting to more than the tiny circle of Hardanger fiddle aficionados. Here’s one method for putting new ebony shafts on old decorated pegs.