Here is a Kay cello fitted with friction pegs, just the opposite of Caspari pegs. This repair was especially interesting because I had never encountered this style of peg before. The A peg would not hold its tuning, so I disassembled it to determine the cause. Inspection revealed that the bushing had worn enough to require a small fiber shim, but that was only the beginning. As the repair progressed, I discovered several additional issues, including loose brass inserts, bushings that had come unglued, and later, similar problems with the D peg and the remaining pegs. The following steps describe the repairs that were needed to restore the pegs to proper working order. - Diagnose the A Peg – Determine why the A peg will not hold its tuning.
- Disassemble the Peg – Remove the screw and carefully take the peg apart.
- Make a Fiber Shim – Create a small round fiber shim to compensate for the worn bushing.
- Stabilize the Brass Insert – Work thin CA glue into the loose brass insert to secure it while preserving the original brass pin.
- Repair the Loose Bushing – Discover that the bushing itself has come unglued and glue it back into place.
- Allow the Glue to Cure – Wait one day for the adhesive to fully set.
- Reassemble the Peg – Reinstall the repaired peg into the pegbox.
- Tune the Instrument – Adjust the cello and verify that the A peg now holds properly.
When the customer returned to pick up the cello, he mentioned that the D peg was also difficult to tune. Inspection revealed that the D peg had many of the same problems as the A peg, and a closer look at the remaining pegs showed they also needed attention. Rather than repairing only one peg at a time, I decided to service all four pegs so the cello would tune smoothly and reliably. - Remove the D Peg – Take the D peg apart to inspect the source of the tuning problem.
- Glue the Loose Bushing – Secure the bushing after discovering that it was turning inside the peg.
- Stabilize the Brass Insert – Work CA glue into the loose brass insert to prevent future movement.
- Allow the Glue to Cure – Wait until the following day before reassembling the peg.
- Inspect the Remaining Pegs – Check the G and C pegs for similar wear and looseness.
- Glue the Brass Inserts – Secure the brass inserts in the remaining pegs even though their bushings were still solid.
- Repair a Small Crack – Glue a small crack found in one of the remaining pegs before reassembly.
- Reassemble and Adjust – Reinstall all four pegs, adjust their tension, and tune the cello so each peg operates smoothly.
 IMG 20260527 112242 696 | IMG 20260527 113946 951 | IMG 20260527 114748 844 | IMG 20260527 121541 109 | IMG 20260529 170849 925 | IMG 20260614 171512 510 | IMG 20260614 172203 760 | | |
|
