Banjo Pegs
Banjos have come a long way since they were first built in the 18th century. At times, it can be quite difficult to trace the exact origin of this instrument, because there were several stringed instruments that were quite similar. Nonetheless, all of them needed to be tuned in order to be able to play pleasant music. The original banjos came with some sort of loops that were connected to the strings. It was until later on that the banjo pegs were developed. The first ones were quite simple and did the job of pulling the strings in order to tighten or loosen them. In addition, the early banjo pegs happened to be friction pegs and later on they were replaced by geared ones.
Brief History of Banjo Pegs
The banjo is considered to be the product of various other stringed instruments. Some say that it was a fusion of the mbanza (African) and the bandore (Portuguese). Therefore, the design did evolve as time passed by. The very first banjo is said to be of African origin and it was a tad different than the banjo we know today. Instead of the banjo pegs, they had loops that were used to tune the instrument. They also featured a skin head and the body was made using the shells of different fruits and other materials. As time went by, the banjo was brought to the United States and neighboring Caribbean lands. The loops were replaced by simple banjo tuning pegs – friction, and the strings were eventually made of metal. They no longer used fruits but rather nylon and other more elaborated materials.
Cost of Geared Tuning Pegs
There is a large variety of different types of banjo pegs available for sale. Even to this day, it is possible to find pre-war banjo pegs for your vintage banjo. These, of course, can cost more money than a set of regular pegs. The majority of stores will sell you a set of four pegs, but you can also find them for individual sale. Obviously, it results a lot cheaper to buy the entire set. For example, a brand new set of four nickel banjo pegs can cost you anywhere between $94.95 and $100.25; the same set made of gold can cost you around $125. If you’re looking for the real deal and you need vintage pre-war pegs, the set of four can cost you anywhere from $300 to $350.
Tuning Your Banjo
If you’re a banjo beginner, perhaps you have found it quite difficult to tune your instrument. Certainly, it can be hard to achieve at first, but once you start practicing, it will be an acquired skill for you. For those who have been doing it for years, they can probably use the banjo pegs to tune their instrument in their sleep. Since there are four, five and six stringed banjos, the tuning set up can vary from one instrument to the other. In general terms, the standard banjo is usually tuned to the key of G. This can be done by tuning the banjo pegs or by plugging it in to an electric tuner.
