About My Gear

I play a wonderful violin made in 2007 by Kurt Widenhouse of Belmont, NC. It is fitted with PegHeds non-friction pegs. (details below)

My main bow is an M. Pereira of Brazil. I use Pirastro Gold and Olive rosin.

I use Helicore strings (made by D'Addario) because I like the very rapid response and clarity. But the E sounds too metallic for my taste, so I exchange it with either a Westminster or a Kaplan wound.

I don't use a "Kun"-style shoulder rest, as none of them come even close to conforming to my body. However it's important to bulk up the underside of the violin in some way, so I use a dense piece of foam that I cut out on a band saw. I also use a higher-than-usual chinrest because I have a long neck.

To amplify my violin I use a Countryman Isomax II hypercardiod microphone. I mount it onto a chunk of hard foam pressed onto the string windings just behind the bridge, with the face of microphone pointing diagonally towards the top of the violin. I route it to a Sennheiser e-100 series wireless system. That is then connected to a BSS AR-133 active DI box and a Planet Waves tuning pedal.

When I have to provide my own PA, I use two JBL 10-inch powered Eon speakers together with Mackie 1202 mixing board. Nothing exotic, but it works and sounds better than most minimalist systems of this kind I've heard.

More about my violin

Earlier in my career I owned a fine Italian violin made in 1784 by Ferdinand Gagliano, but was not able to keep it. For over three years now I have sought out the finest contemporary violin makers hoping to find a new violin that would come close the quality I had previously enjoyed.

To no avail.

I tried instruments made by no fewer than 55 makers, many of whom are already famous. The art of violin making has returned to a spectacularly high level in our present age and I certainly saw a number of superb instruments; yet none could live up to the great violins of the Cremonese masters (perhaps 100 years from now some of them will).

I first met Kurt Widenhouse in August 2006 and was duly impressed with his work and his understanding of the intricacy of instrument design and acoustics. In September 2006 he began making a violin for me using a late Stradivari pattern. I made several fun-filled trips to Kurt's shop in Belmont, NC to discuss details of construction and see the new violin in several stages of completion.

Kurt is a master luthier whose violins are being played by top violinists all over the country. He makes his instruments meticulously one at a time, taking about 4 months to complete a single violin. I had to be very patient before the new violin was unveiled!

To my great delight, the Strad model turned out to be absolutely perfect for me! It spans the delicate tonal spectrum of at once possessing a clear, soprano voice, yet not being too shrill; having breadth and richness without being too dark; having ease of response and a very open tone.

In my opinion, Kurt has triumphed as a modern maker living up to the inscrutable standards set during the Golden Age of violin makers.

Website: www.widenhouseviolins.com

About PegHeds

On Dec. 7, 2009 I visited Chuck Herin's shop/laboratory in South Carolina with a two-fold agenda: to have a set of his PegHeds pegs installed on my Kurt Widenhouse violin and to learn more about how this invention works and how it was developed.

PegHed non-friction pegs are the culmination of 12 years of development stemming from Chuck's earlier career as a luthier and 'cellist. Developing the design for PegHeds pegs brought into play his knowledge of math, physics, and computer-aided milling machines to create a prototype. He later consulted experts in gear design and metallurgy to ensure the infallibility of his invention. He personally manufactures his own parts using specialized milling machines, and the materials he employs are some of the most advanced in the world: high-tech military-grade tempered steel, anodised aluminum, and composite from Germany.

Installation began by Chuck cutting the heads off my own ebony pegs, then boring a specially-shaped hole so that they can be installed onto
his geared peg shaft.

Detail of the cutting bit boring into my peg head.


A number of specialty lathes large and small are emplyed in the process.


Head of old peg ready to have gear shaft installed.

Cleaning out the peg hole with a reamer.

D-string peg being measured for length.


Installation finished in under an hour. No one would ever know that anything changed -- except that I can now tune faster and more accurately. The holes will never need to be rebushed since there is no longer any friction between the peg and the peg box.

In 1820 Louis Spohr invented the chinrest. About a hundred years ago metal wound strings made their appearance. The tailpiece-mounted fine tuner became standard issue a few decades ago. Surprisingly, the friction peg has remained one of the last archaic remnants rarely questioned and never improved upon -- until now.

After spending the day in Chuck Herin's shop learning about the superior design of PegHeds pegs and the quality of their construction, then having a set installed on my own violin and testing them in my own performances, I am fully convinced that there is no more justification for the continued use of conventional friction pegs than there is for playing the violin without a chin rest.

PegHeds is an elegant tuning system, light weight, conventional in appearance, easy to install, cost effective, and exceedingly durable.

Chuck is the patent-holder and manufacturer of PegHeds pegs. He licenses his design to Knilling who sell their own line called Perfection Pegs. The critical inner parts of Perfection pegs are made by Chuck. But unlike PegHeds, Perfection pegs are housed in a plastic composite casing which helps Knilling keep the price to $69 per set. Meanwhile, Chuck continues to sell his own line which boasts wooden heads (using either his stock or customer's original heads) and a slimmer, lighter-weight design for $149 (includes free installation). PegHeds pegs are available for violin, viola, cello, lute, banjo, and sitar.

Chuck has sold more than 200,000 pegs.
Oh...make that 200,004 since installing mine!

Website: www.pegheds.com