Nov
14th
Fri
14th
Karakui (pegs) keep sliding
Question: I try to tune my sanshin, but the karakui keeps sliding back by themselves and the string loosens. Is there a way to remedy that?
The pegs sliding whenever you try to tune is a common problem for people whose karakui aren’t fitted properly. One fix taught to me by a sanshin artisan was to try shaving the karakui off using a knife or a pair of sharp scissors. I’ve done this several times and have found it to work, but If you don’t trust yourself to do that, you’re just going to have to somehow force them to stay.
Another possibility is that the string wound to the karakui is tangled or strung messily. This can be fixed easily by making sure the strings are wound so they don’t come in contact with the karakui holes.
Also, if your sanshin is new then it might help to break in the strings. This can be done simply by playing until the strings stretch.
