Re: Tuning ethnic instrument

[andy butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

mark francombe wrote:
> Directed mainly at Rick, but anyone else wanna chip in..
> 
> Ive been tuning my Saz (Baglama,) its been a while and I cant remember
> the tuning. Its a 23 fret Baglama, and as such my book says G D A..
> however I cant pull the strings to that tension... either the strings
> will break, the tuning pegs or my fingers...!!! 

That may be because you're trying to tune it an octave
too high. (common thing to try, as the strings are
normally very slack compared to guitar).
My Baglama Saz is tuned G D A, with a scale length of
32 inches.


>I have an alternative
> tuning hear, that is supposed to be for a 19 fret Saz,  A G D.

There are many alternatives.

A D A is nice to start with. 



> 
> Now heres my question... one string tunes fine to any pitch, smoothly
> and easilly, Now is that just cos that string is lighter... or is it
> because the peg hole is somehow smoother.. is there a trick with..
> Oh.. I dont know... rubbing oil / wax / Linseed oil / Semen?? On the
> peg?

Sometimes wooden pegs get hard to turn just because they got
pushed in too far.

andy