Hey there folks, I'm having an issue that some of you may be able to help me with. I have a viola with very difficult to turn pegs, it can be like trying to turn a Cadillac with no power steering fluid when the strings are tight...

I see peg compounds on-line, but I am reluctant to buy the sticks because I do not want to remove the pegs and most of the liquids seem to be for curing slipping pegs. Any ideas or hints on how to lubricate the pegs without removing them first?

Peg compound is really meant to help sticking pegs, if the pegs make a crackling noise when you turn them then it will help. I work in a violin shop, and the way we usually solve tight peg issues is to rewind the string a bit looser. To do this, you should look at the way the string is wrapped around the peg. If the string is wrapped so that it touches the peg box, it is probably too tight for your weather conditions. To fix it, unwind the string a few turns, then rewind while guiding the string away from the side of the peg box. This should keep your peg from being drawn in too tightly, and should make it easier to turn. Remember that the pegs are cone-shaped, so pushing in while tuning will make them tighter, and pulling out (just a little) will make them looser.

Hope I helped!

Just a note, before you try to rewind strings, you should check to make sure you don't have mechanical pegs. If there is a screw on the ends of the pegs, they're mechanical. To fix your problem, loosen the screw 1/8 of a turn.