Your Lute, as with any fine, "pegged" string instrument, is delicate and needs to be treated with care. Storage away from sunlight and heat sources is required. When your new lute arrives, it needs time to adjust to the temperature and humidity in your environment. If you subject this instrument to extremes of temperature or humidity, you can expect to be spending much time re-tuning it each time you play it. In the same spirit, you should allow the lute a day or so to acclimate before you begin the tuning process in earnest.

As with all string instruments, a new lute will require at least some tuning every time you pick it up to play until it is a little broken in. The process of tuning is part of the process of you becoming one with your lute.

At the point where the Neck bends into the Peg Box as shown in this photograph, you will see that there are grooves, called "fret nuts" into which each string must fit. If the strings fit too tightly then it is difficult to tune, the solution being to very lightly rub the grooves with an emory board...just enough so that the strings slide freely across the fret nuts. Of course you must first loosen the strings enough to allow the emory board access to the nuts.

If you find that one or more of your tuning pegs is sticking, try coating the peg and the peg hole with some crayon. Work it onto the peg as well as you can. On the other hand, if you are experiencing some slippage, use a little chalk instead of the crayon. Chalk stops slipping pegs like a charm! These are simple tricks that can save you much time in breaking in your lute or other, "pegged" string instrument. Sorry, we do not carry crayons or chalk. 

The lute is a great instrument. Treat it as such, be patient and the results will be rewarding.