Protetto: Historical Overview

Strings didn't offer many options, in the beginning, a gut string was all that it was. And Instrument makers had to deal with it. This is why string length was the measuring unit in making instruments, because before the introduction of new materials, you would choose your best working string length considering the pitch at wìhich your instrument had to be played, on the base of the mechanical features of the only available material.

So, when there was a technology upgrade in string making, this immediately reflected on instrument design, allowing for shorter and more comfortable instruments.

At least up to the 18th century. At this point, something changed, and the violin started t change considerably without any noticeable change in the available strings. Why? When strings began to change, under the pressure of the market request for another kind of gut strings (surgical thread and tennis), the violin was already settled up how it is today.