0 comments
Sheep gut versus Beef gut: when, why and the differences
The long time diatribe about strings: sheep gut versus beef gut: first video of serie of 3 discussing when, why, and the differences between the two.
We are covering this because it will help us to analyze the changes of 20th century so that we can later discuss the problems of strings today.
Sheep gut versus beef gut, part two: why
After WWII the demand of gut strings was so wide the string makers could not satisfy it any more only with sheep: surgery, tennis, mechanics, and, music strings.
They also found beef being more easy to work as the strands of beef, cut by a machine, were more regular so gave strings more strong as they needed less polishing. So it was an upgrade and not just a concession to the industrial needs...
Sheep gut versus Beef gut part 3/1: the differences.
Color, strength, sound: are there any other differences you noticed between the two? Comment below!
Sheep gut versus beef gut part 3/2: the real difference.
The beef gut, with its standardized measures, it's easier for an industrial production, and it's easier for today, when the musicians buy strings by gauges and not by quantity of strands. Having standard width of strands helps in determine the gauge to be.
The real difference between the two is in the working process. That part of process needed before the string maker can really start his job, which unfortunately will determine the quality of the string as much as the work of the string maker himself...
No matter where the gut comes from, the real difference for the quality of the string is in how the gut is processed.
Tags
baroque music, double-bass strings, early music, gut strings, gut strings history, gut strings maintenance, gut strings manufacture, viol strings, viola da gamba strings, viola strings, violin strings, violoncello strings
How polishing has changed through the centuries, from hand to machines …and, most important for us, from delivering on the market strings sorted by numbers of strands (so to say, in a 3 strands bulk you can find strings from 60 to 76) to deliver strings singularly packaged and labelled with a precise gauge. Polishing
Read MoreDrying, polishing, packaging The strings dried and still on the frames were polished by hand, using horse hair, or equisetum, polish stone or powder, or, later, sandpaper. About horse hairs: equisetum is also called horse tail, so for a long time wi thought that when they say we polished with horse tail, they were referring to
Read MoreDo you ever struggle during a concert for false intonation… just to discover that while your pure gut strings were going down, the wound ones were going up? please comment below to share your experience and suggestions!
Read More