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Alternative String Materials:
Silk, Plant, and Whalebone

Throughout history, musicians have experimented with various materials for making musical strings to achieve different tones and characteristics. Besides gut, metal, and synthetic materials, here are some historical examples of alternative materials used for strings:

Silk Strings
Silk has traditionally been used for both core and winding material in strings. It was commonly employed in combination with gut cores. Silk-wound strings were known for their smooth and mellow sound.

After harvesting silk from silkworm cocoons, the fibers are carefully processed to remove impurities and create uniform strands suitable for string-making. Silk fibers are twisted or braided together to form the core of the string. In some cases, silk-core strings may be wound with additional materials, such as metal or gut, to achieve specific tonal characteristics or to enhance durability.

Plant Fiber Strings
Plant fibers used for strings historically include hemp and flax. These fibers are extracted from the stems of the plants and processed to create strong and flexible threads suitable for both core and winding purposes.

After harvesting, the plant fibers go through a series of processing steps. The fibers are typically soaked in water to facilitate their separation from the plant. They are then dried and sometimes subjected to additional treatments to improve their flexibility. The prepared fibers are then twisted or braided together which helps enhance the strength and stability of the string.

Whalebone Strings
In some historical contexts, whalebone — also known as baleen — was used for strings in some musical instruments. Baleen is a flexible material derived from the baleen plates in the mouths of certain species of whales. The baleen plates were harvested from whales and underwent a meticulous cleaning and preparation process. The material was often soaked in water to make it pliable. Once pliable, the baleen could be cut into thin strips or shaped into the desired dimensions for string-making. Similar to plant fiber strings, baleen strips could be twisted or braided together to form the core of the string.

It's important to note that both plant fiber and whalebone string manufacturing have been replaced by more sustainable and ethical practices in contemporary instrument making. Modern string makers use a variety of materials, including synthetic fibers, to achieve the desired characteristics in strings while considering environmental and ethical considerations.

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Hand-made in the USA by Gamut Music, Inc., a leader in the revival of early music strings and instruments. Gut strings are not intended to be used with fine tuners or string adjusters, and those devices should be removed before installing the gut string on the instrument.

All Gamut Academie strings (pure gut and gut/metal-wound) are made with beef serosa unless they specifically say "Sheep Gut." All pure gut Tricolore violin and viola strings are made with sheep gut; gut/metal-wound Tricolore and all Red Diamond strings are made with beef serosa.

Gamut gut string gauges are approximate (≈) diameter. Meaning, that while a ≈0.60mm string is polished in the workshop to a diameter of 0.60mm, changes in ambient humidity, temperature, shipping, and storage conditions can cause to string to expand or contract slightly.

Gimped gut strings and custom gauged equal tension strings are gauged with the equivalent-gauge (=) system. This means that the gauge listed, such as =1.50mm, indicates that the string is approximately equal in weight to a plain gut string of that diameter. Of course, because the wire is much heavier than gut, the string will be much thinner than a plain gut string.

More information about Gamut gut strings, string types, gauges, and string tensions can be found on our FAQ/Articles page. Not finding an answer to your question? Please contact us directly: support@gamutmusic.com.