what animal is used for gut strings ?

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This topic has 17 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 1 month ago by deb-l.

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July 7, 2010 at 1:59 pm #73912

HBrock25
Participant

Hello,

I’m a beginner and I have many questions about the harp, and thanks to forums like this one, I can find all the information I need.

July 7, 2010 at 2:05 pm #73913

barbara-brundage
Participant

They are made from the byproducts of animals bred for meat, etc. Sheep used to be the string source of choice, but in recent years most gut strings are from cattle. Nothing is killed just for string-making, if that concerns you.

(Although an old name for string gut is catgut, kitties aren’t involved.)

July 7, 2010 at 2:19 pm #73914

Laetitia Moreau
Member

Thank you for your answer!

July 7, 2010 at 2:27 pm #73915

KJS
Participant

Thanks for asking this question. I have been a vegetarian for 24 years and am heading towards a harp with gut strings and that was a bit of an “issue” for me. I am not hard-core (I do wear leather shoes) but was wondering about the gut for the strings. Of course, anyone who has ever had sutures from a surgical procedure has probably had gut used (and silk sutures too).

July 7, 2010 at 5:00 pm #73916

phoebe-powell
Participant

I think that the strings are mainly sheep…I could be wrong….you can phone Lyon&Healy and ask, or call Bow Brand. I really like using gut from my 3rd to 5th octave because it creates a warmer sound.

July 7, 2010 at 5:09 pm #73917

Saul Davis Zlatkovski
Participant

Sheep gut is only in the most expensive strings, as I understand it.

July 7, 2010 at 5:22 pm #73918

barbara-brundage
Participant

Phoebe, there was a long detailed article about the Bow Brand factory and the whole icky process a couple of years ago in either Harp Today or maybe the AHJ, and they only talked about beef, not a mention of sheep.

July 7, 2010 at 5:27 pm #73919

barbara-brundage
Participant

But I do remember being told in my early days, I don’t know how accurately, that it took the intestines of 14 sheep to string a concert grand. I think they’ve just changed what they use. Probably around the time the coated strings came out would be my guess.

July 7, 2010 at 6:13 pm #73920

Tacye
Participant

I remember reading an article on BowBrand where they said they used cattle gut- but got the gut from different areas depending on whether it was for harp strings or tennis racquets as they needed different properties (soft grass, or harder grazing).

July 8, 2010 at 1:52 am #73921

Dwyn .
Participant

I highly recommend Aquila’s Nylgut strings, both for those who want to avoid dead-animal products and those who want the extra visibility of these bright white strings.

July 8, 2010 at 3:24 am #73922

carl-swanson
Participant

There’s a machinist’s dye called DYKEM and it comes in both red and dark blue. I’ve used it to color wire strings. I was talking to Sam Milligan tonight and he uses it to dye gut strings. It dries fast and won’t rub off or bleed onto your fingers or other strings. You can get it in any industrial hardware store.

July 16, 2010 at 12:27 pm #73923

deb-l
Participant

here is a video on how gut strings are made.

July 16, 2010 at 1:58 pm #73924

barbara-brundage
Participant

>the only thing that troubled me is young sheep make the best strings

Yes, but they make the best meat, too, so I’m not sure why this is a consideration? Nobody is letting sheep (or cattle, for that matter) live out their natural life span and then willingly buying tough old mutton or beef from the meat case, you know.

It’s not like people are saying, “Let’s kill that lamb now because it will make better strings.”

July 16, 2010 at 2:45 pm #73925

deb-l
Participant

Barbara, I think this is just a personal thing I’m squeamish over.

July 16, 2010 at 3:50 pm #73926

barbara-brundage
Participant

No, none taken, but I don’t think anyone can help you at all with that. You’ll just have to grapple it out for yourself, I’m afraid.
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