Well, FoRMHI is reborn now so hopefully the discussion will carry on.
What I wonder is how the idea of coloured strings (meaning loaded, in
the context of this discussion) resides with the fact that occasionally
they do show up among the mid-range strings too (not to say on the the
first and second courses, as in L'homme au Luth / /by Rubens!) where,
strictly speaking, there is no such 'necessity'?
Did you actually try to load your silk strings?
AB
alexander wrote:
People nowadays are much more conscious of the environmental toxins. Plus...
Imagine Aquila sells lead and-or mercury loaded strings. The lawyers will swarm
around lute players like sharks with offers of service.
The evidence of loaded strings is based squarely on Mimmo Peruffo's research.
His conclusions were made on the basis of paintings (showing smooth surface =
non wound strings with a variant of red color ) and instrument string-hole
measurements. One point being argued, however, was whether some of lute
strings, and possibly loaded basses, were made of silk rather then gut. That
discussion was held in FoRMHI, and basically died with the demise of the
Fellowship itself. From the point of leeching the metals out, silk binds more
closely with lead and mercury salts (as well as tin salts, customarily used to
apply all the fancy colors to silk garbs), and might be much safer as loaded
strings, as well. alexander
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