I would like to point out that when people use gut strings
today they are using modern gut strings, not historically
informed gut strings!
One common feature of old lute instruction books is the
test to see if your strings are true. I don't think
this is to see if they are subtly outs - as modern gut may
be after playing for a while - this is to see if the string
is complete junk! You see, in the old days, a string
was made be assembling fibers of gut (from very young sheep)
and these fibers have a natural taper, and being a natural
substance, have irregularities. With a thick string meant
for the low courses there would be many strands of gut
fiber, and they would tend to average out, but a treble might
be made of three strands of gut, and any irregularities
in the strands would make themselves evident.
The *Modern Gut* is ground to make it regular, round
and smooth and the same diameter all along its length.
You can buy a modern gut string and *expect* it to be
true, and *expect* it to be the diameter that you want.
In the old days you bought a lot of trebles and threw out
a lot. The cost of strings was a significant factor
back then.
Since the grinding process cuts into the fibers that
make a strand of gut, modern gut is probably weaker than
then the old stuff. But in general the new stuff
is truer. And it is unquestionably different! And
not historical.
Wayne
See http://www.daniellarson.com/article.htm for a
discussion of how modern gut strings are made.
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