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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Wow, wsieber, I didn't know that, either, and I played violin for years and years. I didn't have time to read the link before now. Here's rather more than I wanted to know: The intestine must be pulled from the animal immediately after slaughter while the gut is still hot. This will insure that the blood vessels that run into the casing will be broken off close to the gut wall. To allow the organs to cool will risk having these veins break off as much as 1.5 inches away from the casing wall. This creates "whiskers" that lower the quality of the gut for musical string use. These whiskers are almost impossible to get rid of and will inhibit the quality of the string by introducing a contaminating agent in the muscular membrane. Whiskers also increase the likelihood of a false string because they change the otherwise regular linear mass of the gut. To insure the best quality the gut must be removed immediately, separated from the fat, stripped of manure and put into cold running water. The presence of fat will inhibit the bonding of the fibers during the drying process. Manure will cause stains in the set which are difficult to get rid of. The cold water will help preserve color and strength of the casing. This is one of the things that, when I learn about it, makes me wonder how on earth people ever thought to do all those things they did to get it to work.
Wouldn't mind having one of those Strads, Anna!
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
Some interesting word stuff from the link:
To twist a number of these whole guts together is to have a string that does not distribute the tension evenly between the muscle fibers. To solve this problem the Germans, according to De la Lande, developed a device called the splitting horn, (figure 5). This is also known as a soutil or subtle, taken from the Italian word sottile which means narrow or slender.(6)
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Oh, yeah, the splitting horn! It splits the gut in two. Gee--if it split it four ways, could we say it was a tetragutoctomy?  Seriously, though: unless I am completely off base, the Germans invented the splitting horn in the late 1700's; isn't it marvellous that something from so long ago is still the best tool for today?
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 725
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 725 |
Thanks for the interesting link, AnnaS. I am a cellist and have been using gut strings on my cello for the past 20 years. They have a warmer tone than nylon or steel -- just right for playing Bach. 
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
and another musician on the boards!
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Yes!! And one who goes for baroque as well!
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
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musiciansNo...another one who goes broke is more like it. 
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 725
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 725 |
Yah! Hence the reference to "my day job" in another thread...
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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As I leave the room for lunch I'll often announce "I'll be back" (with an Austro-German accent alla-Schwarzenegger).... ocasionally I'll hear replies like "I'll be Handel" -or- "I'll be Stravinsky")
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
nah, the best response to that is:
and I'll be Haydn...
formerly known as etaoin...
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