Need help on gut strings for my fiddle.

[Nathan Dodds]

Hello,
I have a few questions about gut strings for my fiddle. First, what gauges should the strings be? From what I have gathered here and there they would be around: E .61-.70 mm, A .82-.96mm, D 1.02-1.39mm (don't have any information on the G string, same gauge as D?). Also as I understand the G is the only wound string? Any help will be appreciated.

Nathan Dodds

[BorderRuffian]

Re: Need help on gut strings for my fiddle.

Hello,
I have a few questions about gut strings for my fiddle. First, what gauges should the strings be? From what I have gathered here and there they would be around: E .61-.70 mm, A .82-.96mm, D 1.02-1.39mm (don't have any information on the G string, same gauge as D?). Also as I understand the G is the only wound string? Any help will be appreciated.

Nathan Dodds

Nathan,

I use the "Chorda" trademark by Pirastro.They are a bit pricy,my last set cost me around $65,but I can usually get 6 months or better out of them.As for gauges I can't help there.Moisture is the major enemy of gut strings,so if you can keep them in a reasonably dry environment that will extend their life.I have heard some varnish their strings to extend their life but I don't have experience with that.
You might contact this site for info concerning string gauges:

http://www.aquilausa.com/

Hope this helps some.

Regards,

[Nathan Dodds]

Re: Need help on gut strings for my fiddle.

Mr. Peterson,
Thanks for the string link. I am happy to see they have just about any gauge.

Now, I still need someone to tell me if my gauges are correct and to tell me what the gauge of the G would be in relation to the others (and if the G is the only wound string, or not wound at all). Anyone?

Nathan Dodds

[georgewunderlich]

Re: Need help on gut strings for my fiddle.

Go to Gamut Strings by Larson String Co. He can give you all of the history, correct string style, construction and windings. He makes the strings and is a weath of historical information. Go can not go wrong with him. Just tell him you are looking for ACW period as gauges have changed over the centuries.

[Nathan Dodds]

Re: Need help on gut strings for my fiddle.

Thanks Mr. Wunderlich! That should be the ticket.

Nathan Dodds

[eric marten]

Re: Need help on gut strings for my fiddle.

Hi:
It may be somewhat late for this reply, but I've only been on this forum a short while. I wouldn't worry about gauge of the strings. The Pirastro Chordas mentioned by the other replier should work just fine on any violin. I have 5 nineteenth century violins set up with these strings, and they work just fine. The Chordas are pure gut E, A, and D, and gut wound with silver-plated copper wire on the G. This is typical of nineteenth century stringing. About 1675 , in France, they began winding the wire onto only the G strings, to give it a little more mass, without adding a lot of weight. The previous, unwound thicker G strings tended to sound "dead". A lot of early music before this time period tended to avoid long passages on the G string for that reason. I use Chordas for all except the G now, which to me seems a bit stiff. For the G alone, I prefer Eudoxa, or Kaplan Gold. But only for the G. You shouldn't use wound strings for the other three. These became popular only in the twentieth century. The E strings break more often than the others, so you might want to purchase a few more of them, and, also, you shouldn't try to bring them up to standardized twentieth century pitch. But enjoy! The gut strings sound so more mellow, with more overtones, than the metallic sound of modern strings!

Eric Marten
Franklin Square, N.Y.