String (music)
"Plain" strings are simply one piece of long cylindrical material, commonly consisted of nylon or gut.
[4] Prior to World War II, strings of many instruments (including violins and guitars) were composed of a material known as catgut, a type of cord made from refined natural fibers of animal intestines.
Fender Bullet strings have a larger cylinder for more stable tuning on guitars equipped with synchronized tremolo systems.
The color and pattern of the silk often identify attributes of the string, such as manufacturer, size, intended pitch, etc.
Flatwound strings also have a longer playable life because of smaller grooves for dirt and oil to build up in.
On the other hand, flatwound strings sound less bright than roundwounds and tend to be harder to bend, thus produce vibrato.
Hexcore strings are composed of hexagonal core wire and a tight (usually round) winding.
The action height of fretless instruments is also adjusted to suit the string gauge or material, as well as the intended playing style.
Sets are usually referenced either by the gauge of the first string (e.g., 9), or by pair of first and last (e.g., 9–42); measurements in thousands of an inch are the de facto standard, regardless of whether Imperial units are used in a country.
They typically make string sets in three tension levels: heavy, medium, and light (German stark, mittel, and weich).
On the other hand, modern gut core strings with metal winding, typically have been sold either ungauged for less expensive brands, or by specific gauge.
Pirazzi (now known as Pirastro) continues to sell its Oliv, Eudoxa, and Passione brand premium gut core strings by PM gauge.
Manufacturers of traditional plain gut strings, often used in historically informed performance, sell their products by light/medium/heavy, by PM, by mm or some combination.
This means they can be used on older guitars that can't support the tension of modern steel strings.
Currently, stranded nylon is one of the most popular materials for the cores of violin, viola, cello, and double bass strings.
Exposure to moisture from the sweat of a musician's hands can cause plain (unwound) gut strings to fray and eventually break.
Nonetheless, as such a gut string ages and continually responds to cyclic changes in temperature and humidity, the core becomes weak and brittle, and eventually breaks.
However, even after the introduction of metal and synthetic core materials, many musicians still prefer to use gut strings, believing that they provide a superior tone.
They are made from a specialty nylon and purport to offer the same acoustic properties as gut strings without the tuning problems.
[16][17] Silk was extensively used in China for traditional Chinese musical instruments until replaced by metal and nylon strings in the 1950s.
The quality in ancient times was high enough that one brand was praised as 'ice strings' for their smoothness and translucent appearance.
Specimens of such open wound strings are known from the early 18th century, in a collection of artifacts from Antonio Stradivari.
Although, If some of the coating is applied poorly, the strings can lose their tone in just a matter of hours, and if left in high humidity can turn a hint of green because of the copper and corrode with time.
The properties of the nickel-plated strings make it a good choice for flattop guitars with sound hole-mounted magnetic pickups.
The polymer coating is claimed to reduce finger squeak and fret wear, and has better tuning capability.
Some companies sell lubricating oils that slow down the oxidation process, increasing the string's life-span.
These special lubricating oils are applied to the strings as a barrier to the air, to help slow the oxidation process.
Some common types of metal plating on strings include tin, nickel, gold, and silver.
The high temperature of the boiling water helps free the strings of oil, salt, and grime from the player's hands.
Audio feedback is often seen as an undesirable phenomenon with an acoustic guitar that is plugged into the PA system, because it causes a loud howling sound.
