Yes, there are many intricacies in the various kinds of modern gut available. I am mostly an all gut player, but as I said, I keep 1 lute in synthetic strings. I use nylon for the first 3, because, it is a softer sound than nylgut. You are correct, in that on that particular instrument, the nylgut is a bit too bright for my taste. But it really depends on the instrument. Different instruments respond to various string configurations, so with experimentation, one can find the combination most suited.
ed At 10:17 AM 1/11/2005 -0500, you wrote: >Ed, >For the 2002 LSA conference with my brand-new homemade lute, I had put >Nylgut strings on a day or so before the start of the conference. I was >taking the Lute Basics class, and the darned thing wouldn't stay in tune >for fifteen minutes. I felt like an idiot. I thought it was me, I >thought it was the lute (which meant, of course, that it was still me >since I had made the lute). I had no idea what was going on. The lute >WAS pretty bad, and I WAS pretty clueless, but towards the end of the >conference someone explained to me that Nylgut stretched a lot at first, >then settled down. Sure enough, it did (after the conference was >over). I suppose that experience has colored my feelings about >Nylgut. But there is something very attractive about the sound of gut >strings, even on a homemade lute. Unless I find myself traveling with a >lute, I suppose I'll stick with gut. The cost is about the same as >Nylgut, and I'm not playing enough for the difference in wear to >matter. I think the lute I'm building now won't even have wound strings. >But I have a lot to learn about the intricacies of Lyon versus Pistoy >versus gimped versus catline, etc. strings for the lower courses. > >I'm curious, why use nylon for courses 1-3 and Nylgut for courses 4 and >5? Is it the brightness of nylon compared to Nylgut? > >Tim > > > > >On Tuesday, January 11, 2005, at 06:05 PM, Edward Martin wrote: > >>I have quite a bit of experience with Nylugt. It was first introduced by >>Mimmo Peruffo, in an attempt to re-create a synthetic string that is long >>lasting, but similar to gut. Some believe that it does sound like >>gut. Because the density is the same, i.e. 1.36, it does have some >>similarities with gut, but in my opinion, it does not sound like gut, >>because it lacks the "warmth" of real gut. >> >>I have used Nylgut in the past, but not so much these days. My 8 course >>lute is currently strung in nylon for 1-2, & 3rd courses, & nylgut for 4 & >>5. I do this because I want at least one lute to be in synthetics. >> >>Nylgut is very stable, once it stretches. It reportedly has only 10% of >>the water absorption properties of nylon, and therefore, especially in >>humid conditions, is VERY stable for keeping a lute in tune. That is the + >>side of it. For the negatives, it does not sound as beautiful as gut. I >>believe it is a polymer. Sort of a liquid, that stretches out. One >>interesting thing is that if one puts on a treble size of 0.425, after 6 >>weeks it is about 0.39 mm. in diameter. So, if you use a 0.42 gut, get >>0.44 Nylugt. The same goes for the other strings. If you select 1 size >>higher, it works after the string settles in. It also makes for a >>projective, loud sound as compared to gut or nylon. >> >>Many professional use it. Nigel North is now using it on corses 1-5, and >>for octaves. He gets a good sound from it. >> >>ed >> >> >>>X-Ironport-AV: i="3.88,116,1102309200"; >>> d="scan'208"; a="678036983:sNHT14309454" >>>X-RF-Exists: >>>X-Mailing-List: [email protected] >>>Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 12:33:07 -0500 >>>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >>>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>Cc: [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>From: "timothy motz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>Subject: Re: lanolin >>> >>>Hi Jon, >>>I had forgotten that Nylon is a trademark name. So, in the strict >>>sense, Nylgut can't be Nylon. My understanding is that it is a >>>plastic that has been treated somehow to change the density and make >>>it more like gut. As far as I know, there is not any real gut in it. >>>It looks and acts different than either standard nylon or gut, >>>although it sounds more like gut than does nylon. It stretches a >>>whole lot more at first than either nylon or gut, too. I tried it on >>>my first lute but decided to go with real gut when I built my present >>>lute. The price was about the same, and I liked the sound and feel >>>of real gut better. I'm not performing, so the problems that >>>lutenists experience with gut on a stage under lights don't affect >>>me. And I haven't noticed any wild changes in pitch with weather >>>changes. >>> >>>Tim >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>---- Original Message ---- >>>>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>Subject: Re: lanolin >>>>Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 03:54:49 -0500 >>>> >>>>>Tim, >>>>> >>>>>Are you sure Nylgut is still nylon? And I don't quarrel here. As I >>>>>understand it Nylgut is a proprietary product of Aquila (Italy?). >>>>And as >>>>>Nylon is a patented formulation of DuPont the Nylgut must be a >>>>different >>>>>formulation. >>>>> >>>>>The question becomes whether Aquila has found a way to integrate the >>>>natural >>>>>gut fibers into the Nylon formulation, or if they have just found a >>>>new >>>>>formulation of the plastic. If it were the latter I'd think they >>>>would have >>>>>left the Nyl out of the name, assuming that DuPont still has the >>>>title to >>>>>the name. But then again the name might be public domain now and >>>>Aquila >>>>>using it to bounce off the Nylon reputation. But were I them, and >>>>found a >>>>>new totally plastic formulation I'd have called it Aquigut, or >>>>something. >>>>> >>>>>As a packrat I keep scraps for whatever, there is a test to try. I >>>>don't >>>>>have a micro scale for weight/unit (density), but if the Nylgut is >>>>absorbant >>>>>I should be able to observe that with a micrometer (which I do have) >>>>as it >>>>>would swell when not under stress. >>>>> >>>>>A good thinking point Tim, thanks, >>>>> >>>>>Best, Jon >>>>> >>>>>BTW, I'm long gone from cracked fingertips and thumbs, I just have >>>>to use >>>>>them more softly on the strings. the calouses from years of work and >>>>play >>>>>are so deep that nothing will soften them. >>>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>To get on or off this list see list information at >>>http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> >> >>Edward Martin >>2817 East 2nd Street >>Duluth, Minnesota 55812 >>e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>voice: (218) 728-1202 >> >> >> Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] voice: (218) 728-1202
