Dear Martin and all, > > Dear Anthony and All, > > This is welcome news. Just a comment on the rough surface of the old > nylgut: > > Gut is not necessarily "rough" under the finger. In fact the Sofracob > (no more - sigh!) and Kuerschner gut strings I have been using are very > smooth and quiet. So I would be happy to think that the new Nylgut is > smoother than the old (though it is possible to hand polish the old > Nylgut a little to make it smoother). % Could this smoothness result from the degree of rectification? Aquila top strings are said to be produced with a process called "half rectification", that is supposed to imitate hand rectification. Does this give a rougher surface? I suppose it does not necessarilly suit everyone, as Aquila offers a fully rectified string, by request. Perhaps this "half rectification" is also what nylgut imitates (but perhaps not)? % > As for the stretchiness, I would welcome less stretchiness for the > thinnest strings, more stretchiness for the thicker strings. % I would tend to agree with this second remark, as, ideally, increased flexibity in a Meanes string should give better harmonicity, all things being equal. I believe that is why Mimmo uses a twine gut for his Venice Meanes. % > note that historical gut strings may have been even stretchier than the > old Nylgut (Thomas Mace says they stretch "an inch or two" in the > winding up - no gut treble I've ever had has stretched this much). % Was Mace talking about treble strings? The most flexible strings I know are those made by Charles Besnainou, but these spirally structured twines, are bass strings, and again the aim of this structure is to obtain better harmonicity with a thick string. > > Bring on the new strings! I never liked the white colour, either. > > Best to All, > > Martin Best wishes Anthony > > On 18/09/2010 13:53, Anthony Hind wrote: > > Dear Lutenists > > It seems that Mimmo Peruffo of Aquila, who is by formation a > > chemical engineer, as well as a string maker, has been busy making > new > > synthetic strings. > > % > > Mimmo, fairly recently acquired an extrudor, as shown here: > > [1][1]http://www.youtube.com/v/A5Yp1O3LS8U > > and so I presume this has allowed him to develop these string on > site. > > % > > The most interesting for lutenists and historical instrument players, > > would no doubt be the new nylgut, which has been developped to have > the > > typical colour of gut and less stretch than the old NYLGUT. > > % > > These were the two qualities of Nylgut that many lutenists disliked, > > its white colour, and its great flexibility; some actually preferred > a > > nylon top string, even when they used nylgut on lower strings. > > % > > Have any of you had a chance to try these out? If so, how do they > > actually compare, in your view, to the old nylgut? > > Perhaps, this has already been discussed, here, and I have missed the > > posting, but the only reference to it, I have come accross on a web > > search, is from the Ukele player, Ken Midlleton: > > % > > "There is almost no difference in sound between the old Nylgut and > the > > new ones. The main difference is the feel of them. The main > difference > > in sound is the noise your fingers make when they move over the > > strings. The newer ones are less noisy." KM > > [2][2]http://tinyurl.com/2au4556 > > % > > Does this mean that the new Nylgut is smoother than the old one? If > so, > > this one characteristic might actually be less like gut-like? I > > remember, David Tayler's advice on sand papering Carbon strings in > > order to diminish their bell-like sound associated with their > > smoothness relative to gut. > > However, the other new characteristics would probably be a welcome > > improvement. > > % > > K.M. is not comparing the New nylgut to gut, just with the old > version; > > and so his remarks may not be significant for lute players. > > % > > From KM's postings, I also learnt that Aquila has developped > a > > new Bionylon. you can hear his Youtube recording comparing Bionylon > > and the old Nylgut on the same Ukele model: > > [3][3]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ILpHArVKw > > % > > A search on Aquila's pages showed that this new "eco-friendly" nylon > > string, is made mainly from "castor oil". It may become available in > > diameters for use on lutes, but Aquila says : > > "We recommend Bionylon(R) strings for all plucked instruments such as > > classical guitars and ukuleles. Colour: natural pearl" > > [4][4]http://tinyurl.com/36x8fbj > > % > > According to comments on KM's string test, Bionylon might be dryer > > sounding than the old Nylgut. > > % > > The same page on Materials used by Aquila, mentions a variant of > Nylgut > > made specifically for guitar-players using nails, which they call > > "Silkgut". > > % > > "We can define Silkgut(R) like a cousin of Nylgut(R). The difference > > between Nylgut(R) and Silkgut(R) is that the Silkgut(R) is a bit > > stiffer than Nylgut(R). In other therms it last longer under the > finger > > nails of guitar- players. Silkgut(R) is suitable for classical guitar > > Trebles and modern Harp's strings. Colour: silked." > > % > > How Silkgut and the new Nylgut differ (apart from colour) is not > clear, > > as presumably they are both stiffer than the old Nylgut. > > Presumably, Silkgut is just not aimed at lute players, and it might > be > > available in limited diameters. > > % > > Do any of you have further information about any of these strings? > > % > > How might the new Nylgut effect the sound and feel of wire-wound > Nylgut > > strings, or might Mimmo produce a Nylgut specifically for this? > > How about a loaded Nylgut bass string? > > % > > Regards > > Anthony > > > > -- > > > > References > > > > 1. [5]http://www.youtube.com/v/A5Yp1O3LS8U > > 2. [6]http://tinyurl.com/2au4556 > > 3. [7]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ILpHArVKw > > 4. [8]http://tinyurl.com/36x8fbj > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > [9]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > >
-- References 1. http://www.youtube.com/v/A5Yp1O3LS8U 2. http://tinyurl.com/2au4556 3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ILpHArVKw 4. http://tinyurl.com/36x8fbj 5. http://www.youtube.com/v/A5Yp1O3LS8U 6. http://tinyurl.com/2au4556 7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ILpHArVKw 8. http://tinyurl.com/36x8fbj 9. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html
