I tried them years ago, but did not like them. Tey are clear, and have some sort of a clear wrap over a carbon core.
I found them false, and in measuring diameters, they were inconsistent in their size, on the same string. ed At 07:45 AM 12/10/2010, Martyn Hodgson wrote: > Thank you for this Martin and Anthony. These strings are interesting as > a further alternative to loaded, wire wound and the 'spring' string; > especially for those with a large number of instruments to string. > > I looked into these Saverez KF strings some time ago (are you sure > they're 'new' out?) and had reports at the time that they were simply > PVF(carbon) strings like any other of the same ilk. I'd be grateful for > any clarification you can offer. > > Martin, you say they only become multi strand above 0.95mm dia but in > Anthony's message he gives someone using thinner KF strings with the > implication that they are these new multi-strand type. 'an example of > the stringing he uses on a lute or 7c Vihuela : g' KFN33 - d' KFN43 - > a KFN52 - f KFN66-33 - c KFN84 - 43,5 - G KFN 112 - 57 - F KFN126 - > 62.' Is it possible that the 'new' aspect of these KF strings are that > Saverez now makes these multistrand strings at smaller diameters? > > What's the signoficance of the N in KFN? Does it mean new/nouveau type > of KF strings? > > The Saverez website is next to useless only giving marketing blurb and > lists of available sizes but says the strings are made from 'composite > fibres' which again implies that all sizes are multi strand. They also > make the claim that they are new but perhaps they simply haven't > updated an old website? > >ALLIANCE KF COMPOSITE, Strings for harp > >A real innovation! This strings are manufactured from composites fibres > > A production which requires fine and sophisticated technologies that > only Savarez could implement until now. > Thanks to the technologies, Savarez can produce strings which > geometrical qualities are perfect and which resist to the tensions > required by the harp. Many years of work and a focusing of complicated > technologies were necessary to obtain such a result. > A long work on the molecules, some molecular relationships and the rate > of "cristalinity" allow Savarez to obtain an elongation and an > elasticity identical to the ones of the gut. > The density of these strings is extremely close to the one of the gut, > so the comparison takes more value. So though gut strings still are > very popular, Alliance KF strings have a perfect alternative sound for > those who wish to take profit of gut sound and synthetic strings > advantages. > > > --- On Fri, 10/12/10, Martin Shepherd <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Martin Shepherd <[email protected]> > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Re New Savarez harp strings? > To: "Lute List" <[email protected]> > Date: Friday, 10 December, 2010, 12:19 > > Dear All, > I have been using these KF strings for some years. The smallest > diameter is .95mm, but this is the equivalent of a gut string of about > 1.07mm. The one I use is "KF95A", but I think the "A" just refers to > the fact that it is a 2m length. It works well as a 5th course on a > renaissance lute (with an octave - I have not tried unison). It looks > more like a gut string, opaque rather than clear. I have not tried the > thicker strings, but it seems that it might be worth a try - I think > Jacob Heringman may have done so. > I think the next size down is .91mm, but it is a plain monofilament PVF > string. I think some people are using them for a unison 5th course. > Best wishes, > Martin > On 10/12/2010 10:05, Anthony Hind wrote: > > Dear Theo > > > > Just recently on the French Lute list, Carlos Gonzales, > president of the Sp > > anish Vihuela society, and lutemaker, has sopoken highly of these > strings vihuel > > a (President Carlos Gonzales)spoke about this; > > > > See the thread here, > > $ > > Re: [Le_luth] Cordes vihuela - demande `a Carlos > > $ > > [1][1]http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/Le_luth/message/12239 > > $ > > has said that for the last few years he has been using these > Savarez KF > > strings made specially for harps, as basses for lutes baroque > guitars > > and vihuelas. He confirms that they are made up of thinner > strands > > glued together, and that he finds them "very balanced, as sweet > as the > > human voice". He admits that you need to get used to their > thickness, > > but it remains thinner than pure gut types. > > He gives an example of the stringing he uses on a lute or 7c > Vihuela : > > g' KFN33 - d' KFN43 - a KFN52 - f KFN66-33 - c KFN84 - 43,5 - G > KFN 112 > > - 57 - F KFN126 - 62. > > He goes on to say that his wife has used them for some years, and > that > > in his experience, it is hard to come back to wirewounds after > using > > them. Although, he says he has heard that some players wax their > wire > > wounds to make them less bright. > > $ > > It seems that at the next [2]Festival de Musica Antigua at > Gijon, the > > topic of strings will be on the agenda, and he hopes that it will > be > > possible to compare these harp strings, with Charles Besnainou's > spring > > strings (Charles is invited to this meeting), and Mimmo Peruffo's > > loaded strings. Carlos hopes to make acoustic analyses of these > > differents string types, in his sound laboratory. > > $ > > Please note that I am only reporting Carlos's words, and not > endorsing > > them, as I have never heard these strings. I have heard both > Charles > > Besnainou's ultra low impedance spring strings, and myself use > low > > impedance loaded strings, which I find excellent, when used in > the > > right combination of strings (see the recent loaded string > thread). > > Charles' spring strings can either be made of carbon or of gut, > but I > > have only heard the gut strings on bowed instruments. I did hear > his > > carbon springs on his lutes: I would say that they are very free > and > > open, with excellent high frequency content (low impedance), but > they > > also did add a plasticky sound to the overall sound-mix; which > was not > > at all the case with the bowed gut spring strings. I wonder to > what > > extent the KF harps stirings add that plasticky quality, or > whether the > > fact that they are composites gets round the bell like sound of > most > > carbon strings. > > $ > > Stephen Gottlieb who is reputed for using only gut basses on his > lutes > > (mainly those of George Stoppani), mentionned that he had tried > some > > carbon KF basses, which he had had to cut down to get through the > > bridge holes; but he said they were rather good. I imagine these > could > > be the same strings. > > Regards > > Anthony > > epuis quelques annees j'utilise des cordes Savarez KF conc,ues > pour les > > harpes "carbone file carbone". En fait se sont les cordes KF `a > partir > > du diametre 0,95, au lieu d'etre du monofilament elles se > presentent > > sous la forme d'un monofilament avec des tres fins brins colles. > Je les > > utilise pour les bourdons et on peut corder une vihuela, une > guitare > > baroque ou un luth sept choeurs sans cordes filees metal. Je > trouve le > > son tres equilibre et les basses douces comme des voix humaines. > Il > > faut s'y habituer aux grosses diametres , meme si en boyau les > graves > > seraient encore plus grosses. > > Un exemple de cordage pour luth ou vihuela `a 7 choeurs: g' KFN33 > - d' > > KFN43 - a KFN52 - f KFN66-33 - c KFN84 - 43,5 - G KFN 112 - 57 - > F > > KFN126 - 62. > > Mon epouse Mabel les utilise depuis des annees, et il faut dire > > qu'apres on a du mal `a revenir aux cordes filees metal. J'ai > entendu > > dire que certains enduisent de cire les cordes filees pour les > rendre > > plus mates, mais je n'ai jamais essaye. > > Cela dit on est toujours `a la recherche d'autres solutions, > comme les > > cordes spiralees de Charles Besnainou ou les cordes chargees en > metal > > de Mimmo Peruffo. C'est pour c,a que j'aimerais qu'ils nous > parlent de > > leurs experiences `a Gijon et qu'on puisse les y analyser dans > > l'atelier d'acoustique. > > Amities > > Carlos > > > > I was recently at a harp convention (wife is a harpist), and a harp > repairman > > told me about a new advance in strings from Savarez, > > that they have produced a nylon string (NOT carbon fibre, nor other > synthetic) > > that has fibres of some sort imbedded within, > > The fibres apparently lend both strength and warmth, to sound and > feel more > > like gut. > > I checked the Savarez website but the site has scant information (at > least in > > the english site). > > Does anyone know more about these strings, or is this just rumor/bad > > information? > > cheers, trj > > > > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > [3][2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > -- > > > > References > > > > 1. [3]http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/Le_luth/message/12239 > > 2. [4]http://www.musicaantiguagijon.com/ > > 3. [5]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > -- > >References > > 1. http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/Le_luth/message/12239 > 2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > 3. http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/Le_luth/message/12239 > 4. http://www.musicaantiguagijon.com/ > 5. 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 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871&ref=name http://www.myspace.com/edslute
