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Why Do You Not Recommend Using Fine Tuners?
Gut strings are more flexible and stretchier than synthetic or steel strings. Fine tuners and string adjusters are designed to handle the minimal stretching of metal or synthetic strings, allowing small adjustments in pitch. However, the extra elasticity of natural gut strings makes it unnecessary and potentially damaging to use fine tuners:
Increased Tension - Fine tuners are designed to increase string tension with minimal turns, but gut strings are naturally more pliable and require greater flexibility in tuning. Using a fine tuner or string adjuster can create too much tension too quickly, increasing the risk of breaking or damaging the string.
Damage to the String - Gut strings are softer than steel or synthetic strings. The sharp angles created when the string passes through a fine tuner can cause acute wear and tear, leading to fraying or snapping of the string.
Proper Stretching and Flexibility - Natural gut strings need to be adjusted using the instrument pegs, where the tuning can be done in larger, more gradual increments. Peg tuning allows gut strings to stretch and settle naturally, which is important for the stability and longevity of the string.
For these reasons, gut strings are traditionally tuned with pegs only, which gives more control and reduces the risk of string breakage. Fine tuners and string adjusters are generally reserved for synthetic or steel strings, which can handle the precision and increased tension they apply.
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Hand-made in the USA by Gamut Music, Inc., a leader in the revival of early music strings and instruments. Gut strings are not intended to be used with fine tuners or string adjusters, and those devices should be removed before installing the gut string on the instrument.
All Gamut Academie strings (pure gut and gut/metal-wound) are made with beef serosa unless they specifically say "Sheep Gut." All pure gut Tricolore violin and viola strings are made with sheep gut; gut/metal-wound Tricolore and all Red Diamond strings are made with beef serosa.
Gamut gut string gauges are approximate (≈) diameter. Meaning, that while a ≈0.60mm string is polished in the workshop to a diameter of 0.60mm, changes in ambient humidity, temperature, shipping, and storage conditions can cause to string to expand or contract slightly.
Gimped gut strings and custom gauged equal tension strings are gauged with the equivalent-gauge (=) system. This means that the gauge listed, such as =1.50mm, indicates that the string is approximately equal in weight to a plain gut string of that diameter. Of course, because the wire is much heavier than gut, the string will be much thinner than a plain gut string.
More information about Gamut gut strings, string types, gauges, and string tensions can be found on our FAQ/Articles page. Not finding an answer to your question? Please contact us directly: support@gamutmusic.com.