< Back to Articles
Soaking Gut Strings?
The question of soaking gut strings in oil comes up occasionally, with strong opinions on both sides, so we decided to ask a neutral third party — ChatGPT:
“It's generally not recommended to soak gut strings in oil. Gut strings are made from natural materials and are sensitive to changes in moisture and temperature. While some players might use a small amount of oil to lubricate the strings and help protect them from humidity, soaking them in oil could potentially damage the strings or alter their characteristics in undesirable ways.
If you're looking to maintain gut strings, it's better to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for care and maintenance. This might involve wiping the strings down with a clean, soft cloth after playing to remove rosin buildup and sweat. If you're unsure about how to care for your gut strings, it's always a good idea to consult with a professional violinist, luthier, or a knowledgeable teacher who can provide guidance based on their experience.”
#
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.