< Back to Articles
How Does Varnish Effect Gut Strings?
A frequent question we receive at the workshop is, “How does string varnish impact the tone, feel, and durability of natural gut strings?”
Tone and Sound Quality
Plain Gut Strings (unvarnished) - tend to have a more open and resonant sound, with a slightly brighter and more raw tone. The natural surface allows for greater flexibility, which can contribute to a more responsive string with richer harmonics. Some players believe that unvarnished strings offer a more “pure gut” sound, with the most historically authentic tone.
Varnished Gut Strings - Gamut varnished gut strings consists of three coats of a special varnish that we have found stretches with the gut, and have a smoother surface, which can produce a slightly more focused tone. The varnish may dampen some of the high-end overtones, resulting in a warmer, smoother sound. Because the varnish adds a protective layer, it may reduce some of the “wildness” or complexity that unvarnished strings offer, giving a more controlled, polished sound.
Durability and Longevity
Plain Gut Strings - are more vulnerable to changes in humidity and temperature, as well as wear and tear from playing, which can effect their tone over time.
Varnished Gut Strings - provide a protective coating that helps guard against environmental factors like humidity and temperature, as well as the oils from your fingers. This can extend the life of the string and help maintain more consistent tonal quality over time.
Feel and Playability
Plain Gut Strings - the unvarnished texture of natural gut strings may feel slightly rougher under the fingers, which some players prefer for its traditional feel and enhanced grip for techniques like vibrato.
Varnished Gut Strings - feel smoother and more polished, which can make them easier to slide your fingers along and can provide a more consistent feel. This smoother surface can also lead to less finger noise while playing.
If you are interested in historical authenticity and are willing to adjust to a more nuanced tone, unvarnished gut strings offer a more vibrant and open sound. If you prefer a little more durability and stability from your string — along with a smoother feel and slightly more refined, controlled tone — varnished gut strings may be a better choice for you.
Overall, varnished gut strings provide a trade-off between protection and a slightly more mellow tone, while plain gut strings offer a more open sound with increased vulnerability to the environment and wear.
#
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.