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String Workshop Update - Production Insights
Several of our customers have asked about the current state of the Gamut Music string workshop, so I thought I would offer a short description of the changes we have made in recent years to ensure that you receive the best quality natural gut strings that we can make.
I have been in close contact with our suppliers to impress upon them the necessity of very high quality gut to start with. We got a supply of sheep gut from Egypt a few years ago, but it was less promising than the samples they first sent us — a problem we have encountered multiple times with different suppliers in recent years. The strings were very strong, but there were numerous casings with irregular qualities making them unsuitable for strings. I was disappointed that the yield was not more per hank, which drives up the cost of string manufacturing. The quality of raw gut we receive currently is very good, but each shipment can come with its own unique characteristics and potential production issues.
We put a new water softening system in the twisting workshop that includes a carbon filter to remove chlorine and other chemicals, so we have the most pure and pH neutral water possible for making strings (it definitely does not hurt that our water in Duluth comes from Lake Superior, which is of exceptionally good quality to start with). This allows us to control the processing of the gut more completely with confidence that there will be no reactions in the water with the chemicals we use.
The drying cycle for the strings has been extended to 48 hours or longer to ensure that the collagen in the strings bonds thoroughly and make the strongest strings possible. We have also put in some extra environmental controls to maintain a more even humidity through the twisting and drying processes.
Strings are seasoned for at least two weeks after the drying cycle before they are processed, and in most cases longer than that (contrabass strings, for example, take up to six weeks). Additionally, more testing is taking place with each batch of strings to check on the strength and durability of the batches.
Gut is a funny material and the changes and tests we are doing help a lot to ensure consistency in quality, but, still, some strings will break as is the nature of gut. Please be assured that we are always working to reduce this possibility.