the history of the guitar strings

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

In my search for new stringmakers I've come across different types of strings.

Escpecially the bass strings with a gut core instead of silkthreads.

Does anyone knows about the authenticity of the strings with silk threads.

Did the guitarists in the 19th century use strings with gut core or silk.

What was the most common use

[Jan Burgers]

Hello Lars,

Francesco Molino, in his Nouvelle Méthode, published first in Leipzig 1813, with Paris editions in 1817 and 1820, and an Italian edition in 1818(?), explicitly writes that the three highest guitar strings are made of gut, and the three lowest of silk spun with silver wire (French text: 'soie filée'; German: 'Seide [...] mit Silberdraht besponnen'; Italian: 'seta filata d'argento'. This he reiterates in his methods that he published later: Opus 33 (c.1823) and Opus 46 (1826-27).

Jan Burgers.

[Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen]

Thanks Jan.

The most authentic strings to use would be wounded on silk then.

Nice to know.