Production of gut strings

The guts used in string-making are a by-product of meat production. The string maker’s job begins at the abattoir where he selects suitable animals by age. The intestines are removed, repeatedly cleansed, inspected and scraped. Depending on the desired gauge of the strings, the intestines are twisted together in strands from two to over one hundred. During the subsequent drying process great care is taken that the correct degree of tension and twisting is maintained throughout. We receive the strings in this, their “raw” state, here in Potsdam where we hang them up yet again and, after another drying phase, polish, measure, cut, inspect, und finally package them. The meticulous work of the Moroccan string maker, combined with all the final measuring and testing procedures carried out at our end, ensure that tuning is possible in perfect fifths. We achieve this without the usual machine-polishing of the strings, which means that the fibres remain intact; this has a positive impact on sound quality as well as durability. What’s more, due to the prompt processing of the guts during production in Morocco, we can avoid the use of chemical preservatives. Their tight twisting makes PURE CORDE gut strings exceptionally soft. They are also unusually responsive and produce a sound that is direct and rich.