Sheep Gut (Academie Gold)

TL:DR: 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 Academie Gold sheep gut strings are designed for Baroque instruments by those musicians playing historical performance practice at a=415, and are perfectly suitable for modern a=440 practice, but the result will be a little bit more tension at a=440.

Sheep gut (ovine serosa) is the classical material that has for centuries been used to make music strings throughout Europe and the Americas. The tone has a golden, warm and rich sonority that is preferred by discerning players. Sheep gut strings have slightly different properties than beef gut. In broad terms, it has a warmer tone. One of our clients with a poetic flair describes sheep gut as having a “golden” tone and beef gut having a “silver” tone. The sheep gut has fibers and collagen that bond very well, making a tight structure with a lovely transparency. The texture supports the plucking or bowing very well, and the sound carries well in a room. If you feel you need a tone with more warmth and clarity than you are getting now, then sheep gut might be a good choice.

This type of string is characterized by a low twist that is sometimes not even visible. The color of the string ranges from clear to white and sometimes to transparent yellow.

This type of string is an ideal use for:

    • Violin: e-1 and a-2

    • Viola: a-1 and d-2

    • Bass viol: d-1, a-2, and e-3

    • Tenor viol: g-1, d-2, and a-3

    • Treble viol: d-1, a-2, and e-3

    • Lute: g-1, d-2, a-3, and octaves on bass courses

    • Harp: treble strings

Custom gauge sheep gut strings are available in millimeter gauges from .38mm to 2.10mm in increments of .02mm.