Description
| ET Viola G-3 Gut/Silver Gauges | |
| Light | =1.60mm |
| Light+ | =1.66mm |
| Medium | =1.72mm |
| Medium+ | =1.74mm |
| Heavy | =1.80mm |
| Heavy+ | =1.84mm |
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String Length: Single-Length, 25.5"/65cm; Knot to Stocking, 19.5"/49.5cm; Stocking, 6"/15cm
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String Type: Gut/Metal-Wound
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String Material: Beef Gut/Silver Wire
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String Options: Underlayer, Polished
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Tuning Designation: a=415
Gamut Academie Gut/Silver-Wound strings feature a gut core with sterling silver wire wound onto the gut in tandem with a thin silk layer between the core and the wire.
The end of the string that goes into the tailpiece comes with a 3-D Printed Ball End.
The effect of the silk underlayer is to increase the internal damping, giving the string a warmer tone. The addition of the underlayer also assists in stabilizing the string and increases its longevity.
Because the wire is round, the surface of the wire is polished so that the string has a smooth, "half-wound" feel. The tone is warm and full. Silver-wound strings are also available unpolished (round wire).
Equal Tension strings are designed according to the recommendation of historical theoreticians such as Mersenne, who felt that for the instrument to be balanced and respond in proportion, all the strings on the instrument should have the same tension.
Tuning Considerations
Gamut Academie Gut Viola 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.
Technical Considerations
Gut/metal-wound 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.
Because of the added diameter of equal tension strings, your instrument may need some adjustment at the tailpiece, bridge, or nut to allow for the extra mass of the strings. The instrument may also need sound post or other adjustments to bring out the most responsive tone.
The little black square in the string envelope is an anti-tarnish strip for mitigating tarnish.
These are our standard recommended gauges for this instrument/string. For gauges outside of this range, see our Custom Gauged Strings section.
All Gamut string set prices are based off of the individual string prices; there is no penalty for ordering strings à la carte.
Historical Considerations
Without the silk underlayer, the tone of the string is brighter and has more of the lush, ravishing tone attributed to historical times. According to our research, it is unlikely that an underlayer would have been used on wound music strings before about 1900 — and for those players who want to explore the true nature of historical strings, we offer these strings without this buffer layer.
Equal Tension is a concept that was used on violins historically, and the idea is that each string on the instrument has an equal amount of tension. The customary way to tension strings is to decrease the tension from the top string, which has the most tension, to the bottom string in decreasing amounts on each string. From the 16th to 19th centuries there are writers who mention or recommend equal tension, and this seems to have been one aesthetic that some players used. Regardless of the extent of the historical use, many modern players find that this system of string allows a quicker and louder response from the instrument. The extra tension on the lower strings allows the bow to play more on top of the strings resulting in quicker bowing.
Further Reading
Viola (Baroque, Classical)
What is Equal Tension?
Early Music / Historically Informed Performance
Historical String-Making
Care and Cleaning of Gut Strings
String Calculator
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