Pistoy Gut Strings

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This is a standard length (48", 120cm), double twist, Pistoy-style string made with beef serosa available with either a natural or varnish finish.

The Pistoy string is a unique development of Daniel Larson at Gamut Music. It is named for the town in Italy which was famous for producing the best string for basses, being "flexible, smooth, and well twisted." Our reproduction is made of three strands of gut twisted in one direction, and then the three combined together by twisting in the other direction in rope fashion. When dry, the string is polished down to the specific gauge required by the instrument. The results are a very flexible string with a quick response and a full, round sound. The string is characterized by a noticeable twist and flexible feel.

This is not a polished catline as some think. At first glance this might look like such a thing. However, the Pistoy is fundamentally a different kind of string. It shares one trait with the catline in that the string is made with two directions of twists. This is where the similarity ends. The Pistoy has no space in the structure like the catline does, and therefore has the same density as any plain gut string. The Pistoy string is expensive to make because it takes a lot of time to sort the gut into small bundles to twist and retwist. The gain is in the flexibility. Even in thick gauges the string remains supple and responsive. The color ranges from clear white on thinner strings (.80mm to 1.10mm) to opaque yellow on thicker strings.

Pistoy strings are an ideal use for:

  • Violin: D-3, G-4
  • Viola: G-3, C-4
  • Cello: d-2, G-3, C-4
  • Bass Viol: C-4, G-5, D-6
  • Tenor Viol: F-4, C-5, G-6
  • Treble Viol: C-4, G-5, D-6
  • Lute: f-4, c-5, G-6, fundamentals on bass courses
  • Harp: Bass strings

Use our String Calculators to find the correct strings for your instrument. You can find Specific String Tensions here. Interested in varnished strings? Many strings come with the Option to Add Varnish.

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