Did you know cat guts used to be utilized for the manufacturing of guitar strings? The term “catgut’ is quite misleading, as the intestines of a majority of felines are small and susceptible to pressure with the intention of using them for musical instruments. More commonly, bull or sheep intestines were preferred when selecting materials to formulate the creation of catgut strings. The term “catgut” does not have a definite origin, as do many inventions containing early historical roots. However, the first recorded mention of “guitar” strings mention they were made utilizing the intestinal tracks of various sheep livestock. According to external sources as Britannica the term catgut originated from the Italian word for violin, which is “kit.” The term “kit gut” came to be among the original references to the string. Over the course of time, the term had eventually led to the term “cat gut.” The process of cat gut string making has been altered over the years, undergoing various changes in techniques and procedures. Interestingly, Greek mythology regarding the formulation of the first lyre is closely related to the early beginnings of the cat gut string history.
The story begins with Hermes, having strung the first lyre utilizing the entrails of freshly slaughtered cows he had stolen from his brother, Apollo. This angered Apollo, and on his pursuit to punish his mischievous brother, he encountered the enchanting dulcet tones erupting from the lyre’s gut strings. This gentle tone calmed Apollo and he was eager to strike a trade. To his brother Hermes, he forfeited his beloved cattle herds and the graceful animals of the forest in exchange for the gut string lyre. The beautiful instrument entranced Apollo so deeply he was willing to trade away his most prized possessions.
For centuries, the chosen material for the making of musical instruments had been animal guts, stretching the historical roots of gut strings to the early days. The earliest recorded use of catgut strings on instruments date back to ancient Egypt, and these strings are still respected for their sweet, warm tones when played. As mentioned before, the procedure for making cat gut strings has undergone many alterations, changing with the expertise level of string makers as time progressed. The common way of producing gut strings begins with a string maker and commonly a whole lamb gut, roughly 50 feet in length. At the abattoir (taken from the French word “abattre,” meaning “to strike down”), which is a slaughterhouse, the intestines are removed from the freshly slaughtered animal. Intestines retrieved from the just killed animal are ideal, due to the heat that protects them against contaminating agents. Following this step, they are placed in water and cleansed of their fat. When the intestines have soaked in an alkaline substance and are being exposed to sulfuric fumes, they are then twisted and wound into strings. Finally, the gut strings are coated in olive oil to polish and tan the string, increasing the longevity. Catgut strings have a misleading name, as it has been mentioned that catgut was not ideal for making guitar strings, considering their brittle nature. The technique of making gut strings dates back centuries, and it is still a well-respected tradition. The warm and sweet tones that they produce still soothe listeners today.
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