2 mins
INSIDE THE LINES
Erik Martens of Jargar Strings explains the process of making metal and synthetic core strings
1 MATERIALS
A string consists of one or more layers of wire wound around a core. The wires can be flat or round, or a combination of the two. The choice of winding material has a big influence on the tension and sound of the finished string. Some of the most common materials are chrome steel, aluminium, silver and tungsten. The higher the density of the material, the higher the tension you will obtain in the finished string. The materials have different sound qualities as well: pure silver, for example, will give a more mellow-sounding string, whereas aluminium will give a brighter-sounding string.
2 THE CORE
All string making starts with attaching the core to a machine. It could be a core of steel or nylon, or a rope core of thin metal threads wound together. It is important that the core in the ball end is fixed tightly, because there will be quite a few kilograms pulling on the string when it is mounted on the instrument.
3 THE WINDING PROCESS
This stage of making strings is very delicate. The flat or round wires should not be wound so that they are too tightly packed around the core, but neither should they be too spread out, as both extremes will affect sound, playability and tension. If the first layer is wound too loosely, the upper layer or layers will fall into the gaps. It is therefore crucial that all layers are wound extremely carefully.
4 FINISHING THE STRING
The strings are finished by grinding them. Grinding gives you a smooth and even surface, which feels better under your fingers when playing and also makes the string vibrate more freely.
5 THE SILK AND COLOUR CODING
The colours of the silk layer at the ball end and the peg end help identify the manufacturer, sub-brand and tension. So, for example, you can tell by the colour if the string is a Jargar Classic, Superior or Special Medium tension.
6 THE BALL END
The ball makes it possible to attach the string to the tailpiece, and has limited effect on the sound. Like the silk, the ball end is also a way to identify the brand.
Most manufacturers use their own ball end design.
7 QUALITY CONTROL AND TESTING
We visually inspect all Jargar strings very thoroughly at the quality control stage. We also test random samples by mounting them on an instrument and playing on them to make sure that they sound like they should. In designing and manufacturing strings, you can make many calculations and do different mechanical tests, but the ultimate proof of quality is how the strings sound on the instrument.