A Brief History of the Violin Tail Gut
Violin tail guts have not been made of “cat gut” (actually twisted strips of sheep intestine, just like “cat gut” violin strings) for a long time. The term “cat gut” was actually a joke (probably British); however, the joke status was lost over time…today, the average person believes that cats are actually butchered to make gut violin strings. It is actually sheep that are butchered, if that provides any peace-of-mind.
Tail guts of twine saturated with varnish or resin were also used; however, genuine gut continued to be favored. Tail guts, regardless of their composition, were tied to the tailpieces of Baroque and Modern violins for centurie
The loop is attached to the end pin. These early tail guts stretched substantially during the “break-in” period and had to be re-tied frequently until they stabilized. Of course “stabilized” is a relative term, as humidity and temperature variations affects the early tail guts in the the same way that gut strings are affected.
Modern Tail Guts
The adjustable Nylon tail gut was invented in the 20th Century.
The modern nylon tail guts are threaded at their ends and are attached to a modern tailpiece with adjustment screws (see the photo below). They stretch a lot during break-in, requiring readjustment.
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