980 Series Plain Gut and Wound Gut Strings

They're BACK!

These strings were (temporarily) discontinued from LaBella's offerings for a few years, but now they're being reintroduced. Here's an interesting alternative to our other gut strings.

American-based stringmaker LaBella offers this 980 gut set, and they're decidedly different than typical European guts. For one, the unwound G and D strings have a much smoother, polished feel, whereas many plain gut strings have more "texture." The high strings on this set are so highly polished, you might be tempted to think it's some sort of synthetic, like nylon or perlon. It's not! It's real gut, and LaBella really makes them smooth and consistent. It's the way the 980 set has always been.

The E and A strings are wound with silver-plated wire, as is commonly done, and they are well-balanced with the G and D.

These LaBellas have a slightly higher tension than some of the other guts we also carry, but they are nicely balanced from string to string. They reportedly can be bowed, but it might require some experimentation with rosin choice and some significant technique adjustments. LaBella says they don't recommend them for bowing; I tend to agree.

They tend to require some break in time for best sound and feel - meaning, their tone, stiffness and stabilization improves with play.

Gauges (note that gut is a natural material, and gauges can differ slightly from set to set)

LaBella's Description:

First introduced by E. & O. Mari, Inc. in the 1920s, gut strings were very popular in jazz orchestras for their distinctly deep and warmer tone. Our latest formulation honors the same old-world tradition of gut string making, while also utilizing the latest and finest silver-plated copper wire available on the market.

Our 980 set can be used for many styles of music, including jazz, country, bluegrass and rockabilly.

• G & D: Super Fine Quality Gut with a Smooth Finish
• A & E: Gut Core Wound with Pure Italian Silk and Silver-Plated Round Wire
• Total String Length: 72"
• 6" of silk by the ball end; 54" of wound/gut; 12" of silk on the top of the string
• Made in the USA with American Wire

How to Care for Gut Strings (from LaBella)

It's extremely important to carefully maintain these high quality gut strings to ensure playability and longevity. Failure to do so can cause breakage and irreparable damage.

We suggest purchasing food grade pure mineral oil to wipe down the strings after playing. We also suggest frequent conditioning of the strings to prevent breakage, especially in cold and dry climates.

We also suggest using a razor blade to carefully cut any fraying pieces of gut, as shedding is normal for gut strings. Be very careful as to not cut yourself. Always condition strings with mineral oil after trimming any frays.

When installing the strings and/or bringing them to pitch, use the graphite from the tip of a pencil to lubricate the part of the string that sits on the bridge. This will prevent fraying on the gut or wire separating while tuning.

Please note gut strings can take up to 15 days to stretch, and also stretch/contract based on ambient humidity. We suggest detuning strings a whole step down when not in use.