I can’t help moving through my life continuously thinking about the comparison between how I live, and how they would have in the past. This is just an interesting thought, and many times I feel the need to live up to some kind of vague ideal of what created civilization, though I will never truly know what that is, and so will never live up to it. Who knows how perception changes based on environment, but I can tell you one thing, had I not lived in 21st century, I would most likely not have been a guitarist, or any kind of string player for that matter in Western Europe.
Strings were made of a peculiar material back in the day, guts, animal intestines. EW
Well, not all strings in all places were made from animal entrails, some were made of various silk fibers, animal hairs etc… Some people swear for the superiority of gut strings in producing a quality tone. Gut strings are still used fairly often for serious performers of early music on Violas, violins, and guitars.
Here is a place you can learn all you want about gut strings if you are so inclined, or simply click over to a different page, and forget you ever read this. Don’t forget to sign up for lessons though!