question for John Pearse
Dave&Ceil
that they are far in away some of the best strings on the market today.
Personally I use no other. What makes them so different? Why do they have
such better tone over the others? Why do they age so well? And lastly do you
make them in your own factory or are they spec'ed out to another? I doubt
you freeze them, squeeze more wraps around the core or assemble them in
space.
Thanks in advance...hope this wasn't done before I check deja but found no
answer to these questions from you.
Dave
KDuvioCFM
em, think you got a long term customer here.
The medium PB's give me a lot of tonal room to express with.
Good stuff - thanks!
Ken Duvio
JOHNPEARSE
Thanks for the nice comments!
There are many reasons why I feel that my strings stand apart. Unlike some
other manufacturers, I don't believe in going to the cheapest - or closest -
source for the raw material that I use. Much of the stock handled by suppliers,
here in the US, is far too pliable to be successfully turned into music strings
- being manufactured, principally, for the electronics industries - where
super-flexible stock is very desirable. Music-string stock must be far more
rigid in order to store energy and 'feed' it at a constant rate to the
soundboard of an instrument. Imagine, if I may give a rather 'off the wall'
analogy, a boloney sausage hanging by a string next to an iron bar, similarly
suspended. One is soft, the other hard. Which will give the better sound when
struck with a mallet? Obviously the iron bar.
The real trick is to find string stock which is hard enough to store energy,
yet not too brittle. That is flexible enough to be comfortable on the fingers,
yet firm enough to have an accurate vibrating pattern.
I'm incredible anal about metal quality. Over the years I have tracked down
sources around the globe where I could buy metals that I feel are of music
grade. Those sources are constantly changing. At one time, I got my high-carbon
steel stock from a small company in, what was then, Yugoslavia. Later I
switched to a similar company in the Ukraine. Wherever I have to go to get the
absolute best material, that is where you'll find me. There is enough
mediocrity in this world. I don't have to be a part of it.
If ever I feel that I am not able to make the best possible strings, then I'll
close down. I will not settle for second best. It's not in my nature.
Cheers!
John Pearse.
Dave&Ceil
products. There is a huge difference between strings and its not a
subjective opinion. My recordings show and obvious change in attack and
brilliance depending on the string used. One more question though. Since
the supply of metals used varies from time to time. Does this mean that the
consistencies, or rather properties, of the strings will also vary slightly
as suppliers change? Since I buy stings by the truck load and change
frequently I have noticed, on one or two occasions, strings having different
tonal qualities from the previous set.
Thanks
Dave
George4908
>suspended. One is soft, the other hard. Which will give the better sound when
>struck with a mallet?
Depends on the sausage. Broke a tooth on a Slim Jim once.
Al Evans
<georg...@aol.com> wrote:
So... did you try striking it with a mallet? Would it have made a good
guitar string?
--Al Evans--
Don Pendergraft
from Slim Jim's. Ewwwww!!
Don Pendergraft
snip
>>
>> Depends on the sausage. Broke a tooth on a Slim Jim once.
>
>So... did you try striking it with a mallet? Would it have made
a good
>guitar string?
> --Al Evans--
>
>
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
Tony Weber
JOHNPEARSE wrote:
> Actually, strings were never, ever, made from cat-gut. Gut strings have always
> been made from sheep-gut. The guy who - way back in the early sixties - taught
> me how to make gut violin strings (horrible business! The stench is VILE!!!)
> told me that the term, 'cat-gut', was a corruption of 'cut-gut.' (makes sense!)
> John Pearse.
JOHNPEARSE
Hopefully, you should not notice any difference between sets made with material
from different stock suppliers - except, maybe, an improvement in tone. The
usual reason for switching suppliers is to go with one who produces a grade
that is closer to that which my rather anal mind considers to be the 'perfect'
tensility and hardness to use for stringmaking. The one exception was when the
Balkans began to fall apart and I had to shuffle fast to find a substitute for
the Yugoslavian steel which had been rather fond of using. Luckily I found a
source in the Ukraine which produces even higher grade (on my Analometer!)
steel.
John Pearse.
JOHNPEARSE
Hojo2x
>Actually, strings were never, ever, made from cat-gut. Gut strings have>always
>been made from sheep-gut.
I've heard this, as well.
Sheep have much longer intestines, and those would be a natural by-product of
raising sheep for meat.
It would also take a lot more cats to string a violin than would be required if
the "donor" was a sheep.
Still, it does raise some interesting mental images: the young John Pearse
first leaving Great Britain to follow his dream, which is to learn
string-making from the bottom up, which entails working as a kitten-wrangler on
a Wyoming Cat ranch....
Trying to keep them in one bunch as you set off on a cat-drive to get them to
the railhead must have presented some interesting challenges.
The young John Pearse: "I say, by Jove, you cats need to stay together. DASH
it all, they're not listening!"
Grizzled old catpoke: "You sorry-ass furriner, don't you know nuthin'? Why
the hail d'you think we all carry these water pistols on our belts? Gotta give
'em a little aversion therapy...."
Wade Hampton "Rounding Up A Herd Of Calicos" Miller
Bob Dorgan
> Still, it does raise some interesting mental images: the young John Pearse
> first leaving Great Britain to follow his dream, which is to learn
> string-making from the bottom up, which entails working as a kitten-wrangler on
> a Wyoming Cat ranch....
>
> Trying to keep them in one bunch as you set off on a cat-drive to get them to
> the railhead must have presented some interesting challenges.
>
> The young John Pearse: "I say, by Jove, you cats need to stay together. DASH
> it all, they're not listening!"
>
> Grizzled old catpoke: "You sorry-ass furriner, don't you know nuthin'? Why
> the hail d'you think we all carry these water pistols on our belts? Gotta give
> 'em a little aversion therapy...."
>
> Wade Hampton "Rounding Up A Herd Of Calicos" Miller
If you read a few posts from Magnus Patterson, Nigel Tucker and some of
their cronies from the UK, you can well believe that they are well
versed in sheep herding.
For reasons I'm not sure I want to know.
Dorgan
Dave&Ceil
wont hurt my finish?
Marsha Allen
<Myc...@alaska.net> wrote:
> Wasn't cat-gut used for suturing in medical procedures?
>
> JOHNPEARSE wrote:
>
> > Actually, strings were never, ever, made from cat-gut. Gut strings have
> > always
> > been made from sheep-gut. The guy who - way back in the early sixties -
> > taught
> > me how to make gut violin strings (horrible business! The stench is
> > VILE!!!)
> > told me that the term, 'cat-gut', was a corruption of 'cut-gut.' (makes
> > sense!)
> > John Pearse.
>
Nah, it's the same as violin strings. My father used to make sutures and
told me they were really sheep gut. They (the sutures) came in little
sterilized glass tubes with the needles attached. I haven't seen one in
ages, but I suspect that they are all made of synthetics nowadays. My
cat had some surgery last December and she was repaired with some kind
of internal stitching that dissolved in a couple of weeks and didn't
even require one of those nasty collars that vets generally use. It
would be too weird to sew up a cat with cat-guts (ick!).
John Sorell
Oh, good! We are finally getting back around to sheep jokes. It's been way too long.
No really, I'm serious. I'm not trying to get your goat.
John
Bob Dorgan
I deserve it.
But did you read the post from Magnus Patterson saying he was bringing
Sheepshagger Beer to the UK meet?
I mean, how am I SUPPOSED to interpret that?
At least I didn't start a fish thread for the punsters to take over.
Dorgan
John Sorell
Actually, I was pleased you were heading in that direction. One of the few areas in which
I feel I can contribute. A friend of mine used to publish the cartoon books for the
creator of the Garfield cartoon (Jim Thomas, I think). She said the folks who edited of
his cartoons had to be very careful to catch all his references to sheep jokes.
I gave up on the UK meet thread because it was making me jealous I couldn't attend.
Sheepshagger Beer? Fermented lanolin? Has a hoppy nose and makes your hair shine too.
Jooooooohnny
Magnus Paterson
> Oh, good! We are finally getting back around to sheep jokes. It's
> been way too long. No really, I'm serious. I'm not trying to get
> your goat.
>
> John
You're kidding, right?
Magnus
Magnus Paterson
> But did you read the post from Magnus Patterson saying he was bringing
> Sheepshagger Beer to the UK meet?
> I mean, how am I SUPPOSED to interpret that?
Any way you like, dear.
> At least I didn't start a fish thread for the punsters to take over.
Fish thread? Is that like catfish gut? Or is it just a red herring you
throw us while having a whale of a time?
(open season for piscine punning, methinks..)
Cheers,
Magnus
George C. Kaschner
Bob Dorgan wrote:
> But did you read the post from Magnus Patterson saying he was bringing
> Sheepshagger Beer to the UK meet?
> I mean, how am I SUPPOSED to interpret that?
Perhaps it's to get the sheep drunk so Magnus looks more attractive to them??? ;/
George
Bob Dorgan
Dorgan
George4908
Happy to oblige. It seems there was this ventriloquist walking down a country
road one day. He strolls past a farm and sees a farmer out in the field, along
with several animals. The ventriloquist decides to have a little fun. He
calls the farmer over and says "That's a fine looking horse you have over
there. Mind if I talk to him?" The farmer scratches his head in puzzlement,
but says "I guess so." The ventriloquist says to the horse "Lovely day today,
isn't it, Mr. Horse?" Then, throwing his voice, the horse appears to reply
"Why, yes it is, thank you." The farmer stops in astonishment. The
ventriloquist continues "Say, tell me, how does your master treat you?" The
horse replies "Oh, he's a fine man, treats me well and feeds me every day."
The farmers jaw drops. Now the ventriloquist turns to a pig and says "Tell me,
Mr. Pig, how does your master treat you?" The pig replies "Oh, he's very kind.
He keeps my pen clean and feeds me only the finest corn." Again, the farmer
is speechless in awe. Finally, the ventriloquist turns to a sheep and says
"Good day there, Mr. Sheep. How does your master treat you?" At this, the
farmer rouses from his stupor and blurts out "Now don't you believe a thing
that no good sheep says, she lies!"
JOHNPEARSE
John Pearse.
Magnus Paterson
I'm just going to treat that in my usual dignified manner...
Magnus
ch...@san.rr.com
johnp...@aol.com (JOHNPEARSE) wrote:
...Luckily I found a
> source in the Ukraine which produces even higher grade (on my
Analometer!)
> steel.
Boy that is one big image I've got to get out of my mind somehow ...
csj
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Galena C
profession (Periodontal Prosthesis [periodontics & prosthodontics]). I am
going to get YOUR strings for my 69-brazillian D-41 and try 'em out. I'll
post my findings!! Thanks.
Michael Herndon
JOHNPEARSE wrote in message
<20000404021428...@ng-cg1.aol.com>...
>Hi,
>Thanks for the nice comments!
>There are many reasons why I feel that my strings stand apart. Unlike some
>other manufacturers, I don't believe in going to the cheapest - or
closest -
>source for the raw material that I use. Much of the stock handled by
suppliers,
>here in the US, is far too pliable to be successfully turned into music
strings
>- being manufactured, principally, for the electronics industries - where
>super-flexible stock is very desirable. Music-string stock must be far more
>rigid in order to store energy and 'feed' it at a constant rate to the
>soundboard of an instrument. Imagine, if I may give a rather 'off the wall'
>analogy, a boloney sausage hanging by a string next to an iron bar,
similarly
>suspended. One is soft, the other hard. Which will give the better sound
when
hank alrich
> John.......... I like your attitude about mediocrity. I am that way in my
> profession (Periodontal Prosthesis [periodontics & prosthodontics]). I am
> going to get YOUR strings for my 69-brazillian D-41 and try 'em out. I'll
> post my findings!! Thanks.
I've been using JP's strings for a few years on the 000-28 (recently
given to my daughter), now on the generic parlor guitar and both
mandolins. I plan to use them on the McCollum, too. I like them because
they settle _very_ quickly so I can use them for real work immediately
after restringing, and because they retain their great tone and accurate
intonation longer than other strings I've tried.
I'd like to have some JPs for the electric guitars, too, but I use
different gauges than he offers, .09, .11, .17, .32, .44 and .56, so
I've been using bulk GHSs for the electric stuff.
--
hank sez "You got to get it while you can!"
To order the seven-CD set of "Bohemian R.A.P CD"
see http://www.hoohahrecords.com/rap
A Public Service Announcement from secret mountain
JOHNPEARSE
Glad you like the acoustic strings.
About the difficulty you seem to be having in finding the electric gauges that
you need....why not contact Michelle at the office (1 800 235 3302) or
jpi...@aol.com
and ask her to make up some sets for you from our Single String Selection List?
John Pearse.
hank alrich
Hey, hey, now, John, once I see the end of this little collection of GHS
bulksters I will take you up on that offer. I think I'll save this post
just to show it now and again to folks who tell me Usenet is a
wasteland. If one can avoid the Framii one may stumble upon gold mines.
And thanks very much for the offer. Seriously, I'll have to start trying
to bust some strings on the Ibanez. You know ol' Luke Wilson always
speaks well of you, so I guess he can't be all that bad a guy. <g>