Should I pretension my strings?

Gut strings are instable. For this reason, they were previously and sometimes still are pretensioned on a pretensioning jack weeks before their actual use. This means that the strings are already pitch-stable when they are played for the first time. However, the sound colors and overtones are lost and the strings sound dull. If strings are changed, the instrument with new strings on should be played shortly thereafter. The reason for this is simple: strings need vibration after being strung. When they are stretched, the outer materials suffocate the core due to the stretching and this is loosened by playing the instrument. If you string the instrument and then store it unplayed for several weeks (or leave the strings unplayed on the pretensioning jack), the tension, the pressure and the lack of vibration lead to considerable loss in sound, which is irreversible. Our synthetic core strings are developed so that pretensioning is not necessary at all.

 

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