About Cordedrago Music Strings
Cordedrago produces natural lamb gut strings in a strictly artisan manner, according to traditional methods and raw materials, thanks to an in-depth analysis of ancient documents and continuous direct experimentation.
Near Bologna, you will find the workshop of Davide Longhi, where he manufactures strings for his company CORDE DRAGO.
On the Corde Drago website, you can find a wealth of information about the historical background of string manufacturing, especially regarding the characteristics of different string categories. Excerpts of the descriptions for each corresponding category can be accessed directly through links here in the shop by clicking on them.
All strings are offered in lengths of 120cm, 140cm, and 180cm.
Within the minimum and maximum available string diameters, each string can be ordered in any desired diameter. For simplicity, the available diameters are given in sensible steps from 2 to 10 hundredths of a millimeter. If intermediate sizes are needed, please specify when ordering or by email.
Our goal is to have the most extensive range of strings in stock and readily available for immediate delivery. However, it is not possible to keep all sizes and specifications ready at all times.
The delivery times for strings not in stock can vary between one and four weeks. Strings with a larger diameter may require more time if they need to be freshly made.
Strings react to temperature and humidity. Therefore, it is normal to expect the diameter of a string to undergo slight changes depending on the environment.
Here is an overview:
In der Nähe von Bologna befindet sich die Werkstatt von Davide Longhi, in der er für seine Firma CORDE DRAGO Saiten herstellt.
Auf der Internetseite von Corde Drago finden sich viele und gute Informationen zu den historischen Hintergründen der Saitenherstellung und vor allem zu den Eigenschaften der verschiedenen Saiten-Kategorien.
Auszüge der Beschreibungen finden sich jeweils bei der entsprechenden Kategorie hier im Shop, die hier direkt per Link durch anklicken aufgerufen werden kann.
Alle Saiten werden in den Längen von 120cm, 140cm und 180cm angeboten.
Innerhalb der minimal und maximal erhältlichen Saitendurchmesser kann jede Saite in jedem beliebigen Durchmesser bestellt werden. Der Einfachheit halber sind die erhältlichen Durchmesser in sinnvollen Schritten von 2 bis 10 hundertstel Millimetern angegeben. Werden Zwischengrössen benötigt, bitte bei der Bestellung oder per Mail angeben.
Es ist unser Ziel, ein möglichst umfangreiches Sortiment an Saiten auf Lager und damit sofort lieferbar zu haben. Jedoch ist es nicht möglich, wirklich alle Grössen und Spezifikationen bereit zu halten.
Die Lieferzeiten von Saiten, die nicht auf Lager vorhanden sind, können zwischen einer und vier Wochen variieren. Saiten mit grossem Durchmesser benötigen dabei ggf. mehr Zeit falls sie frisch angefertigt werden müssen.
Saiten reagieren auf Temperatur und Feuchtigkeit. Daher ist es als normal anzusehen, dass der Durchmesser einer Saite je nach Umgebung leichten Veränderungen unterliegt.
Hier eine Übersicht:
- Ritorte di Salle – Ø 0.30-0.73 mm
- Cantini di Napoli – Ø 0.50-1.69 mm
- Cordoncini di Roma – Ø 1.00-4.20 mm
- Cordoni di Roma – Ø 1.40-6.40 mm
- Cordoni Cortedrago – Ø 1.60-6.40 mm
- Appesantite in Rame – Ø 1.10-5.59 mm
The Ritorte di Salle are in fact strings of remarkable acoustic quality, but above all of exceptional resistance, being able to withstand the instrument even for months without breaking.
Salle twists are gut strings of excellent quality, both in terms of acoustics and extraordinary tensile strength, which make it a valid alternative to lamb, especially for first strings and for instruments with strong stress for all strings such as harps.
They are available only for thin and medium gauges (max 82), and have the advantage of an excellent quality / price ratio.
The Cantini di Napoli are strings of extraordinary acoustic performance for the treble and medium register, characterized by a rich and expressive sound.
The Cordoncini of Rome are strings in lamb or kid whole gut uncut, made – as prescribed by historical sources – with the same technique as those of hemp, that is by twisting three strands made individually by two or more pre-twisted guts in the opposite direction.
The aim is to obtain the maximum elasticity and softness in the medium and bass register, which – if made with simple twisted gut – due to the thickness tend to become rigid and consequently lose the upper harmonics, becoming substantially aphonic and percussive.
… intended for the bass of musical instruments.
… intended for the bass of musical instruments
… loaded strings for bass register, especially for plucked instruments, but also for bowed instruments
Red Pistoys, Demi-filée and Minikins
Actually out of production
Corde Drago – Silver Wound Strings
The production of Silver Wound strings is temporarily suspended, except for the Sol of violin and viola.
The invention of the silver wound strings on a gut core seems to date back to 1659 to the work of such a Goretsky, but this discovery has only spread publicly with the Treaty for viola da gamba of John Playford in 1664, and in any case one must not think that it had immediate and general use, because, for example, the Sol of the violin still appears in whole gut in some representations of the first half of the 700, despite its first iconographic attestation in Italy dating back to 1685.
The Cordedrago wound strings are made with a natural gut gut or a non-twisted silk covered with a silver thread.
Cordedrago uses a winding machine specifically designed to reproduce the original technique with a counterweight, which allows the string to be wound at the same tension of use on the instrument: this means that, when the string is mounted, the core does not lose its grip with the coating in silver becoming thinner due to tension and consequently not „frying“ and is more stable to tuning.
Great attention is then paid to the materials used, which are strictly traditional ones, such as natural lamb’s gut and silk (instead of nylon, used by some string makers even for „historic“ strings, but recognizable because when burned it makes a plastic ball brown), and dosed as a percentage between the core and the metallic coating on the basis of a rigorous comparison with the data provided by ancient sources: all this to guarantee the performer the authentic sound of the original mount.
They are particularly suitable for Baroque violin, Viola, Cello, Baroque bass, Lute, archlute, chitarrone or theorbo and baroque guitar, Romantic guitar.