Why is silk used in guitar strings?
Silk was one of the earlier materials used for the guitar. It has been used almost as long as cat-gut. Silk is still used today for the wrapped strings in classical string sets. Earlier wrapped strings used a thin metal wire wound around cat-gut. Silk became a more popular alternative during the second World War as gut was being used for surgery thread, and created a market shortage. String makers began using silk threads as an alternative core for wound strings. The silk core also produces a brighter tone than the cat-gut wrapped strings.
