tomberghan - Posted - 04/18/2010:  07:37:38

I have been friends with Mimmo Peruffo for many years, but this was the first time I was able to visit his home and string factory in Vicenza Italy.

Mimmo has invented many different types of materials for musical strings over the years including NylGut, which is very popular with many banjoists. He also makes some of the finest gut musical strings in the world. In addition to being a chemist, researcher, and string-maker, Mimmo is a very fine musician! He plays lute, ukelele, guitar, and double bass.

Mimmo had never actually seen clawhammer played. He was previously unaware of the technique. When I played for him his eyes became very wide. He loved it. He asked “Where does this come from?” “From Africa” I said. He was extremely impressed with the down-stroke and clawhammer.

Mimmo is also an expert on historical and ancient musical strings. He was the person who rediscovered the process of “loading” gut with metal salts. (This is a HUGE deal for lute players) Loaded gut was used for bass strings for many old instruments in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Mimmo told me it took him 24 years of research to figure out the puzzle.

Mimmo studied with an old Master to learn the art of string making. Here is Mimmo sitting on his old master’s winding-horse for gut. It was a gift to Mimmo.




For more pictures of Mimmo at his Aquila Corde factory, go to: banjohangout.org/myhangout/pho...umid=4436

For Mimmo's WEB site go to:
aquilacorde.com/

Edited by - tomberghan on 04/18/2010 07:42:41

mralston - Posted - 04/18/2010:  07:44:27

Tom - nice post, I envy your visit to Corde Armoniche ! ! Here's a YouTube clip made by a ukulele-phile....

youtube.com/watch?v=2_Cwe_pz0Uo

trapdoor2 - Posted - 04/18/2010:  09:02:53

How cool is that? If I ever get to Italy, that's one spot I would love to visit. I'm envious!!

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 04/18/2010:  09:51:20

Deeply cool!

KE - Posted - 04/18/2010:  11:02:58

This makes me appreciate my strings that much more. Thanks Mimmo! Thanks, Tom!

dbrooks - Posted - 04/18/2010:  18:53:20

Thanks for this great post, Tom. I tried several samples of unwound 4th strings for Mimmo acouple of years ago. He was great to communicate with. I felt privileged to participate and give him some feedback. I appreciate the photo of Mimmo and the links.

David

strokestyle - Posted - 04/22/2010:  09:54:11

Great post! Thanks so much!

bblizard - Posted - 04/22/2010:  10:25:53

Loved those photos. Thanks for posting.