Spider silk spun into violin strings It’s a technology fit for It-silk Perlman. Japanese scientists have succeeded in harvesting spider silk for violin strings. Could they be an improvement on the gut and nylon used today? Dr Osaki used 300 female Nephila maculata spiders - one of the species of “golden orb-weavers” renowned for their complex webs - to provide the dragline silk. For each string, Dr Osaki twisted between 3,000 and 5,000 individual strands of silk in one direction to form a bundle. The strings were then prepared from three of these bundles twisted together in the opposite direction. Manyplayers reported that the spider strings had improved tone and a warmer feel. No word on how they plan to get the flies out of their violins. Visit the link above to hear a sample of the new strings! (ᔥ BBC News, image via Inkfinger)
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Spider silk spun into violin strings

It’s a technology fit for It-silk Perlman. Japanese scientists have succeeded in harvesting spider silk for violin strings. Could they be an improvement on the gut and nylon used today?

Dr Osaki used 300 female Nephila maculata spiders - one of the species of “golden orb-weavers” renowned for their complex webs - to provide the dragline silk.

For each string, Dr Osaki twisted between 3,000 and 5,000 individual strands of silk in one direction to form a bundle. The strings were then prepared from three of these bundles twisted together in the opposite direction.

Manyplayers reported that the spider strings had improved tone and a warmer feel. No word on how they plan to get the flies out of their violins. Visit the link above to hear a sample of the new strings!

(ᔥ BBC News, image via Inkfinger)

Source: BBC