So Who Actually Makes Strings?

[LuvMahogany]

Just curious. I can't imagine that Martin, Gibson, Fender, Seagull, etc. actually manufacturer their own strings. Or do they?

[Bingoccc]

A place called Mapes makes a lot of the wire. Many companies do actually assemble the final product though.

[Bikewer]

I remember reading an article years back that indicated only a few large factories had the automatic string-winding machinery to actually produce the strings, but that they made them to "spec" for the individual companies... This alloy for Martin's, that for another... Much the same as the Chinese do for bicycles.

The unwound strings are industry-produced "music wire" produced in precision gauges by the manufacturers.

However, in the years since, I believe it's the case that several of the big retailers have invested in their own string-winding machinery and do it themselves.

[Archtop Guy]

I've always had the same question. For sure, many of the brands we see are made 'to spec' by somebody else. Acknowledged that the raw wire always comes form some other supplier.

Two companies I know for sure who make their own: D'Addario and GHS.

I'd love to see a definitive list of guitar string factories.

[Riverwolf]

Those would be fun factories to visit.
Years ago a friend took a tour of a factory that made automotive and residential wiring.
He said it was fascinating.

[Silly Moustache]

In the UK I know that Newtone wind their own strings (and happily make custom strings to order).
There is also Rotosound and Picato which I suspect mighty be linked bu cannot find any proof.

It is interesting how secretive this industry is.

I wonder who make Jim Dunlop and John Pearse ?

[Acousticado]

.....and Elixir (Gore)?

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

In the UK I know that Newtone wind their own strings (and happily make custom strings to order).
There is also Rotosound and Picato which I suspect mighty be linked bu cannot find any proof.

It is interesting how secretive this industry is.

I wonder who make Jim Dunlop and John Pearse ?

John Pearse makes their own strings.

So does Everly/Cleartone.

And so does Martin, despite the skepticism expressed earlier in this thread. Martin strings used to be made at their Nazareth, Pennsylvania factory, but production was shifted to Mexico several years ago now.

Other companies that make their own strings include Ernie Ball and LaBella, and over in Europe there's Thomastik-Infeld.


whm

[SFCRetired]

I read that Martin bought the rights to their strings from the company/family? that made d'addrrio strings. And of course D'addario still makes strings. Is that accurate?

[crikey]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Martin strings used to be made at their Nazareth, Pennsylvania factory, but production was shifted to Mexico several years ago now.

This is also what I was told by the guide at my last Martin factory tour.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by SFCRetired

I read that Martin bought the rights to their strings from the company/family? that made d'addrrio strings. And of course D'addario still makes strings. Is that accurate?

No, it's mostly inaccurate - the one accurate statement is that D'Addario still makes strings. D'Addario's family of string brands and accessories (Planet Waves) and Martin's family of guitar and string brands are entirely separate operations from each other, and always have been.


whm

[SFCRetired]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

No, it's mostly inaccurate - the one accurate statement is that D'Addario still makes strings. D'Addario's family of string brands and accessories (Planet Waves) and Martin's family of guitar and string brands are entirely separate operations from each other, and always have been.


whm

I thought it seemed odd when I read it.

[RustyZombie]

A lot of the big names get all their material from Mapes and wind them themselves. And a fewer number of the big names just get their strings from another big name and essentially put their name on it.

Most strings are inexpensive, so I would suggest just finding something you like and not worry so much about the nitty gritty details.

[Treenewt]

Didn't Martin purchase the D'arco (not to be confused with D'addario) brand of strings to get into the business? For some reason that's in the back of my mind.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Treenewt

Didn't Martin purchase the D'arco (not to be confused with D'addario) brand of strings to get into the business? For some reason that's in the back of my mind.

I'm not sure of the history and trajectory of the Darco brand of strings within the larger history of C.F. Martin & Co. I do know that for decades Darco has been the budget brand of strings Martin makes and markets: for about ten or twelve years I was a Martin telemarketing dealer, which meant that I could get strings and accessories like guitar cases at wholesale cost (but not Martin guitars.)

By the time I became a Martin telemarketing dealer I had been an enthusiastic convert to John Pearse strings for a few years, so I didn't get many strings through them - I mainly got guitar cases and various other things I could use. But at the time John Pearse wasn't making a light gauge mandolin string set, and I had (and have) a Gibson Mastertone mandolin-banjo that sounded muffled with mediums.

So at some point I was putting some other order together, and needed a couple of items to finish meeting my minimum order requirement - I think I was only three bucks short and didn't want to spend anymore than I had to - when I saw that there was a set of Darco mandolin strings in the gauges I wanted. So I got a set or two, just to get the other stuff I really wanted on its way to me.

So I got some Darco mandolin strings, and much to my surprise I found that I really liked them on that instrument. So from that point forward I deliberately used Darco strings on it. They lasted a good long time and sounded fine.

I've since switched to John Pearse strings on my mandolin-banjo, because Pearse started making a light gauge mandolin set and because I'm no longer a Martin telemarketing dealer. But based on that personal experience, I can recommend Darco strings as perfectly good strings. There isn't a thing wrong with them.

Well, you asked me the time and I told you how to build a watch. Sorry about that!

Just to show that "you can't always believe what you read," particularly if it's posted on an online guitar forum, I had read here that Martin had sold off their Darco string division to some other company and was no longer making them. But when I Googled "Darco guitar strings," what I found was a link to Martin's website:

https://www.martinguitar.com/compone...stringcategory

By all appearances, Martin still owns and makes the Darco brand. They remain a good quality budget brand of strings. Although Darcos rarely get mentioned in the various discussions we have about guitars strings on this forum, they're certainly worth trying.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller