Here’s a video visit to the small Italian workshop where the Aquila folks (of Nylgut fame) show you how they make gut strings. At the end you’ll see a garage full of Nylgut.
The video is part of the Ukulele Safari, in which uke players Bosko and Honey film ukulele players around the world. I want to be Bosko & Honey.
Banjo Meets World 
Thanks for the informative video. Thats some process :)
So that bag he had in the beginning was sausage wrappers? I always thought nylgut was synthetic.
That is so interesting-what an amazing process! What do vegetarian ukelele players use? Answers on a postcard please-and it is April fools day today!mmmmmmmmmm
Bumpditty, I think the bag was sausage wrappers. The video shows how the Aquila people make real gut strings. I think the Nylguts are made somewhere else and stored in the garage.
Just wondering, did you have to change the bridge on your banjo to get the gut strings to fit? I’m thinking of switching but the bridge I have seems a bit snug.
Thanks in advance.
Charles
Charles, the strings I’ve tried so far have fit normal bridges, and I haven’t had to change my nut or tailpiece. But they sound best with a light bridge.
When I first put nylon strings on my banjo, I used a normal bridge, and they fit fine. But they were kind of quiet. Then the banjo’s neck needed a repair, which lowered the action, and I needed a taller bridge. So I researched what kinds of bridges work best for nylon and found this page:
http://www.banjosessions.com/dec08/Hooks.html
I ended up getting a tall maple “minstrel style” bridge that has no ebony inset. It’s this bridge:
http://elderly.com/accessories/items/BA82T.htm
Now the nylon strings have a lot more volume and “pop.”