A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

Anyone involved in any sort of outdoor activities is likely well aware (and thankful for) Gore-Tex.
For those who have no idea what Gore-Tex is, it is a strong, lightweight fabric that is both waterproof AND breathes.
I was over on the BBC News website a little while ago and noticed an obit for the inventor of Gore-Tex.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54224405

While reading the obit, I noticed that Gore-Tex is used in guitar strings?!?!?!?
Maybe I'm a bit dense, but why would they use Gore-Tex in guitar strings????????????????????
Any ideas?

A quick Goolag search returned a few first links to Elixir. That should maybe provide enough to extrapolate

I saw that yesterday. The man definitely impacted a LOT of people.

I used to vaguely know one of his relatives, socially, at a workplace in the late 80s.
Company was leader in micro-filtration, same field as Gore (G-T, I believe stops particles of a certain size, but let others through?)

There was an air of quiet wealth to him, pretty low-key, interesting conversation.

Strings: it would be interesting to know what style of strings use this type of coating, and what it does- could be a manufacturing secret though.

Sad to hear.

My last home in Pennsylvania was 20 minutes from Gore facilities and many friends and neighbors worked there. One guy in our Boy Scout troop was high up in the company and said it is based in a special polymer they discovered and have copyrighted and trademarked. Since it is extremely elastic their second discovery was, that it could be tightly woven in a way that it keeps moisture out, lets air in and wicks moisture out (of a shoe or sock, for instance).

And yes - string coatings. In the 70's a few string companies tried Urethane and Nylon coatings. I recall a bass string brand that used shrink-wrap over round-wounds, in an attempt to keep the round-wound sound and add the flat-wound feel. Both attempts failed, because the coatings dampened the tone and broke off quickly. Gore-tex has less of a dampening and goes a long time before flaking off.

I am pretty certain most coated strings today are Gore-tex.

Waterproof and breaths? Certainly you speak of witchcraft and strings of stan.

Or was that satan.

I don't know about guitar strings, but one of my friends had ACL.knee reconcruction surgery many years ago and there was Gore-Tex involved in what they left behind.

And I definitely remember the days when Gore-Tex was first commercially available in consumer products - I worked at a sporting goods shop and we sold North Face equimpent. They had mouintaineering/oudoor coats and pants made out of it and it was pretty revolutionary stuff at the time. Back then it was an exposed laminate on the inside of the coats, and it would flake off just like the string example after a few years. Now most garments have it lamintated internally so you don't have that problem.

nomadh wrote: ↑Mon Sep 21, 2020 4:04 pm Or was that satan.

I was lucky enough to get a free set of elixirs to test. I noticed they came with some packaging that indicated the parent company's ownership: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._L._Gore_and_Associates

I like Elixirs, but always bought cheap strings on sale at GC. I might go for Elixirs next time.

For those in the Military not all that long ago, we had Gore Tex jackets and pants... kept you pretty warm and didnt make you sweat all that much. Very expensive stuff if you lost it or someone stole it and you had to pay for it when you had to turn your issued stuff back in.

I recall at the old AGF we called Elixir strings "pre-deadened". I tried them once and didn't enjoy the shreds of plastic that were all over them as they wore. I thought the better idea were the strings where the wrap wire was coated before being wrapped around the core. I used those to put on a guitar that I know will need to stay "fresh" a long time (being played on and off). I prefer uncoated strings for when I actually play often and don't mind changing them when it's due.

Gear_Junky wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:10 pm I recall at the old AGF we called Elixir strings "pre-deadened". I tried them once and didn't enjoy the shreds of plastic that were all over them as they wore. I thought the better idea were the strings where the wrap wire was coated before being wrapped around the core. I used those to put on a guitar that I know will need to stay "fresh" a long time (being played on and off). I prefer uncoated strings for when I actually play often and don't mind changing them when it's due.

I remember well calling them "pre-deadened" but will say to try them again as they have improved since then.

mickey wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:15 pm I remember well calling them "pre-deadened" but will say to try them again as they have improved since then.

Acoustic, electric or both?

Acoustic.

Probably electric too, but I have no experience with them.

I am very partial to Martin strings for some reason. Specifically the SP series, where the cores and unwounds are brass-plated. Something about that. They have a coated version of those and it's also good. And I tend to use D'Addarios for electrics. I can always be convinced to try things when they are on sale.

I like elixirs, but I often don't like the sound of brand new strings. I wouldn't call them deadened, but they definitely don't sound like fresh cheap strings I use.

I haven't yet had the issues one person described with flaking plastic. It might be how I pick, or the size of the pick I use?

golem wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:55 pm I haven't yet had the issues one person described with flaking plastic. It might be how I pick, or the size of the pick I use?

That was me (and a long time ago, like 20 years) and they were flaking not where I picked, but at every fret where they came into contact.