Aquila Strings - Vicenza, Italy - Factory Tour - Bosko & Honey's UKULELE SAFARI 2008

[SoCalOski]

Very nice! Not only that Aquila still (basically) makes the strings by hand, but how welcoming and friendly Mimmo and Daniela are.

Thanks for sharing this!

[dagatagad]

I am in awe with how passionate Mimmo and Daniela are with their craft, almost giving away trade secrets in their eagerness to share.

Still a beginner, but I will insist on Aquila strings at the first opportunity. Thanks for the video.

[narutoancillus]

i tought aquila strings were made synthetic and not from animal products?!

can someone help ?

[sotexuke]

Absolutely amazing craftsmen & women who keep us playing. thanks for the great video...

[99AJN]

One of Mimo's machines was manufacured in the 19th century. He found it in a barn "down the road apiece." Mimo is surely the world's greatest expert on musical strings.

[aussietamburas]

The string winding machine is called a lathe I think? It's the machine that starts at 4:40. Does anyone know the correct name for this machine? and where to purchase it? I am thinking it might have a english/german or italian name? Thanks

[aussietamburas]

This is awesome! does anyone know what the machine is called that windes the strings? thanks

[thebroadarrow]

good vid,,,TA,,,

[bapechiqa]

Wonderful{:

[removedapproval]

Your strings are on my Ukulele, I work in a music store and now having seen this vid I will recommend no other:)

[horssujet21]

I really enjoyed watching this video. Thanks !

[ernststolz]

Very good strings for the viola da gamba and I am waitng for their rosin too now

[fo76]

Aquila strings are great indeed... nice to see that it's a small, privately operated business.

[pigd1666]

Why so uptight about the pronunciation of an instrument? Just play the goddamn thing!

[docbowes]

a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

[bunnydrumming]

wow - really interesting video

[datzsteezy]

amazing! thats's quality for you. great video. =)

[emgcarra]

That´s art !. Thanks.

[marcelvark]

This is amazing material, but also brilliantly produced... You guys are artists, in any way.

[assa123assa123]

amazing! what fine artisans of their trade!

thanks for sharing

[UkuleleBoi671]

wow

[TheFilipinoukulele]

i dont get it are aquilas made of meat

[kingcollie]

intestines

[01herman]

Interesting! nice to show us!

[davec432]

Wow, very interesting video. Thanks!

[MrMarkzimmer]

Yea I know what you mean. They are so hard to play with I used to use them at my concerts. I heard their violin cords are great, but they need to work on their customer service. I have friends that are still waiting on orders made months ago. Good video coverage.

[asalistics]

yes nice but i heard aquila strings are hard for ukulele , like the are hard for fingers

[epiphone2death]

best soprano uke strings ever

[Shevayeb]

thats just beautiful, so much passion into making strings and giving a quality product. im gonna have to try nylgut one day :)

[StrumingSally]

Wow! Excellent coverage of great string makers.

[powerenzer]

MA CHE BRAVI STI ITALIANI!

:-)

[megadeth22885]

i think im going to try these on a classical guitar.. and a cello

[mustardboy2]

I love playing the Nylgut strings. This is a wonderful video. I wouldn't have imagined it was such a 'down home' factory. Thanks.

[verrecchia805]

Awesome!!!! Thank you for that. What sweet people and how fun to see your visit.

[wininboy]

That was great!

I visited Aquila myself some 6 or 7 years ago, so this really was a trip down memory lane. People at Aquila are all very friendly, very inviting and it was wonderful to meet Daniela at our second BUF (Belgian Uke Fest) last May.

Eviva Aquila!!!

And thank you, B&H!

[jeccmatrix]

Great strings come from happy cats. Happy cats come from Italy. Until they're slaughtered and gutted to make beautiful music! Buonissimo!

[Tarjuton]

Where does the gut come from.... I don't see any cats.

[llx2o1]

that explain why Aquila cost more than others. its definitely worth the money. and wow, its hot but hail when it rain.. amazing.

[boskohoney]

The storm was very exciting! Glad you liked the video, thanks!

[kotiaho]

This was just GREAT! What a mind opener, I never knew somebody actually made the strings like that. Love the real old fashion methods.

[boskohoney]

Thanks Ville, it was news to us too!

love,

b and h

[ryanjerusalem]

This was a really cool video. I never realized how much work, care, and history goes into string-making. Makes me appreciate the Aquilla strings I use on my uke much more. :)

[boskohoney]

Thank you - we're glad you found it interesting!

[yannigk]

@ryanjerusalem me too~ i didn't know there had to be so much work done into my little uke strings~~ how lovely the sounds they make.. i guess it comes from the heart of their hardwork and dedication!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Fascinating look into the world of strings. Thanks!

[boskohoney]

It really opened our eyes...

You're welcome!

[AUDREYLIGHTING]

I was surprised! I made a studio look good. Perhaps I think like a rare thing.

[boskohoney]

Hi Yoshimura-san!

Can't understand your English there, but thanks anyway!!

[netwitted]

Nice to get the history behind the

aquila strings that I use on my tenor. Before this I thought the uke strings were glorified fish line.!

thanks again guys Earl Ledden

[boskohoney]

Cheers, Earl!

[LittleUkuleleMonster]

i loved it, i love you guys,, your great!

[boskohoney]

Thank you!!

[ChrisBakerGuitar]

Wonderfully informative video! I had no idea about the rich history and tradition of string making. I love Nylguts and use them on my uke!

[boskohoney]

We're glad you got something out of it, thank you!

[KamakaTexas]

I have a greater respect and appreciation for strings now.

"You hear different sounds.... Strings are life."

[boskohoney]

Haha, we're glad you caught that bit!

[dagada]

A lovely and most interesting film - Many thanks for this.

[boskohoney]

It's our pleasure - thanks, we're glad you liked it!

[ukuleletim]

Wow. I had no idea..

[boskohoney]

Neither did we!

[jamestoo]

Fantastic! A brilliant insight into wonderful strings, good luck to them!

And many thanks for the video, it's always nice to see exactly where things come from and how they are made.

[boskohoney]

You're welcome!

[TrowaRF]

Wow, how lucky! I just heard that you guys joined the Ukulele Underground, and this video pops up in my "recommended for you" box!

And what a tour! Thanks for sharing it!

[boskohoney]

Cheers, Vince - it's our pleasure!

[uking]

thanks dear B&H!

[boskohoney]

Avec plaisir!

[TheRealMrUku]

Thanks guys, that was really interesting.

[boskohoney]

You're welcome!

[Mardet14]

Nice video, really informative. It is always interesting to see how something that seems so ordinary (and useful) is made. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[boskohoney]

Nice to hear from you again...

Thank you, it's our pleasure!

[Haart911]

excellent video ... thanks so much for sharing

[boskohoney]

Thank you very much, you're most welcome!

[krouk]

One more pleasure you share with us. So interesting. Thanks a lot B&H.

[boskohoney]

M. Krouk, how nice to hear from you!

We're very glad you enjoyed it, and you are most welcome!

[4DJB25]

What a fascinating video. Thanks for making the trip for all of us!

[boskohoney]

Hey DJB!

Thank you - it was our pleasure!

[fabiokoryu]

Great! As usual... Love to everybody!!!

[boskohoney]

Everybody loves YOU, Fabio!

Grazie mille!

[classicbanjoRM]

Aquila are the finest string makers in the world - and not just their Nylgut. I also use their gut strings.

Really fun video!

Rob

[boskohoney]

Wow, Rob!

You're everywhere playing everything!

Love the classic banjo!

Are you using gut strings on those videos?

[classicbanjoRM]

I'm using Nylgut! I have asked Mimmo to design a gut set...looking forward to that.

The classic banjo is a joy to play. You can still pick up originals at a low price. My instrument is from 1890, Boston - for the price of uke.

Keep the videos coming!

[boskohoney]

Very interesting!

Love the gentle warm pluckiness... those instruments mightn't be inexpensive for much longer once people hear your playing!

Thanks, and yes there's plenty more videos to come...

[hoosierhiver]

Very cool video. Nice to see Mimmo and Daniela working.

[boskohoney]

Thanks!

[UKISOCIETY]

Wow. Those strings should cost a hundred dollars apiece! Thanks for this!!!

And I want that doggie!

[boskohoney]

We want the cat!

You're welcome, and those strings are worth every penny!

[fourteentwelve]

Thank you for sharing this! It's really cool to see how they are made. Great video!

[boskohoney]

Thank you - it's our pleasure!

[pacodegarcia]

That was so cool guys.. loved the historical part at the end, really interesting:)

[boskohoney]

G'day Nige - glad you liked it!

[2ylite808]

wow! so cool to learn about this! they seem like very nice people! thank you so much for sharing!

[boskohoney]

You're welcome Harry - and yes they are really lovely people! Glad you liked it!

[bossasuz]

What a great vid...thanks for documenting this rare process. It's good to see that hand-craftsmanship is still treasured. Love your films...all are entertaining and well done.

[boskohoney]

Thank you very much Suz, we're glad you're enjoying the series!

[Bilbone]

Interesting to see the factory where the strings on my uke are made. What a lot of thought and effort goes into them!

[boskohoney]

That was what we thought too!

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

One of your most interesting videos to date. Really fascinating. Thanks so much.

KEN

[boskohoney]

Thanks so much Ken - it was such a whirlwind: the day after the festival and a storm brewing, everyone excited and tired - we're really pleased the footage turned out so well - it made it a pleasure to edit!

The only difficulty was keeping so much interesting stuff under 10 minutes!

[bnc98765]

Its amazing the skill that is actually involved in hand winding a string.

[boskohoney]

That's what we thought!

[floydbluethereal]

Wow! I'm really impressed. It's a fascinating insight.

[boskohoney]

Glad you liked it!

[GrumpyCoyoteTunes]

Just fantastic... Nylgut strings make me happy, and to see where they (and their gut kin) come from was amazing.

Great company and they look like wonderful people. Thanks for that you two!

[boskohoney]

You're welcome!

They really are lovely (and hard-working!) people...

[zeppmusic]

Mimmo, I love your strings! What a tremendous effort!

[boskohoney]

Thanks for watching!

[BoyBeamish]

It's really interesting to see how these strings are made, and that it's essentially a kind of family operation. There is clearly a lot of pride in what they do. No wonder that their strings are so good!

The video was lovely. The very handsome dog, and hammy cat were nice touches, too. Thanks very much!

[boskohoney]

Haha, thanks very much!

Love the "hammy cat"!

Mimmo and Daniela are lovely people, and were very kind and generous to us (and yes - their strings are excellent!)

[keonepax]

Fascinating, lovely video.

I always forget, Akweela or Akwyla!

[boskohoney]

Thanks Keonepax - but don't ask us about how to say "Aquila" - Bosko does a wonderful job of mispronouncing his way around the world!

[g0dkarma1]

Wow, that was great! Thanks for making such an informational video. So dedicated and detailed in all your work. And it looks you are having fun doing it.

[boskohoney]

Thanks very much!

[swingbossa]

Great video; what a good idea to take advantage of a factory tour! I had no idea that all the Italian stringmakers came from the same place.

I've never used actual gut strings, but now I'm interested to try just to see. The Nylgut are really good; much better than standard nylon.

I know that "early music" players of all stringed instruments like to use gut strings, so I'm sure those go on many different instruments, like cello, viola da gamba, etc, as well as lutes!

[boskohoney]

Thanks Swingbossa,

Mimmo and Daniela have basically revived a dying art, and have extensively documented the history and process of string-making... they told us many fascinating stories.

[russbuss415]

that was a fascinating tour. i love that they use such a hands on approach to string making. very cool stuff B&H!

[boskohoney]

It was really interesting - hard to fit it all in one episode though, and we had to leave out a lot!

Thanks Russ (loved your collaboration with Keonepax by the way!)

[russbuss415]

thank you!

[lukuleles]

wow, it's not everyday you get to see the people who make your strings.

[boskohoney]

That's true - it was amazing really - we were very lucky to meet them!

[kaburto1966]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this enthusiastic, informative and fun tour.

[boskohoney]

"Gutsy" is how I'd describe it! ;)

Thanks!

- Bosko

[kaburto1966]

XD  You're too much!

[deach69]

Very cool. I had no idea how much work was involved. Thanks for sharing this.

[boskohoney]

You're welcome Deach... They seem to enjoy their work!

[wwelti]

Great documentation! Thanks a lot! ... Interesting to hear: There are polished nylgut strings as well?

[boskohoney]

Thanks wwelti... yes, Mimmo said he polishes them for "early music" - I guess he means for Lutes etc...

[BaronK69]

Very interesting vid!

[boskohoney]

Cheers, Mr. Baron!

[funkyyeti]

Very Cool. I'm going to go orders some of these....

[boskohoney]

Thanks Brian!