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A Japanese materials scientist has created a set of violin strings from thousands of individual strands of spider silk spun together.

Shigeyoshi Osaki wanted to investigate the mechnical properties of the silk, and specifically the way that it can be packed together, leaving almost no space between the strands. The resulting strings apparently have a "soft and profound timbre".

Osaki's method uses the silk of 300 female nephila maculata spiders, which are a type of golden orb-weaver known for their impressive weaving ability. Between 3,000 and 5,000 individual strands of the silk were twisted together to form a bundle, and then three of those bundles were twisted together in the opposite direction to form a string.

By studying a cross-section of the string under an electron microscope, Osaki found that the individual strands had compressed together into a single continuous solid with no gaps between them. He suggested that it's this feature that lends the strings their unique tone.

It may also provide strength. In tensile tests, Osaki ascertained that the silk strings can withstand rather more tension before breaking than an aluminium-coated nylon core string, of the sort found on most violins. However, they were less resilient than a traditional gut string.


His research will be published in Physical Review Letters.


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