Accessory Fetish

Most of us probably wonder how the sides of an acoustic guitar are bent to exacting specifications. Or possibly we think about how a block of bronze can be transformed into a bright, shimmering cymbal. We probably don’t ponder the intricacies of the guitar string manufacturing process, though.

For better or worse, it’s not a secret to me. During my first summer away at college in Kalamazoo, MI, my mother gave me an ultimatum to find a job, or I’d have to return home for a summer of mowing the lawn and doing dishes. I really wanted to work in a music store, but none in town were hiring.

After a quick flip through the phone book, I discovered that the Dean Markley string winding factory was in nearby Vicksburg, MI. I spent that summer winding bass strings, day in and day out. Let me tell you, even though I was making guitar strings, the fact that I was repeating the same movements 1,500 times a day, it was no cooler than any other factory job.

So, in addition to being interesting, the video below also gave me a shiver or two!

This video is actually from the Science Channel’s How It’s Made Series. Although it never mentions D’Addario by name, it’s obvious by the colored ball ends and D’Addario tee shirts that their factory was used as the model. I’ve heard that D’Addario has by far the most high-tech guitar string factory in the industry, so I find this video very cool

Check it out:

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