Until well into the 20th century, gut strings were the primary kind of strings used in European string instruments, whereas nowadays they are most commonly used in performances of historical music. This development took place because steel strings and then eventually synthetic-core strings improved their musical properties dramatically from the 1920s onward, and they are often preferred due to their greater durability. Furthermore, the manufacturing process for gut strings is very complex and entails a complicated procedure involving actual animal intestines, usually from sheep.
