Being green: Sustainable string playing

There are so many ways today for people to do their bit for the planet, whether it’s flying less frequently, avoiding single-use plastics, switching to greener energy, or striving to repair, reuse or recycle. But when string players think about the environment and sustainability, do they consider the tools of their trade? Regular readers of The Strad will know of the threats to some of the exotic hardwoods traditionally used in instrument fittings and bows. Pernambuco and rosewood are both subject to regulation by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Ebony from Madagascar is also CITES-protected, and overharvesting and illegal logging may lead to other ebony species facing restrictions in the future.

Luthiers and accessories makers have responded with a suite of alternative, more sustainable materials, from common woods like beech and spruce that have been modified to increase their density and hardness, to compressed paper and natural fibre-based composites. As for endangered fauna, there are CITES trade bans on ivory and on tortoiseshell, once ubiquitous on the finest bows. For vegan players and those concerned with animal welfare, there are synthetic or metal alternatives to ivory or mastodon ivory bow tips, faux-leather substitutes for leather or lizard-skin thumb grips, and synthetic bow hair can be used instead of horsehair.

‘If a musician asks about fingerboards, it would help if the maker could offer one in an alternative material’ – Olivier Pérot

With any switch from a traditional material, there can be concerns about having to make compromises. Will it sound or feel as good? Will it be as durable? Will it look different? And how much more will it cost? Accessories manufacturers are sensitive to such concerns, and are pushing to develop sustainable products that satisfy players’ demands for tonal quality, responsiveness, handling and reliability, while not straying too far from aesthetic conventions. The technologies behind materials such as modified or densified woods are, however, not yet at the production scale to enable these products to compete on price with a wood like ebony. Another issue is that some alternative materials carry their own environmental cost. So someone choosing a carbon-fibre bow over a pernambuco one may not be aware how energy-intensive carbon fibre is to produce. Similarly, replacing natural materials such as horsehair, which is a by-product of the slaughter industry, with synthetic substitutes can contribute to more non-biodegradable material impacting on the planet…