“I really liked the idea of this thing feeding on spent strings from guitar players everywhere!” how the String Thing made upcycling your guitar strings fun
For the eco-conscious guitar player, guitar strings pose something of a dilemma. They are, by their very nature, a consumable part of the guitar experience, but it certainly doesn’t feel great tossing a combined 20 feet of nickel or bronze-wrapped steel in the trash every time you need to restring.
Now, string brands like D’Addario have tried to create a solution for this, by placing guitar string recycling bins in participating guitar stores. And depending on where you live you may be able to take your strings to where you recycle your scrap metal. Neither of those is exactly what you’d call a friction-free solution however – but what if there was a way you could upcycle your strings into something fun and unique? Well, enter Chicago-based music store, Fret12.
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Fret12 is a music store that sells a curated collection of guitars, pedals and amps of course, but also a bunch of really interesting other things that transcend the usual kinds of guitar store merch. Yes we’re talking t-shirts here, but also button-ups, candles, art, magazines, coffee… and its most famous creation, the String Thing.
The genius of the String Thing is in its simplicity. It is a hefty lump of black plastic shaped roughly like a human being, with 146 pre-drilled holes running through the arms, legs, head and torso.
The idea is that instead of tossing your used strings, you thread them through and around the string thing, over time converting this non-descript fella into your own unique ‘string mummy’. The idea has become a phenomenon – in addition to selling the String Thing itself, Fret12 sells over 30 different String Thing-related products, including t-shirts, art prints and even guitar straps.
It’s all a damn sight more interesting than those companies that turn recycled guitar strings into necklaces and other human-repelling items of jewellery, so we had to catch up with Fret12 main man, Daniel Tremonti (who happens to be the brother of Creed/Alter Bridge guitarist Mark) to find out how this all happened…
Image: Press
Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for the String Thing?
“Several years ago, I was side-stage at a show talking with a tech who was changing strings. He opened the drawer on his road case and there was a stash of neatly coiled used strings. Each had a piece of gaffer tape labeled with a city and a date – he collected them as mementos from the tour.
“I thought it was cool he didn’t just send them to the landfill, and that they were great collectibles. He gave me a batch, which ended up in my own junk drawer. Some time later, I decided to mummify a random action figure, and the String Thing was born. I really liked the idea of this thing feeding on spent strings from guitar players everywhere – the living dead of guitar strings. It became the mascot for Fret12.”
Image: Press
It’s obviously a fun thing to do, but there’s a sustainability element to it, right?
“I am really into adaptive reuse and upcycling for a couple of reasons: it’s responsible handling of waste, and there’s no substitute for the authentic patina and history of a used item.
“I’ve wrapped a lot of things in strings, from skulls to hands, to photograph for my designs, but nothing captures the magic as much for me as the initial shot of the original String Thing in that mummy stance – that was what I wanted to try to capture if I could figure out how to make it a product.
“Depending on how often you change your strings, it could take a little bit to fully wrap the character, so I wanted to make sure the underlying character looked just as striking with one set of strings or 10. And it had to capture that original pose.”
Image: Press
At what point did you realise that it was something people would want to own themselves?
“People have always gotten a kick out of the String Thing visual and it has been successful across our clothing and content. I knew that if I could figure out how to enable people to wrap their own, there would be a segment of the guitar playing audience that would appreciate and get a kick out of it.
“We’ve had conversations with some big folks in the gear space who have made comments like, ‘this is something every guitar player should own’, so that has been encouraging. We also did a String Thing pedal collaboration with Earthquaker Devices recently that was a hit. We’ve gotten some pretty good traction, and I would say we are just getting to that point where enough people have discovered the String Thing and a real buzz is building.”
Has it been surreal seeing people all over the world upcycle their strings with the String Thing?
“It has, especially because each one is completely unique and you can tell when someone has put some real time and thought into their creation. I really want to see people go wild with it as the army of String Things grows.”
Image: Press
There are so many lame-ass ways to upcycle strings – this is fun, but it still has that sense of preserving a moment in time…
“Absolutely, when I saw those used strings in the tech’s road case, it was the first time I had seen someone making a conscious effort to handle the waste responsibly. I hadn’t really considered it before that, but it got me thinking. There isn’t a lot of research available out there to give us precise figures on how many strings end up in landfills, but there are a lot of strings going in the bin, and hopefully String Thing can play a part in reducing that. Think twice before you pitch those dead strings, or the String Thing cometh!”
The String Thing character has captured the guitar public’s imagination like it has?
“It’s out of left field, and people like disruptive things. I think a lot of the merchandise and accessory graphics used in the guitar space are really on the nose. If you see me design a tee with a winged skull guitar on it, it’s time for me to hang it up. The String Thing is mysterious and a bit of an inside thing for the guitar community. I often wonder what non-guitar players think it’s wrapped with. Do they know it’s guitar strings? We did a String Thing beer collab with Hop Butcher Brewery here in Chicago and it didn’t dawn on me until I saw it in the store that people may have no idea what it is. The guitar space at large doesn’t have a mascot, other than ones tied to manufacturers. Maybe the String Thing can fill that role.”
Image: Press
It doesn’t hurt that the String Thing came from a brand that has such a strong identity as a creative and unique music store, how did that all happen?
“I have had a unique perspective living and working in the music space and most people experience only a small fraction of what it takes to make music, be a great musician and entertainer, and thrive in the music business.
“I’ve always been energized by the behind the scenes and the nomadic nature of music – raw rehearsal spaces, tour buses, road crews, gear, green rooms, and sound checks. I wanted to peel back the curtain on touring and recording musicians and create better access for fans and musicians, while creating products that capture the patina and raw nature of musicianship and touring.
“A community formed that really enjoyed the connection we gave them with the artists through the content we made, but also appreciated what we were doing and the connection with each other. It became less artist-centric and more focused around the shared love of live music and guitar. The folks who have been with us since the beginning are the Army of 12 – you know who you are!”
It definitely feels like a club you want to be a member of…
“Our favorite explanation of Fret12 that we heard from one of our supporters is ‘it’s like a back alley entrance into the music scene.’ At our core, we are huge supporters of live music and guitar, and we promote both every day.
“We create content and experiences that provide that insider access, sell a curated selection of high-quality gear, and handcrafted products to express your love of music in everyday life – art, clothing, and home goods.
“The String Thing is one of those out of left field products, and we’re always trying to come up with designs, products, and experiences that people aren’t expecting to keep things fun and engaging. In this case, the product helps solve a problem through upcycling and it makes people think differently about their strings – these are a testament to your hard work and commitment to guitar. And it’s a great conversation starter!”
Find out more about the String Thing at fret12.com
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