Speaking of strings.... There's a very funny (if rather local) murder ballad doing the rounds in Ireland these days, written by Tim Lyons. The murder weapon is a Black Diamond banjo string. The investigating Guard (police officer) is heard to remark:

We have reasonable suspicion foul play is involved here
For we found his body floating at the bottom of the lake
And those marks around his windpipe, a blunt instrument did make!"

The tune, incidentally, is "The Flower of Sweet Strabane".

Regards