Breaking Slinky Strings

chjohnst · #1 01-11-2009, 01:17 PM

I have been through two sets of Slinkys in two different basses, are these strings known for breaking? I have a set of DRs on another 4 string bass that I beat the snot out of and they seem to hold up just fine. Am I stringing them up wrong, I make sure they always straight and not twisted and I am extremely careful when tuning them up (I spend alot of time making sure they are put on carefully). They always break near the bridge.

Mind you I play my bass pretty aggresively, but I get about 2-4 weeks out of my strings before I pop one of them. Its getting to be expensive.

thetawaves · #2 01-11-2009, 01:28 PM

Ironically enough I got a breakage on a set of DRs, go figure!

And it was near the bridge...but I had an old tech teacher who made the very good point that you can end up getting some abrasive area on the bridge from the constant resonance of the string. So his advice was get a soft graphite pencil and leave a good coat of 'lead' on any contact areas between the string and the bridge. A bit of solid lubrication if you will.

Haven't had any breakages since, and I can't see a wee bit of graphite coating doing anything any damage if it doesn't work.

debassr · #3 01-11-2009, 01:34 PM

I've never broken a EB string and they last for a very long time (years) for me at least. Are your bridge saddle grooves very sharp or something?

chjohnst · #4 01-11-2009, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debassr

I've never broken a EB string and they last for a very long time (years) for me at least. Are your bridge saddle grooves very sharp or something?

Nope, I just pluck really hard when im slapping. It could be a bit of my technique causing them to break. But when im in the groove I cant help myself to get aggresive.

I checked my bridge and its smooth, no burs or anything.

thetawaves · #5 01-11-2009, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chjohnst

Nope, I just pluck really hard when im slapping. It could be a bit of my technique causing them to break. But when im in the groove I cant help myself to get aggresive.

I checked my bridge and its smooth, no burs or anything.

Well that's me stumped. I guess next time you go for a thunderous-string-breaking-finger-funk, maybe the rising cost will curb the urge. *shrug* Pretty impressive either way to break strings consistently. Kudos where it's due!

SwamiRob · #6 01-11-2009, 02:29 PM

I play hard with a pick and the shortest it's taken me to break any slinky is about a month, what gauge are you using?

P-BASSLOVER · #7 01-12-2009, 11:30 AM

Lighter guage Slinkys have a tendency to break if you are a hard player.
If you like them go with the Power Slinkys, they hold up pretty good.
If you want durability GHS Boomers are about the strongest out there
but they don't have the Midrange that Slinkys have.

chjohnst · #8 01-12-2009, 11:36 AM

I use 135, 105, 80, 65, 45s... I mean I am really aggressive on my strings (think flea here).. It is not intentional either its just how I play..

P-BASSLOVER · #9 01-12-2009, 11:57 AM

Try the Power Slinkys or if your style is that of Flea, go with the strings he uses, BOOMERS!

chjohnst · #10 01-12-2009, 12:06 PM

I have read alot of mixed reviews on the boomers, I am very tempted to try them out. But I really just love the tone I get from the Slinkys. The have a very fat tone on my warwick. I find I cant cut through with them on my bass. I am just not happy with having to buy two sets of strings in the last two months.

It cant be the bass I have broken them on two different basses. So its either me (my playing), the way I am stringinging them up or they just prone for breakage.

SwamiRob · #11 01-12-2009, 03:28 PM

Yeah maybe have a look at how your stringing them, it sounds very silly but there are some points that you can miss easily. Some people stretch them so they don't break so easily, but I find the new string sound wears out quicker when you do that, I'd rather have a little more brightness then extra string life, cos I don't wanna get lazy and have dull sounding strings, nothing sounds worse when you play with a pick (unless you've got some nice old flats or something).

Baird6869 · #12 01-14-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debassr

I've never broken a EB string and they last for a very long time (years) for me at least. Are your bridge saddle grooves very sharp or something?

+1. Slinkys wear out with lots of playing and I change them before they ever break.

I have used dozens of sets of Slinkies on many different basses, and have never broke one. I slap a lot too and play very agressively.

madbassplaya · #13 01-14-2009, 02:18 PM

I've broken strings on the following:

Elixar (low B) They were pretty old though.
Ernie Ball Slinky's (low B)
Ernie Ball Power Slinky's (low B)

I've had Ernie Ball sets since those two sets and haven't broke them. Breaking strings happens though. That's when I was younger, played rediculously hard, and didn't change my strings as much as I needed. Probably not all EB's fault!

BritFunk · #14 01-15-2009, 08:54 AM

My Dear Friends,

I used to break strings with alarming regularity - there isn't a string on the bass I haven't broken at one time or another.

I went for a bass lesson with a seasoned veteran, the only bass lesson I ever took in my life. We talked for a bit and he wanted to see my technique, so I plugged in and started playing. After about twenty seconds he stopped me and inquired if I owned an amp. Puzzled, I replied that I did. He then asked if the amp had a volume control. Again, puzzled, I replied in the affirmative. He admonished me to stop beating hell out of the bass and lighten up my touch, and just turn up the amp if I required more volume.

Yes, he was kind of a smart-ass, but it got the point across.

He went on to explain that playing that hard is rough on your strings, your instrument, and your body. We worked for about a half-an-hour on proper technique and finished up with some fretless technique.

I took his advice to heart, and since then (now well over a decade) I haven't broken so much as a single string. I figure that one $50 lesson has saved me hundreds of dollars in strings.

If you absolutely MUST play hard, plan to replace strings. If you do try playing more lightly I think you will quickly find that you will play both more accurately and much faster, as well as saving quite a few $$$ on strings.

Just a suggestion - YMMV.

Warmest regards,

Kurt

SwamiRob · #15 01-15-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BritFunk

If you absolutely MUST play hard, plan to replace strings.

Yes!

Although my technique is alot better now and I break less strings, BUT I play harder. Alot of good technique is about efficiency it seems, if your putting alot of effort into bad plucks, slaps, pops or pick strokes, then your probably putting alot of stain on your string and also wasting alot of effort for the weaker, noisier, generally less defined notes you get in comparison to someone with better technique. Only so much you can do though obviously, most hard played music sounds best with new strings anyway.

The volume up, playing level down is good advice for alot of people though.

Heh, one of the guitarists in my band is called Kurt and he doesn't embody the same philosophy at all, goes through strings every couple of gigs it seems... the other one isn't much better, but he has nasty acid sweat that makes his strings rust after a couple of weeks so he needs to change em anyway