Help!!- I keep breaking my G string

lijazz · #1 02-06-2009, 06:29 PM

OK, I have been using DR High beams on my '08 MIA Jazz bass for a few moths now and I love them....EXCEPT that tonight is the second time in as many months that the G string broke on me. was slapping, not overly agressively and the outer winding came away from the core. Has anyone else experience continued breakage with these strings? I love them, but at 30 bucks a set I am frustrated. I must also not that I had a reputable shop set-up the bass so I am assuming that the set-up is not the issue.

dannyssx · #2 02-06-2009, 06:30 PM

what gauge are you using?

lijazz · #3 02-06-2009, 06:34 PM

MR...45-65-85-105

lijazz · #4 02-06-2009, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

Burr on the saddle maybe?

I haven't tried the Lo Riders...maybe a stiffer string such as those would prove better, although I would think a more flexible string like the High Beams would handle stress better.

Love the DRs but frustrated at this point.

warwick.hoy · #5 02-06-2009, 06:39 PM

Burr on the saddle maybe?

Is it breaking at the bridge, at the nut, or somewhere in between?

If there is a metal burr on the saddle it can cut into the strings and weaken it.

(EDIT: sorry we posted at the same time so I deleted my original post and re-posted it after you quoted it...just a goof

)

kai_ski · #6 02-06-2009, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lijazz

Help!!- I keep breaking my G string

There's gotta be a better way to say that.

Jefenator · #7 02-06-2009, 06:43 PM

You can buy single strings. I've found that to be economical when I was playing more electric and busting the G more often.

lijazz · #8 02-06-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kai_ski

There's gotta be a better way to say that.

Yeah, I was thinking about that after I posted...but I was in a hurry to get replies on this....WOW, that still doesn't sound right.

rythmicillusion · #9 02-06-2009, 06:54 PM

Have you considered boxer briefs?

lijazz · #10 02-06-2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

Burr on the saddle maybe?

Is it breaking at the bridge, at the nut, or somewhere in between?

If there is a metal burr on the saddle it can cut into the strings and weaken it.

(EDIT: sorry we posted at the same time so I deleted my original post and re-posted it after you quoted it...just a goof

)

both times the inner core snapped at the saddle. I have never broken a string in my life till now. Any experience with the Lo-Riders? Are they comparable to the HBs in brightness and soft feel? If so and they are just stiffer, then that's not critical to me..going more for the sound than the feel at this point.

lonote · #11 02-06-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lijazz

both times the inner core snapped at the saddle. I have never broken a string in my life till now. Any experience with the Lo-Riders? Are they comparable to the HBs in brightness and soft feel? If so and they are just stiffer, then that's not critical to me..going more for the sound than the feel at this point.

The string probably isn't the problem. As others have said, there is probably a burr on the saddle.

debassr · #12 02-06-2009, 07:43 PM

Agreed - I'd pull it off and file it smooth, then add some graphite to the bridge and string. If that doesn't work, try different strings, and if THAT doesn't work, I'd take a hard look at your technique.

lijazz · #13 02-07-2009, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debassr

Agreed - I'd pull it off and file it smooth, then add some graphite to the bridge and string. If that doesn't work, try different strings, and if THAT doesn't work, I'd take a hard look at your technique.

As far as I can tell, all three grooves in the saddle appear smooth. Since this is a new MIA J Bass, I am reluctant to mess with anything on it , so will just try different strings at this point.

Can anyone out there tell me if the Lo Riders are as smooth feeling and growly as the High Beams?

JustDavid · #14 02-07-2009, 06:44 AM

Strings breaking at the same spot?

3 common factors; strings & the point of breakage & the player.

If certain strings were prone to this word would get around surely, at least on this website. No one's chimed in yet, so I'd feel safe ruling that out.

Though technique can be the problem, this appears to be a new development with no mention of technique change. Given "no change in technique", I'd rule that out.

Point of breakage is over the bridge saddle. Changes there include recent string change.

I'd buff the point of contact down to remove any burrs.

IdealWay · #15 02-07-2009, 06:59 AM

I'll give you a piece of advice that ended my string breaking days, and it's very simple.

Turn up, play with a gentler technique.

Seriously, I used to play through a 1x15 cab that simply couldn't handle the volume levels we were playing at, so I'd have to crank it up and play over-aggressively just to be heard. I'd break my G string probably twice a month from popping it too hard.
One day I decided I needed more power, so I got a better rig. This one supplies 400 watts so I have plenty of headroom no matter what the situation, and I don't have to beat the bass to make myself heard. Playing with lighter fingers does, imo, require you to adopt a more refined technique, since more of the subtleties will be noticeable, but take it as an opportunity to improve.

I haven't popped a G string since making this transition! I did pop a D string

, but it was pretty old

!

Hope this helps

JTE · #16 02-07-2009, 03:18 PM

I'm confused. The first post say "the outer winding came away from the core." while the 10th post says "both time the inner core snapped at the saddle".

Those are two very different problems, with different solutions. If the CORE is breaking at the saddle, it's probably not a burr. A burr would cut windings, but it'd have to be a huge chunk of metal to break the core wire through the windings.

When you re-string do you push down on the string right in front (nut side) of the saddle? That helps to seat the strings on the saddle and give them a good witness point. Also check your break-over angle, but I don't think that's going to have a lot of impact on your problem. I've been using Hi-Beams for about 10 years and have never broken any. That includes using them on basses that string through the body so there's more break-over than a top-load bridge.

I did have one bass on which I broke a lot of G strings. It was my Hamer Cruise Bass with a 2-Tek bridge. I finally got rid of the bass, but I suspect different strings may have solved the problem now. I was using D'Addario SloWounds and tried some Boomers as well as D'Addario EXL-165 (the XL nickle wounds).

jte

lijazz · #17 02-08-2009, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

I'm confused. The first post say "the outer winding came away from the core." while the 10th post says "both time the inner core snapped at the saddle".

Those are two very different problems, with different solutions. If the CORE is breaking at the saddle, it's probably not a burr. A burr would cut windings, but it'd have to be a huge chunk of metal to break the core wire through the windings.

When you re-string do you push down on the string right in front (nut side) of the saddle? That helps to seat the strings on the saddle and give them a good witness point. Also check your break-over angle, but I don't think that's going to have a lot of impact on your problem. I've been using Hi-Beams for about 10 years and have never broken any. That includes using them on basses that string through the body so there's more break-over than a top-load bridge.

I did have one bass on which I broke a lot of G strings. It was my Hamer Cruise Bass with a 2-Tek bridge. I finally got rid of the bass, but I suspect different strings may have solved the problem now. I was using D'Addario SloWounds and tried some Boomers as well as D'Addario EXL-165 (the XL nickle wounds).

jte

Sorry, I forgot to mention that in my hurry to post the first time I said outer winding, however after further inspection it was the inner core that snapped, as it did the first time. The first time this happened to me a few months ago I had re-strung the bass myself, however after that time, I decided to have a reputable shop set up the bass and restring again w/ High beams thinking that there was adjustments to bridge/neck etc. that I never made. That was a few weeks ago and low and behold, it snapped again exactly the same. As I would like to correct this problem and also try Lo Riders, my question is this: Since the Lo Riders are a bit stiffer than the HBs, will I have to have the bass adjusted again before installing the LRs, or is the additional stiffness of them minimal enough that that won't be necessary?

Thanks.

funkmangriff · #18 02-08-2009, 06:28 AM

the only string i EVER broke on my bass was the low E string! unbelievably

it was when i was 15 trying to play something heavy, cant remember what, i had an REALLY thick pick which wouldnt bend, and i pushed it right through the string, it stretched the string wwaaayyy beyond repair!!!

sounded awesome through the amp when it stretched tho!

ZanaZulu807 · #19 02-08-2009, 08:03 AM

If it's not the bridge, like others said check the technique. I always break E strings because I tend to pull more then pluck, in the end I just make a drive to GC and get me a replacement for $6.99.

Also too, IMO, the hi beams are stronger as they are more flexible, but their tone last just about as long as the lo riders. The lo riders are warmer/beefier in tone than the hi beams but they have the tension of Rotosounds and I've never had to resetup because of the stiffness. Depends on what you want, Hi Beam=bright/middy/flexible or Lo Rider=thick low mids/stiffer.