string broke on a gig

[tww001]

my A string popped at the bridge on a gig Wednesday night. I've never heard of this happening on an upright, and none of my bass playing friends have either. Anyone heard of this happening? I was only playing at a moderate volume pizzicato. The string was a Eurosonic Orchestra Light A string.

[AndreasH]

I broke a really old Spiro Mittel D on a friends bass during a rehearsel, and another friend of mine broke a Helicore (I think) E-string, also during rehearsel.

How old are your strings?

[Gearhead43]

Damn! That could put your eye out.

[JoeyNaeger]

One of my friends broke 3 strings during the fall semester somehow...sometimes things just happen.

[ZuluFunk]

Popped at the bridge? So the wrap just cut or came unwound? What broke the core or the wrap or both? That sucks either way. I have a Eurosonic E string in my box of strings. It's white wrapped with what seems to be teflon plummers tape. I don't use it though.

[Bob Gollihur]

Check the bridge string path. If a string breaks at the bridge it is fairly likely that the indent is not smooth or is too deep, and it could snagging/cutting the string. As we tune, the snag can cause separation and weakening at that point. Pop!

The bridge contact point should be little more than a shaped indent no deeper than half the size of the string. it should have smooth angles going in both directions.

URB string breakage isn't that unusual.

[justbasses]

I agree with Bob, it might be catching at that point.