am i the only one?

[biguglyman]

46 years playing all kinds of basses from cheap Japanese knockoffs to precisions to G&L to Carvin... you get the picture. Wide variety of strings from years old heavy flats to light gauge rounds. NEVER broke a string. Don't carry spares.

 

[red_rhino]

started playing bass in the early 70's. in all that time I have never broken a string.

Well of course, now that you've said that....

condoms...

Don't want to break one of those either.

 

[Mr. Palchepo]

Might be a fun exercise to remove a string and ‘make it work’. I know if I saw a bass player lose a string and finish the set by playing any missing notes elsewhere, I’d be impressed.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

I’ve only broke one bass string ever and that sucker snapped with such force it cut me right above my right eyelid, snapped right at the tuning peg and went right for the eye. Could have been worse!
There’s been a few occasions where I broke the higher strings on guitars while putting them on that was my fault though.

 

[Element Zero]

24 years playing bass. Broke 2 in my first 4 years. That is all.

 

[SactoBass]

started playing bass in the early 70's. in all that time I have never broken a string. most of that time playing standard A440, sometimes tuned down 1/2 step on everything from the cheapest basses imaginable to my current mike lull's, and pretty much everything in between. I see all these posts where people say they always take an extra set of strings on a gig and I certainly wouldn't discourage that practice, but again I ask how many times have you needed those extra strings?

Hello Dennis, and welcome to Talkbass!

I have been playing bass since 1972, and I have never broken a bass string. But being the conservative "just-to-be-sure" type that knows all too well that Murphy's Law is always hiding in the shadows, I always have an extra set of strings in my gig bag!

 

[dennis james]

Hello Dennis, and welcome to Talkbass!

I have been playing bass since 1972, and I have never broken a bass string. But being the conservative "just-to-be-sure" type that knows all too well that Murphy's Law is always hiding in the shadows, I always have an extra set of strings in my gig bag!

thank you

 

[JES]

Ive broken enough in 37 years to know to bring backups.

 

[dennis james]

Well of course, now that you've said that....



Don't want to break one of those either.

I may have jinxed myself.

 

[two fingers]

No. Melissa Etheridge is the only one.


And I have broken quite a few strings.... mostly A strings and a few E string. I broke several high C strings when I owned a 6 string bass.

 

[SactoBass]

Been playing bass for over 40 years and never once broke a string while playing. That said, I always carry a spare set of strings. Guess I’m just paranoid.

+1

Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!

 

[arbiterusa]

Never broken a string but I always carry a set...of Ernie Ball 10s for the guitarist. It never fails.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

started playing bass in the early 70's. in all that time I have never broken a string. most of that time playing standard A440, sometimes tuned down 1/2 step on everything from the cheapest basses imaginable to my current mike lull's, and pretty much everything in between. I see all these posts where people say they always take an extra set of strings on a gig and I certainly wouldn't discourage that practice, but again I ask how many times have you needed those extra strings?

Unlike guitar strings that just snap on you, bass strings kinda unwind at the bridge when they break. I used to break strings periodically but mostly from slapping and popping. Every once in a while from picking too. Never had a string break from fingering though, so I get what you're saying.

 

[Zermelo]

20 years playing and broke a string only once playing, luckily at home, with my 32" Yamaha. I did break a few more, but always installing USED strings, they tend to break at the tuning machines.

 

[biguglyman]

Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!

Absolutely, but you have to draw the line somewhere. I'm the OCD jerk that brings two bags of gear to every gig. A LOT of it stuff I almost never use... but when somebody forgets something, or something breaks, guess who usually has the fix? Just last night at the gig bl/singer forgot the power cords for the pa powered speakers. Who had extras in his bag? Me! I'll even occasionally bring a spare bass although I almost always just play one over the course of a night. Spend the money on and pack an extra set of strings though? Nope. Not gonna do it... although if I do have a spare set laying around I guess I could throw it in the bag instead of leaving it in the studio. AARRRGGGHHHH!!!! See what you've done? The question is not am I paranoid, it's am I paranoid enough?

 

[SactoBass]

I'm the OCD jerk that brings two bags of gear to every gig. A LOT of it stuff I almost never use... but when somebody forgets something, or something breaks, guess who usually has the fix? Just last night at the gig bl/singer forgot the power cords for the pa powered speakers. Who had extras in his bag? Me!

That makes two of us! It's always us bass players that end up saving the gig!

 

[Peteyboy]

started playing bass in the early 70's. in all that time I have never broken a string. most of that time playing standard A440, sometimes tuned down 1/2 step on everything from the cheapest basses imaginable to my current mike lull's, and pretty much everything in between. I see all these posts where people say they always take an extra set of strings on a gig and I certainly wouldn't discourage that practice, but again I ask how many times have you needed those extra strings?

Started playing in the early 80's. When I used to break strings, which was frequently, they always broke at the saddle. I never clipped the ends and just wound all the extra around the post so there'd be extra. So when one broke I would just tie a knot at the ball-end and restring it. I think I always broke strings back then because I had crappy, underpowered amps and I hit too hard to compensate. I can't remember the last time i broke one.

 

[Daniel Piper]

I started playing in the late 90s.

I broke a few E and A strings whilst slapping like a total loser.

 

[Petethebassman]

Been playing since 1981 and have never broken a string. I keep a spare set in my gig bag just in case if I should break a string in this lifetime

 

[cnltb]

am i the only one?
...unlikely.