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ARGH!

J

Joey3313

Nov 28, 2003
2,446
31
37
#1
I am just starting bass and I was told to restring my bass when I first got it (it is used). I bought some strings (Dean Markley Nickelsteel or something) and a tuner. I return home from the music store with my wallet $90 lighter only to find that the tuner I bought is crap and will not work. Everything was done according to the instructions, and nothing. It turns on but does not respond when the cord is plugged into it. If that wasn't enough to annoy me, tonight while I was going through a bass book I bought, one of the string (A) snapped. I'm guessing that they aren't supposed to do that after one day. The string were just tight enough to stay on, and it broke.

Two things:
Did I buy crap string to begin with?
and
Should I go to the music store and ask for my money back, or just buy new strings (making me ever poorer than I am)?
 
#4
Originally posted by Figjam
Did you have the cord plugged into the output?
Click to expand...
I had the cord plugged in just as the instructions/the music store guy said to have it. The store is cool, so I could probably just return the tuner or at the very least get them to show me what I was doing wrong. It's the string that pisses me off.
 
#6
The school of hard knocks. Welcome to it. The string broke because you did not get the tuner to work. The string I bet was tuned to high. Go to the music store and have them show you how to work the tuner, buy a new A string and you will be on your way for under $5.00 :p
 
#7
The tuner I have works with both guitar and bass, but there is a small button that makes this selection. There have been a number of times I thought the battery was dead when the only problem was that it was set for guitar instead of bass, and it wasn't responding.

Which brings up another question: Did you install the battery?

I doubt your Dean Markley strings are the problem. As someone else mentioned, you probably had them too tight to begin with.
 
#9
Yes the volume was on, and no the string was not too tight, it was loose still (I figured since I couldn't tune it I should let it stay loose). Anywho, problem fixed. I went to the music store, and the guy just said to bring my bass in and he will put the new string on and tune is for no charge...so ya...that's cool. He also showed me how to use the crappy tuner properly.
 
#10
I have never broken a string. Ever. And I pluck really agressively and fast. Even sometimes I pick too. I dunno, I have other bassist freinds and they break strings all the time. I dont get it. And I have strung up almost every brand out there.
Maybe it's because when I string up a new set, I tune the string to pitch and then I fret them at the 12th fret and pull them up about as far as I think they can go without breaking, and let them snap back at the fretboard. I do this about 12 times per string and then tune it again. Perhaps this keeps me from breaking them? Or Not. I do it because it keeps them in tune longer. (I hardly have to retune the bass and I play every day) Just wondering how all this string breakage happens.
 
#17
I always break ernie ball strings so i finally quit using them.

When I slap on new strings.. I tune them > pull/stretch them somewhat > tune them again > pull stretch somewhat > and I repeat this a few times, untill the strings stays pretty close to being in-tune even after I have given it a bit of a pull/stretch. Seems to work for me, my strings stay in tune and they dont seem to break (unless I have slinkys on my bass, one will definately break if I use slinkys)..

I like slowounds.

I have had this korg gt-3 tuner for about 8 years I think.. works prefectly. My friends go and buy these new digital tuners and I wonder why, cause they all suck when I try and use them. The only reason I will have to buy a new tuner is if I buy a rack tuner.

I dunno why I just rambled on, I was no help at all. :hmm:
 

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