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Do You Ever Break Strings??

Ductapeman

Ductapeman

Ringmaster and Resident Geriatric
Feb 7, 2016
556
641
74
The West Pole
Disclosures
I started life as a drummer, but I got better
#1
Back when I was gigging (70s-80s-90s) I would occasionally get all excited end end up yanking a D or G string completely off my Jazz Bass-- the other bass cats around would behave like what I had done was extraordinary, sure didn't seem like it to me. Playing six nights a week with two basses, I discovered that I had to change my Rotos about every ten days or so or the risk of a "flat" would go way up, usually right at the end ball, so I was buying a set of Rotos a week for alternate basses. Is it a big deal to blow a bass string? Have you done it recently?
 
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#5
When I was playing at a theme park (6 shows a day, 6 days a week for 15 weeks), I ran into an issue with breaking a D string after about 3-4 days. Turned out it was a burr on the saddle that once I addressed it, never had a problem.

Otherwise, in my 20+ years of playing out, I've broken maybe 2 strings, one of them was a .130 B.
 
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#6
DiabolusInMusic said:
I once broke a high C string... it was all my error though, I kept tuning it up...

I know a guy who broke his E string once but it was Dingwall strings, they have a super thin core.
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I did the same thing. All my fault I wasn't paying attention I was bull shooting with the guys and it just started unraveling. Of course I didn't have a replacement for it so I played with a mix set of strings. Live and learn.
 
#7
No burrs, just enthusiasm-- and occasionally an older string would let go at the bridge. Pa-kua forms applied to the bass give you great striking power, but sometimes a bit of control (then lacking) is in order.
 
#8
In the 80s, we played a LOT of R&B and funk where I was playing a lot of slap. Six night a week, usually.

I broke nearly all the strings at some point. If they weren't dead in 2 weeks or so, they wouldn't last much longer than that. I had huge callouses on my thumb and fingers. Occasionally, I had to tape up my thumb, a la Mark King.

It was not a source of pride nor a badge of honor. And it was quite expensive. For a time, I just bought a dozen singles of each gauge and changed them out when they broke.

Nowadays, I haven't broken a string in the 2 1/2 years since I've been playing again. Thankfully.
 
#9
I have occasionally broken one by getting a little too careless when installing a new string... but in over 40 years, I've never once broken a bass string while playing it.

I play with a pretty light touch most times however. My fingers aren't callused - although I do have a fleshier pad than most people have under my fingertips where they contact the string. Makes using a touchscreen, like the one on my iPhone and some elevator buttons, a problem sometimes. There's certain points on my fingertips where certain touchscreens just won't respond reliably. Bigger problem with my fretting hand than my plucking hand, although on my plucking hand, the index finger also doesn't work too well with some touchscreens either. I know a couple of other players that have this same problem. Don't know how common it is though.
 
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#16
3 times. First was in the early 90's installing an ancient set of flats the string exploded with a puff of red dust. The inner wire was completely rusted. This past year I had a couple of Ernie Ball Cobalt flats break. One while installing, the D broke and then while noodling around the A broke.
 
#17
Never in 30 years while playing.

I had an Ashbory that would snap strings if it was left in the case tuned to pitch for a few months, but those silicone strings would break if you looked at them funny.

Twice I've snapped the core on a B string while setting the witness point at the bridge. That was a bad match between that bass and the construction of one brand of string.
 
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#18
I used to break dozens of A strings on treble guitars, 0.036". I played hard and fast, lots of galloping triplets a la Iron Maiden, and a lot of that was of course on the A and E strings, A being thinner would often snap around where I was picking.

Never on a bass... except when I decided to adjust the truss rod with strings in place, and the centre strings had a kink where the allen key pressed against them. Didn't break, probably wouldn't have, but I removed them soon after just in case.
 
#19
Ductapeman said:
Back when I was gigging (70s-80s-90s) I would occasionally get all excited end end up yanking a D or G string completely off my Jazz Bass-- the other bass cats around would behave like what I had done was extraordinary, sure didn't seem like it to me. Playing six nights a week with two basses, I discovered that I had to change my Rotos about every ten days or so or the risk of a "flat" would go way up, usually right at the end ball, so I was buying a set of Rotos a week for alternate basses. Is it a big deal to blow a bass string? Have you done it recently?
Click to expand...

1. More way back than now. The QC and material is better these days, and the competition.
2. In 15 years, broke 2 g-strings on different basses. Can't even recall the brand. I do think it was a sissy 030 g-string though. That's probably why it went south.
3. No big deal. It was though, on one of the basses that made the tension less, so the neck immedietaly went in a backbow with buzzing as a result. As it was a headless, I changed between numbers.

If it's on upright, you're really have to scrutinize the cause. One string there costs like a full high quality electric set. 5 string. An upright set is like 100-200 USD.
 
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