Do You Ever Break Strings??

[Snibborwocky]

I've only broken one string a very long time ago in a galaxy far far away (when I was just starting out) by over-tuning putting on a new set of strings. Ah to be a newbie again... not.

 

[Sweet Willie]

Broke a string once, during a gig, over 20 years ago. Never again since.

 

[hintz]

I have broken strings quite a few times in 20 years of playing, maybe once or twice every year or so....the last time was a D string, but usually its the E or G!

I'm pretty sure with a Fender I had it was a spur on the bridge as it happened frequently with that particular bass! Fortunately it'd usually break at the end of the gig(last song mostly LOL), but I do dig in finger style and slap, and I've been striving for a lighter touch the last few years!

 

[GMC]

If a bass string breaks often, then it usually points to the nut slot being too tight. Drop it off to a good Luthier for a set up and the difference will be like night and day.
I can't remember breaking a bass string through playing / wear and tear....it doesn't happen. If I swap out my strings...it's for zing and tone.

 

[MCS4]

I broke a bass string exactly once, more than ten years ago. I managed to break the E string, somehow, slamming into the very last note of the very last song of the night. Considering it was a big crescendo finish to a hard rock gig, it actually worked out pretty well in the moment.

 

[hintz]

Come to think of it I've broken strings on every bass ive ever owned, its gotta be me doing that Stanley Clarke approach of digging in over the front pickup(that slap-like finger sound)not to mention just playing *alot*....

 

[Doner Designs]

Only in two situations. I broke a lot of custom (extra heavy) Pyramid flats that were all nickel. The other situation was a Stingray (Schaller Tuners) that broke almost every flatwound G string I put on it (the tuning machine sliced through it). I even replaced the tuner. Eventually had to go to different strings.

 

[sotua]

Broken two or three in 20+ years of playing. All of them on my second bass, so I suspect the bridge. Though I'm not sure how your bridge would make the core wire break but the windings hold...

Then again, I used cheap strings back then. Now I use... cheap but respectable strings

 

[onda'bass]

Only DR strings. Never since with any other.

 

[LowNloud1]

Just broke the A string this week at practice! 2nd fail in my career. Worse was the first time when I busted a E during performance. Did not have a replacement or back up and had to transpose songs on the fretboard on the fly. From then on I always keep the set I took off in my guitar case. Already stretched and sized, they will get me thru the gig if I need them. I also have a back up bass on stage now.

 

[eldorado2001]

Never once. I mainly pick with fingers.

 

[OldBassman]

I've broken one string. It was a New Year's Eve Gig in 1964. I always carry spares. A couple of years ago I had a tuner break. Those ultralight tuning machines are made of aluminum and subject to metal fatigue apparently. I carry spare tuners now too. Ya never know... Yeah, pack a back up bass..

 

[Kukulkan61]

I did a neck swap last week and got to excited and when I proceeded to tune the D string I noticed the tuner getting harder to turn and POP, I had it strung on the post...

 

[Barbaric.Eric]

No burrs, just enthusiasm

Love this!! Haha, I'm breaking a string about once every three or four months, which is good because it's a reminder to get fresh strings on! It's all in enthusiasm and plucking technique, (for better or worse). Playing heavier music with fingers, I like to accentuate certain notes by plucking down into the bass body, the string slaps off of the fretboard and gets a killer tone through an overdriven tube amp (Steve Harris plucks like this a lot). My singer calls it the "gank", gankin' on the strings to get that dirt! Gankin' the soul right out of the strings!

Love playing hard, fast and heavy!

 

[InhumanResource]

Wow! The only string I have ever broken was a D or G on some old bass that had not been changed in years upon years, and it was in a basement "pick it up and play" kind of deal. Not a gig or rehearsal or even a jam situation, just "hey look at that...plunk plunk PING!" Otherwise no, I've never had a string pop on me.

You must be really beating on those things to get them to pop, or there's another mechanical issue like a saddle burr (as someone else pointed out) that causes the strings to fail. I have a hard time believing that through even the toughest play (some guys really pick and slap hard) strings will consistently fail.

 

[Medicine Man]

I play all stupid and used to break blue steels and rotosounds once in a while. Since I switched to smith rounds and chromes I haven't broken any. I always pound the poo out of my instrument at gigs though, if you treat your stuff right, strings should never break.

 

[friendlybass]

Never. In fact I've never broken a wound strings, just the unwound guitar and mandolin strings.

 

[Ductapeman]

Yeah, but where's the fun in that? I should have mentioned that it seems like I'm mostly running Roto 665LDs on the Jazz V, and I am the spastic-monkey-into-funk, so like I said, maybe lacking a bit of control-- but I have exceeded the elastic limits of center cores at the strangest places, rarely at the nut or bridge, and I dehorned them a looong time ago and have rechecked-- so I guess it's just me overplaying?

 

[SnoMan]

When I was giggingly heavily with a couple metal bands I would break an E every 3-4 months. High energy performance with very aggressive playing. Mostly playing 45 minute to 1 hour sets and they were a workout.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

in the 80's I used to break strings on occasion. Rotosounds primarily. Heavy (stone or stainless steel ) picks, heavy metal, heavy handed picking.
New strings for the show, practice on them till they failed, or the next show.
Only time they failed at a show was the few times I did not put on fresh ones.
to be fair, i played WAAAY to hard.