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How long has it been since you last broke a string?

#141
rockdoc11 said:
In thinking about it today, I don't think I've broken a string in perhaps 15 years (playing out perhaps two to three times a month).

But decades ago, I remember breaking one or two strings every year.

Has my playing technique improved? Are strings sturdier? Are bass bridges better?

Just random musing . . .
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Wow....that was back in the early 70's when I was gigging about 250 nights a year for 3-years. It was a Fender flatwound G-string. I think that's when I switched to the Fender Black Tapewound flats in '72. I still carry a back up set of strings in my gig bag though, just in case...
 
#142
I broke one at rehearsal a few months ago. I think it was defective, because the set only had a few hours of play time it. Other than that I haven't broken one since I had my first bass about 15 years ago. The g would often break because of a sharp bridge saddle, and I didn't know enough at the time to fix the bridge.
 
#145
TheReceder said:
No offense taken. You basically nailed it. I was used to playing the same Jazz bass since 1976. It never failed me, except in the old days when I did a "slide bass" solo with a beer bottle and a drumstick. Beat the heck out of it and occasionally lost a string.

The broken D string didn't impact me too much, The band just wondered why I was less talkitive than normal. There were a couple bass players in the audience that noticed and were pretty impressed with my ability to play around it, and again, the rest of the band didn't even notice an increase of clams, (there weren't any).

I can play around broke strings, but if anything, I began to wonder what happens in the event of a preamp fail in an active bass. Or something more catastrophic like me tripping on stage and trashing a neck. Could happen, and it's not to tough to have a bass backstage and have a stage hand grab it for me. (I'm not a fan of multiple basses on stage if I can avoid it).

I was always a one bass guy... actually only owned one bass, till one of my more recent bands started bugging me about not having a backup. So I bought a bass he hated and used it on stage (Guitarists seem to really hate Peaveys apparently) Since then I've been bit by the bug and in the case of this broken string, it was a bass I'd only played a couple weeks.

Now, not only do I have backup basses, I've got an optional in ears system, wedges that can easily handle the bass, and just for fun I've got an elf tucked away.
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I’ve had everything from broken strap screws to output jacks, to a nut break on stage over the years (I’m not hard on them, I played professionally on a daily basis for years)

I too use an ELF as a backup, or a Rack mounted GKMB800 I have in a effects rack, in case my main amp goes down.

I don’t worry so much knowing those safety nets are in place.
 
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#154
When I used DR Black Beauties, one of them might break after about a year of playing, at which time I'd change the entire set. It was always the core snapping at the bridge saddle.

After changing to Fender 9050 flats a few years ago, I haven't broken a string. I don't expect that my technique changed much for the better, so it's probably the strings that are more durable.
 
#159
From what I have read in this topic 85% only broke a string a few times in their bass adventure and 10% never have broken a string. Any meaningful conclusion we can draw from this?

I will start with a controversial conclusion:
If you never have broken a string then you never have given your bass a good beating.
 
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