is it weird to break a string?

[not_jason]

D'Addario makes some of my favorite sounding strings for bass or guitar, but to the person who said that the brand probably isn't an explanation for the breakage clearly doesn't share my experience on the matter. I had to stop buying D'Addario for that reason specifically. On guitar and bass, I just can't keep the damn things for more than a week or a month (guitar and bass respectively). I switched back to Ernie Ball, they don't sound as good, but I can keep them a LOT longer, and for me, It's worth sacrificing tone to save myself a small fortune in strings.

I used to break strings fairly often back when I played with my fingers. I've broken two B strings on my old five string (both D'Addario, incidentally), more E strings than I can possibly remember, and a handful of A strings. I have never broken a D or a G. Since I've started playing almost exclusively with a pick, about a year ago, I don't think I've broken even one string. I had a similar experience with guitar. I used to break strings weekly, but then I went from thin picks to extra heavy picks, and I started keeping strings a lot longer. It's sort of counter-intuitive, but I think it's because I have to compensate for the attack loss when I play with fingers/thin picks, and I put more strain on the strings.

One of my favorite bass players, Daniel Brummel of the band Ozma, breaks strings constantly. He's broken a string at 3 of the 6 shows I've seen him play.

 

[mimaz]

Been playing 20 years, never broke a string.

Sounds familiar. I've been playing professionally for 29 years now, and I remember one broken string...........maybe vaguely remember a 2nd one.

 

[visa]

this just happened at my last gig:

i don't even play that hard

 

[Trevorus]

I have never broken a bass string, and I haven't broken guitar string in a long while, and I use D'Adaario's pretty much exclusively. I guess I just don't play quite hard enough.

 

[Red Rover]

I attack the strings pretty hard at times and I've broken 1 string in 7 years. I broke the "e" one hour before a gig. Changed it and all was well.

 

[Marcury]

I haven't broken a string in years, but in my younger days I broke a few Ds and Gs. Never an E that I remember though. When it happened it was either from over tuning or playing too hard. I broke one once during a gig (about halfway through) and had to play the rest of the set on three strings. I've lightened my touch considerably over the years and using a tuner has stopped me from over tuning when I change strings.

 

[tremor100]

ive broken most of my B strings by lightly mounting my thumb on it.... the thing just caves and i look at the bridge and its uncoiled. To be honest theres only one time i was playing with a pic and hit the string REALLY hard when showing off or w/e and i had it coming... other then that they all snap at the bridge at the oddest times for the stupid reasons... i also find newer - kinda new strings break more then the dead ones that have been sitting on my bass forever.

 

[the JT]

I have broken about 6 or 7 strings in 5 years of playing.
I dont play hard, but i bend the strings a fair bit. My roundwounds always break at or near the bridge, and only just uncoil a little bit.

 

[not_jason]

they all snap at the bridge at the oddest times for the stupid reasons.

I know the feeling. They never break when I'm being a total badass. It's always at some completely arbitrary point.

 

[Asa Samuel]

Never ever broken a string, i have a bass thats had the same set of strings on it when i bought it (my first ever bass) and they're really deep and mellow but not too thumpy, they're really nice.

 

[canshaker]

As other people have already said, breaking strings comes from friction at either the saddle or the nut. You should lube these contact points every time you change your strings. Google "Big Bends Nut Sauce". It works extremely well.

 

[tdogg]

this just happened at my last gig:

i don't even play that hard

cool pic!

 

[Fassa Albrecht]

I've only broken one string, a G string, and that was because I overtightened whilst tuning.

It is now the bracelet which I'm wearing on my left wrist.

 

[Lo.]

I broke a D-addario Chrome B-string (0.132) playing fingerstyle once....expensive.

 

[bassnug47]

ive had the same strings on my fender jazz for 9 years. my 'wick has a set of 35 year old flats i got on ebay.
the only time i broke a string was when i tried tuning my G up to a B.

 

[Khaled]

i detuned fast and that broke the E string,, cheap types
never rotate the tuner too fast

 

[jasper383]

I broke a guitar string tuning up. Was turning the B tuning key while picking the E string and wondering why the pitch wasn't changing. Then, "plink", and I'm glad I was wearing glasses.

Playing bass, I would go so far as to say I have never even come close to breaking a string in 4 years of 1+ hours a day playing.

 

[kozbass]

Good tip on the pencil in the saddle. I broke two g strings on my 'wick in the last two months. The first was d'addario xl steels and the second was dr hi beams. I like the tone of both though, DarN!

Usually I just break e or a strings on my squire from playing really hard but my wick is eating up the gs now for now reason. I hope the pencil trick helps some. Damn strings cost a fortune in Canada.


On the other hand its kinda fun to break a string. It seems so rare that people dont even really understand. I was applauded once for breaking a string. That was sweet.