I am about 32 years into playing and have never broken a string. Countless playing sessions between weekly at church for 20 plus years, 3 or 4 bands, jams, open mics, and practice sessions. I am sure it will happen one day, but so far, so good.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Is the D string the easiest to break
- Thread starter GC34
- Start date
Only string I’ve ever broken was a D, at age 16… on stage, right in the middle of a high school jazz band contest. Didn’t have a backup bass, so I limped through the rest of that chart with three, ran offstage, did the fastest string change of my life, and ran back to finish the show.
Zero stars. Would not recommend.
Zero stars. Would not recommend.
My short scales are tuned up a 3rd GCFBb. D'Addario tapewounds. I broke an EB Cobalt flat G standard tuning while installing - new string - even before it got to pitch. Defective winding.
For me totally...used to always break em on Crossroads (in A) when got too wound up
Have since lightened up and stopped drinkin band shots at gigs
Have since lightened up and stopped drinkin band shots at gigs
Is this for a particular string? That calculator is making assumptions that ignore the specifics of each manufacturer's materials and processes. It's a guesstimate at best.
In 50 years of playing, I have never broken a bass string. Guitar strings, yes, bass strings, no.
D
Picture a larger dive bar. We, were playing classic rock/metal. One of my favorite songs to play live was "Balls to the Wall'. In this instance, I decided to make the intro more interesting by jumping, and then to land on the first open "E" note. E string broke while I was midair. A Spinal Tap moment for me.Always bring a back up Bass.
I broke a D string the other day. I had just strung up my bass and I was stretching the strings. That's my first break in maybe 12 years or so.
I'm going to generalise without concrete evidence and say the difference is that the majority of bass players don't tend to bend strings as often or as far as guitarists bend the high E string.
Having said that, I play guitar as well as bass and as far as I can recall after decades of playing I have only had a string break once while playing electric guitar and maybe twice playing acoustic. (And never on bass.)
Not concerned about any percentages of breaking tension. I've only broken two strings in 36 years of playing. One I was deliberately trying to break, and one because of a defect in the string that caused it to bind up when I was bringing it up to pitch.
There is almost no case where bass strings break under normal use. Bad bridge/string/technique break strings, otherwise you're Jamerson and playing a 20 year old string that will fail eventually.
I first picked up a bass in 1984 and I've yet to break a string on any of the basses I own. I've had the same set of tape wounds on one bass for 33 years 
I have only broken 2 strings and both were nylon wrapped G strings, one on an EB3 in the early 70's and the other on a Jazz bass recently. (That one was likely my fault, stretching the string)
I've never broken a bass string in 50+ years of playing bass. I haven't broken a guitar string in three decades. I don't understand the question.
The only two strings I've ever broken were both D's, both EB Cobalt Rounds. Used to always "stretch" new strings a bit after installing, never had any issues with any other strings. The two Cobalt D's broke back-to-back in the same manner, so I stopped altogether with all strings.
The G string seems to be my nemesis. I haven't broken one in a long time though...probably shouldn't have said that!
So a thicker string can handle being closer to their breaking point than a thinner one?
