Bass strings are huger! Very hard to overtune and break. I have tuned an E to A by accident (booze and bass dont mix!) and it amazingly didn't break.
I wouldn't want my face near a bass string tuned up an octave though!!!!
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Over tightened E string by accident
- Thread starter Dr3thepooner
- Start date
I wouldn't want my face near a bass string tuned up an octave though!!!!
Reminds me of that episode of Mythbusters trying to slice hanging pig bodies in half with snapping cables. OUCH!
That said, every bass string I ever broke just kinda unraveled gently - never seen one actually snap and go sproinging like that.
Yeah, both the core and the wrappings rarely break in the same spot at the same time - I've broken lots of bass strings in the 4+ decades I've been playing, haven't seen one go flying yet.
I still wouldn't put my face next to one if I expected it to go....
I'm probably one of the dumbest people here and I've never done that.
I think that the tension would be obvious to anyone who has ever played a bass longer than two weeks. No offense to anyone who has played less than two weeks. If you have been playing longer than two weeks and have done this by accident, I don't care of you're offended.
No blow-softening smiley, thank you.
I think that the tension would be obvious to anyone who has ever played a bass longer than two weeks. No offense to anyone who has played less than two weeks. If you have been playing longer than two weeks and have done this by accident, I don't care of you're offended.
No blow-softening smiley, thank you.
20 years ago, when I was just starting out, a buddy of mine told me that in order to get a piccolo bass sound from my Gremlin, I'd have to tune all my bass strings an octave higher. I had no idea what a piccolo bass even was at the time, but trusted this guy because he knew the intros to Crazy Train and One (yea just the intros). He said that that was the only way to get the Stu Hamm sound. Well even though I had no idea of what a piccolo bass was, I sure as heck knew who Stu hamm was. So I started tuning my strings higher and higher, until I started hearing all kinds of cracking and snapping in the neck. My G string was instantly destroyed after plucking it just once. The other strings soon followed. My poor Gremlin was never the same again. I miss that bass. 
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
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Oh, no! There are horrific stories of broken neck shrapnel hitting faces of players who over tighten their strings. You're lucky you didn't lose an eye!
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
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- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
Ho, Ho, Ho. *kicks face with boot*
The string will give first. You're fine. Hard to imagine any adverse effect on the neck. After all, it is much more massive, not to mention well braced for tension.
I use a set of Power Slinkies (55, 75, 90 and 110), tuned to standard E on a long scale cheap P Bass copy. No issues with the neck or the strings.
On the other hand, as painful as it might be, I'd really rather break my nut than my neck.
I did the same thing many, many years ago, and like everybody else has already said.....wood is very elastic and the tension put on it just before the string broke did absolutely nothing to it.
You should be fine.
I've had three or four break on me in my time, always only the core for me, never the winding, right near the saddle every time too. The core would break and the winding would just stretch out like a slinky.
Yeah, that's the usual way, though I've broken windings and had them unravel from the bridge leaving just the core also. Either way, it's a goner...
Chances of damaging a neck, by doing what you did are slim to none, (might damage the nut, but probably not). I turned the tuner on a new A string once , not paying attention, till the string snapped, the good thing is....you most likely will not do that again. I had no backup, and a nightmare missing that A string on a live stage all night, (I won't do it again) ( I had cut the old one to get it off faster)
I'd be curious to see what that looks like. It's probably been more than 10 yrs or so since the last one I broke though.
