When's the last time you broke a string?

[Bunk McNulty]

About four years ago? Broke the E! My sound guy got it knotted up and put it back on for me.

 

[Diminishedfilth]

Done it a couple times. First time was decades ago, tried to tune my first bass to my Dad’s acoustic Gibson guitar... “oh I forgot. It’s a bass.” I was dumbfounded too, because the string looked intact as the core snapped somewhere inside the wrap. Last time wasn’t too long after The first. I used to slap with just my thumb and index finger and snapped the G. Somewhere along the way, I learned to use my weaker middle finger to pop the little string.

 

[Killing Floor]

Can’t remember. I think I was in 8th grade.
I’ve broken one on installation. And when I worked in QC at a guitar company I broke guitar strings periodically. Mostly when using a powered winder.
Never broken a guitar or bass string on stage.

 

[lfmn16]

50+ years, I don't remember ever breaking a string.

 

[WillieB]

1982 Montreal, opening set, first song "Pow" by Larry Graham!
E string (rotosound) broke at the tuner. finished the song and one other - which was weird - before
a quick break to replace the string.
none since (knock wood).

 

[bass12]

I’ve maybe broken two strings (G) in more than 30 years of playing. This was a bit over fifteen years ago when I was doing a lot more slapping/popping.

 

[BrentSimons]

I remember breaking strings the first four or five years I started playing bass, but I can't recall ever breaking a string in the past 10 years.

When's the last time you broke a string? How did it happen?

It's been decades! And even then I don't know if the string actually broke or just unwound at the bridge from overuse,age, sweat, corrosion, gunk etc. It was summer and I used to practice with my band in a VERY hot room! It was either a set of Rotosound or GHS Boomers. Back then I used to use strings until I started having tuning issues due to the cost at the time.
Thank you for the trip down memory lane!
Brent

 

[ELG60]

Not yet, but anything is possible.

 

[micahwc]

1998

 

[moreblues]

`when I used to play guitar ,yes
Bass...never broke a string in 51 years

 

[MegaSwing]

While playing, never.

 

[yodedude2]

once, in 20 years. yes, during a gig. it didn't 'break' in the normal sense ... it was a flatwound, and the windings came loose at the tuning key. i kept trying to tune it up haha just made it worse.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, broke the D & G strings in 1973 trying to tune a Hofner Beatle Bass that I'd just bought. My first bass, trying to get in tune using my brothers guitar, and no one had even heard of an electronic tuner.

I've never had a string break while playing.

 

[Koshchei]

I remember breaking strings the first four or five years I started playing bass, but I can't recall ever breaking a string in the past 10 years.

When's the last time you broke a string? How did it happen?

On bass, never. On guitar, probably 1995.

 

[lermgalieu]

Maybe 25 years ago. I used to slap/pop.

 

[dalkowski]

Only once in 40+ years playing, and it was ~30 years ago. In rehearsal with my indie power rock outfit, up/down picking, GHS Boomers, not sure which string. Weirdest feeling.

 

[Gustopher]

I don't want to answer this question for fear of jinxing myself... but I have never broken a bass string. Outside of a defective string or such I wonder how it could even happen.

 

[vindibona1]

Funny you should ask...
My first bass was a Tiesco Del Rey bass that I bought used in 1966 for $15. I think I changed the strings once. I (foolishly) gave this bass away in 2007 with the same strings that I installed in 1966. In 55 years I've never broken a bass string. It's rare that I break guitar strings either. When I do, it is usually the high E and only because I've installed the set, taken the set off and reinstalled it... usually more than one time.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I remember breaking strings the first four or five years I started playing bass, but I can't recall ever breaking a string in the past 10 years.

When's the last time you broke a string? How did it happen?

Pretty much, my broken string days went away with 70s and playing short scale basses. With the light tension, my playing style was more like I was getting ready to launch arrows than good plucking technique. Just some thing about that “pu..twang” sound… needless to say, I went through a lot of strings back then.

To your OP, strings do wear out and can become brittle with age and usage. I have never broken a newer set of strings, and these days mine are changed after 50-75 hours of usage. For studio gigs I always put on a fresh set.

The last string I broke was at the end of 3 days of hard rehearsals that followed 2 weeks of solid preparation. I was hoping to get through those rehearsal so I could put put on a fresh set for the upcoming gig. The good news about changing your strings regularly, is you have more than a few used sets lying about for such events.

 

[BargeOn]

I was at a Medesky, Martin and Wood concert some few yrs ago when Chris Wood lost the E string on his vintage Hofner. It came off the tuning peg in the middle of a song. He never missed a beat! Finished the tune on 3 strings.