When's the last time you broke a string?

[Rip Van Dan]

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?

If I recall correctly it was late 1971 while I was touring and was a Fender flatwound G-string. Replaced all the strings with the Fender Black Nylon Taped strings then. That's the only time I've actually had a bass string break.

So none in the last 50-years.

 

[Hounddog409]

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?

Ill let you know when my first string breaks.

 

[Todd Hamby]

When I first started playing the first 4 or 5 years I broke them regularly. I also played like a Neanderthal. The last time I broke was around 10 years ago.

 

[GIBrat51]

I honestly don't remember the last time, exactly. But, it was a couple of years ago, and I wasn't playing the bass. I've actually broken... 4 strings (I think) over the 30+ years of owning basses - and 50+ years of playing them. But, I've never broken one while playing. Most of them were broken while moving them from one bass to another - one time too many. They were always EB Regular/Hybrid Slinkys, and always either the A or D string. Nothing against Slinkys; they're one of the very few rounds that I actually like. But, I use them primarily as "baseline" strings on new basses, to see what kind of strings they're going to wear permanently. And, sometimes they get moved several times, so... The last time I broke a string was sometime in early May, 2019. That time, it was the A string from a set of medium scale La Bella 760FLs that had been on a Matsumoku-made Epiphone EA-260 hollowbody bass for at least 14 years. I took them off the bass because they - and the bass - were becoming a serious biohazard. I tried very hard to straighten the tuner ends no more than was abso-frickin'-lutely necessary, but... even that little bit was too much. When I tried - very gently - to bring them back to pitch... "Snap!!" Which was a bummer, because old as they were? Still sounded goood. But, naturally I had a new set in my Big Box O' Strings, so... it's all good. But, otherwise? I've never, ever, broken a bass string by playing it. I'm too lazy to play that hard; I let the amp do all the hard work...

 

[FUBB]

One and only time back in 1980. First gig with new band and first time out for my Bicentennial Thunderbird. Rotosound 66, think it was the D string. Must have been going at it a bit hard.

 

[bobyoung53]

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?

1977, I broke two within a week, I had a burr or something on my bridge. This was at the beginning of a non-stop Who medley with several solos. I think it was the D to to top it off. I haven't done it since.

 

[Rayjay]

Picture it. Sicily. 1934.

 

[jeffb28451]

Never in 40 years

 

[Steve Slate]

Never broke one while playing. That's easily over forty years! I never leave the house without an extra set!! That came in handy once when another player broke a string. I just gave him the set and was glad I could help!! I broke a B string once trying to seat in around the tuner post.

 

[NoiseNinja]

I think 2 years ago or so stringing my electric guitar by keep turning the wrong tuning peg when tuning it up.

It was the gauge .010 high E string of a .046 to .010 Elixir Nanoweb set.

On bass, I think once ever, something like 20 years ago or so.

I don't remember which string or in what context though, but I don't think it was at a gig or I would have remembered, I think I vaguely remember it to be at band rehearsal, and it might had been the A string.

 

[Al Kraft]

I've never broken a bass guitar string and have been playing bass since the 1970's. Acoustic guitar strings are a different story altogether.

 

[SteveC]

I’m gonna say 1982.

 

[lokikallas]

About 25 years ago before I sanded the burr out of the saddle.

 

[armybass]

In 37 years I think once. I think it was in the 80’s and it was an E string. And a relatively new one I believe.

 

[bassburner]

Twice, about 20-25 years ago. Then I stopped using Ernie Ball.

 

[Lownote38]

I was 14, so 1990.

 

[Krakmann]

Never broke one.

 

[bofus]

1995? I bought a new '94 Carvin and was learning to slap/pop. I'd break the g string every 2 months. It was crazy. After the 3rd string break, I inspected the saddle and there was a SLIGHT burr there. I ran a file on the saddle slot and have never broken a string again. The saddles are black, but all these years later you can still see the silver area of where I ran the file to remove the burr.

 

[Bill Thorsberg]

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?

 

[Bill Thorsberg]

I think it was at a bar in Memphis called Miss Kitty's in 1981ish? Broke my G and finished the gig without it just fine. Ever since I've packed an extra set of old strings just in case but never experienced a failure since then.