String breakage problem

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 14 Mar 2017 9:13 am

I've used Jagwire strings for a long time and never had a problem with the third string breaking after only two weekends of playing.

My guitar is a Williams which puts a very small amount of bend on the string but on my recent order of Jagwires,I'm seeing maybe two weekends and BAM!

Are any of you having similar issues with Jagwire?

Whoops, I just noticed I put this topic in Steel Players so move it to Pedal Steel when you can.

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 14 Mar 2017 9:26 am

A bunch of years ago, I was playing in Singapore with Matthew Tan & The Singapore Cowboys and I must have broken a half dozen .011 or .012s right in a row,
The string gremlins had a big ol' time.
REALLY frustrating and embarrassing,
It turned into the "Chris breaks another string" show. :0(

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 14 Mar 2017 9:32 am

I just never break strings during a show but it's been a regular thing all of a sudden and it is very frustrating.

Oh, and there are no burs on the finger and they're breaking between the finger and the pup.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 Mar 2017 10:02 am

I would give Live Steel Strings a try.
I can't remember the last time I broke a string using that brand.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 14 Mar 2017 10:05 am

I did Erv and they're ok but I just have always liked the Jagwire best after using just about every brand out there.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 Mar 2017 10:10 am

Sounds good!

Dale Foreman · Post by **Dale Foreman** » 14 Mar 2017 10:12 am

I recently tried the live steel strings on my Rittenberry Prestige and played one gig and popped the third on the second gig. This is the first string I broke on the Rittenberry and I was using SIT's before.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 14 Mar 2017 10:17 am

I doubt that brand has anything to do with this. It's often a run of bad strings. I've had that with D'Addario electric guitar strings - and I never break strings on my Telecasters in the normal way. I only play with my fingers. I recall having a package of six '011"s (my 2nd string on a Tele) and four of them popped as soon as I got them near pitch.

It never happened again, though, and I still use the same make.

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 14 Mar 2017 6:45 pm

I've had problems with D'Addario strings, too, with breakage,new strings rusty in the package, and wrong guages in the envelopes. I use GHS Boomers now.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 15 Mar 2017 11:13 am

I will not mention brand names but most string companies buy their strings from one of a few companies that actually make strings and might change manufacturers from time to time. You might not be getting the same strings just because packaging looks the same.
Jerry

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 16 Mar 2017 8:55 am

No Matter who's name is on the strings. I have heard of no one making strings that has their own steel mill. They buy rolls of wire with a specific size and composition and use it. I got a dozen George L's .011 3rd strings once that seemed to break about every week. Broke several onstage. In no time it seemed I went through the whole dozen strings. Got another dozen .011's from another shipment. If the original set .011 broke put one of these new ones on and it would last to change time. There is 3 or 4 still in my seat from this shipment.
If a string has a bad twist on the end or a bad wrap on the winding. That is actually the makers fault. The string breaking without a fault in the finger or key shaft. Goes back to whoever made the wire itself.

Ron Scott · Post by **Ron Scott** » 17 Mar 2017 12:08 pm

I have also done that and just go with it. RS

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 17 Mar 2017 5:26 pm

Although it makes it just about impossible to "diagnose" the problem (unless you have a really good memory and/or make notes about every brand of every string you put on every guitar

), I try to have a couple of brands around. Before you get to the last set of one type, get three or four of the next incoming and switch to the new with an "old" set left. What this means is that if you start to have one of those little "runs" you can STOP IT it by putting on a string you know is different.

Of course you tell yourself "I'll figure it out when I get home" and you don't, it also means I have "some" strings of entirely unknown age. And if you asked me to identify the brand of each string new or replacement on all these, umm, "several" guitars lying around here, hilarity would be the only sane response, but I don't break two of the same string in front of total strangers. Unless I do and just forget about it; which sounds pretty sane too.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 19 Mar 2017 2:15 pm

Well I put on a new set Thursday night,played Friday and on Saturday Baaaammmm!

Never seen anything like it after all these years.

GaryL · Post by **GaryL** » 19 Mar 2017 3:32 pm

Unless your guitar is keyless, you might want to try at least five or six wraps on the tuning key.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 19 Mar 2017 6:27 pm

It's the third and it's breaking in front of the changer. I've checked the finger and it's smooth so it's got to be a string Mfg. problem.

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 21 Mar 2017 3:09 pm

Dick, What does the end of the string where it broke look like?
The strings I mentioned breaking in my previous answer would not fit back together. One of the strings actually had a half moon piece of string still attached to the end in the changer. I looked at all the ends that broke after that and there was a little half moon missing from them. All the other strings I have checked seemed to an break at an angle across the string top to bottom. Good Luck and Happy Steelin.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 21 Mar 2017 4:42 pm

I've always been in the middle of playing a song at a gig when it breaks so I haven't really taken time to see what it looks like. It'll surely happen again and I'll let you know.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 22 Mar 2017 1:42 am

probably not a problem but rather a bad batch. I have experienced this as well with j wires, and I am not dissing them. It happens.

I don't recall breaking strings on gigs, I change 3 and 5 every other week if I am out playing regularly and practicing each day.

I don't have a B pedal counter but I bet it's a lot !

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 22 Mar 2017 5:39 am

I'm as far from being an expert as you can get. But my gut feel tells me it's a bad run of strings.

Years ago, on my old Emmons student model, I broke about 3-4 3rd strings in a row just putting them on. It never even got to the point of using the B pedal. It's been a long time, but the problem somehow fixed itself.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 22 Mar 2017 6:15 am

I love Jagwires and not running them down. My post was to see if many of you were experiencing what I am at the moment. I feel that these strings didn't go through some particular process and that's what's causing the problem.

Sid Hudson · Post by **Sid Hudson** » 22 Mar 2017 5:52 pm

Dick Wood wrote:I've used Jagwire strings for a long time and never had a problem with the third string breaking after only two weekends of playing.

My guitar is a Williams which puts a very small amount of bend on the string but on my recent order of Jagwires,I'm seeing maybe two weekends and BAM!

Are any of you having similar issues with Jagwire?

Whoops, I just noticed I put this topic in Steel Players so move it to Pedal Steel when you can.

Buy some spares they're only $1 a piece for Pete's sake!

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 22 Mar 2017 6:34 pm

The cost of a string is not the problem. Having one break during a nice solo is a big thing. It's amazing I don't recall ever seeing a steel player ever a string on a bigtime TV show. Wonder if Tommy ever broke one playing the Opry?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Mar 2017 9:29 am

Jerry,
I was playing in church and I broke a string. My guitar player was the pastor and I told him to buy some time as I needed to replace a string. He stalled long enough to get the string changed and he said: "I've never seen anyone change a string SO fast".

BTW: Happy Birthday!

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 23 Mar 2017 10:20 am

If I broke a string while at a gig it was maybe once or twice a year but it's been the last four gigs and that's just not the norm.

I have 5 more sets to go so we'll see if it continues with those.

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