I need help fast!!!

Alex Piazza · Post by **Alex Piazza** » 2 Feb 2006 2:23 pm

Ive got a pretty big gig tonight so I switched my strings. I didnt want to have any breaks during the show. weve only got 30 minutes. my g# 11 broke as soon as i put it on. Had to switch with a 10. thats all ive got. why would a brand new string break immediatly? any advice

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 2 Feb 2006 2:25 pm

What strings are you buying that don't come with an extra 11?

Alex Piazza · Post by **Alex Piazza** » 2 Feb 2006 2:33 pm

daddario e9s. They look like they have been on the shelf for ma while. Before i made the change i was in a pinch at a gig and put either a 12 or 13 in place of the 11. thought that might have something to do with it.

Mike Randolph · Post by **Mike Randolph** » 2 Feb 2006 2:57 pm

ALEX,IF IT HAPPENS OVER AND OVER YOU COULD HAVE A STOP LOOSE OR JUST BAD STINGS. I BUY MINE BY THE TEN PACK.RECENTLY I BOUGHT SOME AND THEY WERE BAD.MANUFACTURE WAS GREAT ABOUT THE PROBLEM!

Mike Randolph · Post by **Mike Randolph** » 2 Feb 2006 3:02 pm

great capitals huh!!!!

Alex Piazza · Post by **Alex Piazza** » 2 Feb 2006 3:08 pm

i guess i could have a string already cut and ready to go in case it breks during the gig?

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 2 Feb 2006 4:35 pm

Alex,
Check your changer, make sure there's nothing in it! [ball end from broke string?]
Went thru 3 strings one evening, finally turned steel upside down and shook it, out came string end! Walla, end of problem.

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 2 Feb 2006 4:47 pm

Strings break sometimes. I broke three .011's once while restringing. The fourth one I put on (same brand) lasted 3 months, playing 4 nights a week.

Go figure.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 2 Feb 2006 4:50 pm

6 string shred master Eddie Van Halen used to boil his guitar strings. He claimed it made them more supple and would stay in tune better and break less easily. He did alot of whammy bar bends. Seems like this would be great for steel strings on a PSG as they are constantly getting pulled on. has anyone done this?

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 2 Feb 2006 6:26 pm

I ran into a bad batch of strings. Broke 3 .011s before I could pull them up to pitch. The 4th one lasted until I ordered some Jagwire strings through the forum. The Jags lasted a year. I finally changed them. This set has been on about 2 months without breaking any.
This proves that my problem was not the guitar (Marlen U-12). It was the strings.

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www.phelpscountychoppers.com/steelguitar

David Cobb · Post by **David Cobb** » 2 Feb 2006 7:43 pm

Don't change strings the day of a big job, they'll be detuning (stretching) for hours afterward.
Take your chances with the old set you had on.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 2 Feb 2006 9:44 pm

Alex, this is a much discussed problem but again I will mention if the string is breaking at the key end you need to put several more wraps on the key to get the string away from the sharp edge of the hole in the key. If you look at a .011 string that has been taken off the key you will see a bunch of kinks where the string has passed over the hole. If you wind about 5 inches of string on the key it will not break on the key end. Of course if it is breaking at the changer roller you probably have a bad batch of strings or some other problem.
Jerry

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 2 Feb 2006 9:52 pm

Extra wraps on the tuner shaft solved the problem for me.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Feb 2006 10:16 pm

Steve, what brand are you buying that comes with an extra .011? I haven't seen sets with extra strings in a long time.

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Carter D10 9p/9k, NV400, Korg Triton Le88 Synth, Korg CX-3 organ, Yamaha Motif Rack Module, Regal Dobro, Tele, Gretsch Acoustic.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 2 Feb 2006 10:44 pm

Frenchy's Silent Series strings has a extra .011. These strings are available in stainless or nickel wound and are extremely long lasting. Jody.

Alex Piazza · Post by **Alex Piazza** » 3 Feb 2006 12:49 am

well ,thanks for the advice. got through the gig with no brakes. must have been a bad batch.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 3 Feb 2006 2:25 am

Jagwire's " Russ Hicks " w: an 11.5

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 3 Feb 2006 4:36 am

SIT Buddy Emmons sets come with an extra 11.

Larry Phleger · Post by **Larry Phleger** » 3 Feb 2006 10:05 am

If they are breaking at the tuning capstan, try putting more winds on before bringing them up to pitch. I had that problem with my Mullen. Herby Wallace told me to try more wraps so the string doesn't end up over the hole in the capstan. BTW, I use 12s instead of 11s, and they seldom break.

Bill Myers · Post by **Bill Myers** » 4 Feb 2006 3:01 am

Alex, Strings break when they are brand new because of a thing called work hardening. The steel in an 11 or any plain gauge string is made to a specific dimensions (.11 in this case) by drawing it orve a hardened die. In some cases the heat generated from this process can harden the metal. When the metal getsd harder, it also becomes brittle and will break like you've seen. I had experinces where I've had two or three in a row break when you put them on. I now buy 11's by the dozen off of www.juststrings.com. This way I always have a few around.

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2004 Derby D10, 8x5 and 1995 Derby D10 8x6, Evans Amp