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Topic: A small but helpful G# string breaking hack. |
Barry Yasika
From:
Bethlehem, Pa.
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Posted 6 Mar 2019 8:45 pm |
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I use to go through an awful lot of .11 Gauge G# strings. They always broke right on the bridge just above the string retainer. I could never figure out why because that area is round on every guitar I've owned. I changed to Jaguar Strings and that in and of itself really helped a lot. However, I still broke them in the same spot more than any other string. I tried several things to eliminate the problem and the one thing that has made a huge difference, was winding the string around the tuning peg many more times than you would think is necessary. By that I mean at least 10 wraps. I would also take the end of the string and pull it back to the opposite string hole and pull it under the string so that it locks itself in place using it's own tension to do so. That helps keep that string to stay in tune. Since I've been doing this I rarely break that string any more. If it only worked once or twice I wouldn't have bothered to write this. This seems to have solved that problem for me on two different guitars. I practice every day for at least an hour and I hate to take the time to change strings often, even though I know that's what a pro would suggest. Anyway, I just thought I throw this out there in the event it might could do someone else some amount of good by lessening the anguish of changing broken strings so often. If this is already a known "hack", I never read anything about it before and I hope I didn't' waste anyone's time reading this windy thread.
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Emmons |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 7 Mar 2019 1:56 am
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It's good practice to wind the string round the peg many times and then some, but that's to stop it breaking at the peg. How that affects the bridge end is not clear, but as they say - if it works for you....
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 7 Mar 2019 8:30 am
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Like Ian said, I don't know how it would help with breaks at the bridge, but if it works for you......
One thing that I've always wondered about behind the nut is the break angle, and whether the string exits the tuning post at the bottom or the top. (This applies only to keyed guitars, obviously.)
On an S10, for strings 5 and 6 for example it probably doesn't matter.
But for strings 1 and 10, you can decrease the angle slightly if the string exits over the post.
The real problem string always seems to be the 3rd G#, so it may matter more for that one.
I have nothing to base this on, just wondering. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2019 8:38 am
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Going to a .012 gauge helps.
Erv |
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Tom Campbell
From:
Houston, Texas, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2019 10:34 am
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| I went from .011 to .0115 and it helped some...I then went to .012 and never broke a G# (3rd) string since. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2019 10:41 am
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Agreed!
Better tone also. 
Erv |
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Dennis Montgomery
From:
Western Washington
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 8 Mar 2019 10:04 am
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But again, how does any of that stop it breaking at the other end? Strings fail at the bridge from fatigue caused by the continual slight flexing at the point of contact as they're raised and lowered.
I notice that modern designs (I speak for Williams and Excel) look as though they bend the string less, but my homemade guitar was old-fashioned with pins behind the fingers and it never broke a string, even though I only changed them once in all the years I played it! On the other hand it was keyless and nutless and had 1" diameter finger tops.
So use fatigue-resistant strings, whatever they are. I have only ever used Ernie Ball, GHS and Rotosound. Rotosound are British and I'd be interested to know if any find their way trans-pond.
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 8 Mar 2019 12:33 pm
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In 49 years, I have never had a string break at the keyhead. I cut my strings 2 tuning key pegs past the one I am stringing. The only times I break strings is if I leave them on too long.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Larry Ball
From:
Airdrie, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 8 Mar 2019 12:50 pm
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Yes Dennis your are right. I bought a New Mullen about 1 1/2 yrs ago and watched that same video on the winding of string 3. I play nearly every day, plus gig on weekends. And "Knock on Wood" I have only
broken a #3 string once. I do change my strings on a regular basis so that may help. But I think Mullen has it right at least for their guitar.
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Mullen SD10, Sho~Bud SD10 LDG, Show-Pro SD10 LDG, Peavey Nashville 112, Boss Katana 100 MK11, Telonic's F100 Multi-Taper Super Pro V/P, |
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