New Guitar - String Breaking

grungebob

You’re not kinking  the string slightly are you when you’re restraining? Could be where you’re holding it whilst you tighten is roughly around the 8th, I doubt it but you never know?

skunkwerx

BRISTOL86 said:

Not a very good pic but here's the fret in question. Can't see or feel anything untoward

How long have those strings in the pic been on man?

Could be shadows but the portion of string (on the trebles) between those frets looks dark compared to how the same string looks right above the frets (more silvery). 

Initially I thought the treble strings looked dead, or corroded and maybe likelier to snap there. 
I thought acidic sweat maybe a cause. 

But then I remember you saying you’ve been playing for a year on a different guitar with no probs. 

BRISTOL86

@Alnico i think it’s just bad light but I’ll have another look tonight - I specifically mentioned it to the tech before he did the setup and he says he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary and sure his eyes are better than mine for this kind of thing. I’m loathe to try and fix the issue myself at this stage without at least speaking to PMT

@grungebob I like your thinking but no, I’m holding the string near the nut when I restring

@skunkwerx that string was a day old, think it’s just shadows or whatever - it was still dark out when I took that photo!

I spent about 4 hours practicing yesterday and guess what....another one gone. So that’s 4 high E strings in about ten days. Getting a bit ridiculous now and before long I’ll have spent more on strings than the guitar! 

Always that one bend - I’ve got to be looking at technique now surely if the tech can’t find anything. Will definitely mention it to my tutor tomorrow as it’s very odd. 

ICBM

Polish them anyway. It won’t do any harm.

If the strings are constantly breaking in exactly the same place then there *is* a rough spot on the fret, whether you can see or feel it or not. It could be almost microscopic and still cause the break if it’s right where the string is stressed most.

BRISTOL86

Ok thanks I’ll do that. Is there a good dummies guide for someone who’s never done anything like that? (Sure there’s lots on the internet but easy to find the wrong advice!) 

ICBM

Very simple - protect the fingerboard either side of the fret with masking tape, then polish the frets with some fine wire wool followed by metal polish. You want to get an almost mirror shine - this will make bending easier as well as remove any rough spots. It's quite noticeable how rough most factory-finished frets are when you've done this! And that very often the final polishing (if you can even call it that) is done the wrong way, leaving scratches across the frets - ie up and down the length of the neck - it needs to be along the frets.

Alnico

BRISTOL86 said:

@Alnico i think it’s just bad light but I’ll have another look tonight - I specifically mentioned it to the tech before he did the setup and he says he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary and sure his eyes are better than mine for this kind of thing. I’m loathe to try and fix the issue myself at this stage without at least speaking to PMT

@grungebob I like your thinking but no, I’m holding the string near the nut when I restring

@skunkwerx that string was a day old, think it’s just shadows or whatever - it was still dark out when I took that photo!

I spent about 4 hours practicing yesterday and guess what....another one gone. So that’s 4 high E strings in about ten days. Getting a bit ridiculous now and before long I’ll have spent more on strings than the guitar! 

Always that one bend - I’ve got to be looking at technique now surely if the tech can’t find anything. Will definitely mention it to my tutor tomorrow as it’s very odd. 

The tech I gave my Strat to when it was 3 weeks old ruined my frets by hamfisted use a levelling file after he cut the nut too low. I was in a rush when I collected it and didn't check it properly. When I got home I found he'd taken so much life out of the frets they weren't 'Narrow-Tall' anymore and he basically ruined a brand new guitar.
I had it re-fretted a short while later when it was a few months old and *now* it's good, except the second 'Tech' twisted the cutters as he snipped each off the new frets, so now the tangs are twisted in the fret slots,..........but at least the playing surfaces are good.

Be very careful who you trust with your guitar!

BRISTOL86

ICBM said:

Very simple - protect the fingerboard either side of the fret with masking tape, then polish the frets with some fine wire wool followed by metal polish. You want to get an almost mirror shine - this will make bending easier as well as remove any rough spots. It's quite noticeable how rough most factory-finished frets are when you've done this! And that very often the final polishing (if you can even call it that) is done the wrong way, leaving scratches across the frets - ie up and down the length of the neck - it needs to be along the frets.

Thanks will definitely give that a go! I have some 0000 steel wool so is that what I should use in the first instance? I don’t hve any metal polish but presumably something I can get in a supermarket will suffice? 

BRISTOL86

Alnico said:

BRISTOL86 said:

@Alnico i think it’s just bad light but I’ll have another look tonight - I specifically mentioned it to the tech before he did the setup and he says he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary and sure his eyes are better than mine for this kind of thing. I’m loathe to try and fix the issue myself at this stage without at least speaking to PMT

@grungebob I like your thinking but no, I’m holding the string near the nut when I restring

@skunkwerx that string was a day old, think it’s just shadows or whatever - it was still dark out when I took that photo!

I spent about 4 hours practicing yesterday and guess what....another one gone. So that’s 4 high E strings in about ten days. Getting a bit ridiculous now and before long I’ll have spent more on strings than the guitar! 

Always that one bend - I’ve got to be looking at technique now surely if the tech can’t find anything. Will definitely mention it to my tutor tomorrow as it’s very odd. 

The tech I gave my Strat to when it was 3 weeks old ruined my frets by hamfisted use a levelling file after he cut the nut too low. I was in a rush when I collected it and didn't check it properly. When I got home I found he'd taken so much life out of the frets they weren't 'Narrow-Tall' anymore and he basically ruined a brand new guitar.
I had it re-fretted a short while later when it was a few months old and *now* it's good, except the second 'Tech' twisted the cutters as he snipped each off the new frets, so now the tangs are twisted in the fret slots,..........but at least the playing surfaces are good.

Be very careful who you trust with your guitar!

Yikes, sounds hairy! This guy is pretty well regarded by all accounts and I’ve used him a few times with no issues so I think he knows what he’s doing! 

Alnico

The tech I went to see is well regarded (I cannot see why now) and I'd had one guitar done by him which he did well but that was a cheap inodensian thing. He did *this* to a brand new Pro Strat and thought it was perfectly fine.

If none of the frets have a flat top, just polish them with PEEK metal creme and it'll improve them.

Unless it's the light, those frets don't look polished and that's not a great thing from a "Well regarded" tech. I'd expect them to be polished and buffed as part of a full set up.

If they have been polished and it's just the light, then you have found a good one but you may still have a problem with the guitar.

BRISTOL86

Alnico said:

The tech I went to see is well regarded (I cannot see why now) and I'd had one guitar done by him which he did well but that was a cheap inodensian thing. He did *this* to a brand new Pro Strat and thought it was perfectly fine.

If none of the frets have a flat top, just polish them with PEEK metal creme and it'll improve them.

Unless it's the light, those frets don't look polished and that's not a great thing from a "Well regarded" tech. I'd expect them to be polished and buffed as part of a full set up.

If they have been polished and it's just the light, then you have found a good one but you may still have a problem with the guitar.

It was juat a basic set up to deck the trem and give it a once over - maybe he polishes frets as part of a full setup...who knows! 

To add insult to injury, I think having spent the last two weeks with the guitar, I dislike the colour   

I wonder how amenable PMT would be to an exchange. I’m guessing not very now they have my cash and the guitar has been used for 2 weeks....

ICBM

BRISTOL86 said:

Thanks will definitely give that a go! I have some 0000 steel wool so is that what I should use in the first instance? I don’t hve any metal polish but presumably something I can get in a supermarket will suffice? 

0000 is perfect. Yes, Brasso is ideal. If you can't find any then T-Cut will work too, it's actually not far off the same thing!

Alnico

My mistake, I thought you'd said it had a full set up.

Obviously then, the frets are out-of-the-box and all new fenders come with a sticky, awful lacquer on the frets that needs polishing off.

If you don't return it or they won't let you try some 'Peek' metal creme polish with the board masked up. With strings off, it takes half an hour but makes a huge difference.

BRISTOL86

Thanks both - I’m going to speak to PMT today and see how friendly they are about an exchange but otherwise I’ll do what you suggest (and learn to live with a colour I don’t like)  

Alnico

BRISTOL86 said:

Thanks both - I’m going to speak to PMT today and see how friendly they are about an exchange but otherwise I’ll do what you suggest (and learn to live with a colour I don’t like)  

Don't mention the Tech to them or they'll say no straight away.
If all he's done is deck the tremolo and a quick check over then it's fine, you could have done that yourself at home but if you tell them that you've handed it to a tech to do any work, they won't want it back.

I don't think they will take it back myself but go try, you never know.
Good luck.

There are things that can be done to change the look of the guitar, number one being the scratchplate.
Mine has changed drastically by fitting black plastics, from the 60's looks it had when it was new.

BRISTOL86

Alnico said:

BRISTOL86 said:

Thanks both - I’m going to speak to PMT today and see how friendly they are about an exchange but otherwise I’ll do what you suggest (and learn to live with a colour I don’t like)  

Don't mention the Tech to them or they'll say no straight away.
If all he's done is deck the tremolo and a quick check over then it's fine, you could have done that yourself at home but if you tell them that you've handed it to a tech to do any work, they won't want it back.

I don't think they will take it back myself but go try, you never know.
Good luck.

There are things that can be done to change the look of the guitar, number one being the scratchplate.
Mine has changed drastically by fitting black plastics, from the 60's looks it had when it was new.

Yeah I wasn’t planning on mentioning that(!) 

I’m being melodramatic of course, I don’t hate it...but on reflection I think I bought it because it was there and ready to take away when in my head I thought I wanted white/rosewood and typically that wasn’t there.

I’m hoping after spending £2.5k in there they won’t be a pain in the arse about swapping it for another colour....not like I’m asking for cash back...the guitar is in considerably better playing nick than a lot off their wall that I played!

Their returns policy from the website is giving me hope....basically means store discretion - I’ll lay it on thick to the manager about how depressed I am about Sonic Grey  

In-Store Returns

If you have bought something in-store and want to return it back to the shop, the PMT crew can offer you a refund if you return your item within 14 Days from purchase date and with 100% perfect packaging.

At the company’s discretion, an exchange may be permitted within 30 days of you receiving the goods.

Your statutory rights are not affected.

Tubes and Valves within amplifiers are covered within 90 days of purchase. Speak to our guitar experts or returns department for advice on any issues with your amp and we'll be happy to help identify the fault.

Alnico

Good luck man.

In retail, "Nice" people always get treated the best.

BRISTOL86

I’ll report back! 

Plectrum

BRISTOL86 said:

ICBM said:

Very simple - protect the fingerboard either side of the fret with masking tape, then polish the frets with some fine wire wool followed by metal polish. You want to get an almost mirror shine - this will make bending easier as well as remove any rough spots. It's quite noticeable how rough most factory-finished frets are when you've done this! And that very often the final polishing (if you can even call it that) is done the wrong way, leaving scratches across the frets - ie up and down the length of the neck - it needs to be along the frets.

Thanks will definitely give that a go! I have some 0000 steel wool so is that what I should use in the first instance? I don’t hve any metal polish but presumably something I can get in a supermarket will suffice? 

No, no, no, no, no. Please don't use wire wool. Tiny bits will come off it and end up attached to your pickups.

BRISTOL86

Plectrum said:

BRISTOL86 said:

ICBM said:

Very simple - protect the fingerboard either side of the fret with masking tape, then polish the frets with some fine wire wool followed by metal polish. You want to get an almost mirror shine - this will make bending easier as well as remove any rough spots. It's quite noticeable how rough most factory-finished frets are when you've done this! And that very often the final polishing (if you can even call it that) is done the wrong way, leaving scratches across the frets - ie up and down the length of the neck - it needs to be along the frets.

Thanks will definitely give that a go! I have some 0000 steel wool so is that what I should use in the first instance? I don’t hve any metal polish but presumably something I can get in a supermarket will suffice? 

No, no, no, no, no. Please don't use wire wool. Tiny bits will come off it and end up attached to your pickups.

Thanks