Broke a string

koneguitarist

First time I broke a string on a gig for about 10-15 years literally just got through the solo and bang the 3rd( a plain .20) went.

Anyone else regularly break strings or just every once in a blue moon like me ?

Lixarto

Regularly.

Every ten years or so - so I must be due again soon.

citizen68

Not since I started using Elixir 11's but you mustn't be hitting them hard enough Taff

mike_l

Considering how hard I assault the strings, no.

Annoyingly I'm known to snap fresh strings when stretching them....

drwiddly

Last time I broke one playing was sometime in the early 80's but like @mike_I, I break the odd one when re-stringing.,

koneguitarist

This was on my slide guitar, my regular tele, I have gone to a set of 9`s, and still don`t break strings...... must have been faulty only lasted a couple of years  ?

ToneControl

can't remember, must be 10-20 years

Sometimes they go ping whilst on the wall, mostly nylon wound strings though

ESBlonde

I rarely break strings (like once a decade) but I had what must have been a bad bos and two strings unwound at the ball end!!!

EricTheWeary

IIRC when I used 9's I did all the time but rarely with 10's. I did once break a scratchplate into bits on a gig, the repair guy said he had never seen anything like it. 

octatonic

I can remember one string break in recent memory- a nylon string.

Don't think it has happened in more than a year other than that.

Strings never stick around long enough for them to break- plus I think string makers churn out better product than ever.

Danny1969

Yeah strings now are made better and last longer. In the nineties I could maybe get 5 gigs out of a set before they started breaking, now  it can be about 12 or so gigs 

RocknRollDave

EricTheWeary said:

IIRC when I used 9's I did all the time but rarely with 10's. I did once break a scratchplate into bits on a gig, the repair guy said he had never seen anything like it. 

How did you manage that?!

EricTheWeary

RocknRollDave said:

EricTheWeary said:

IIRC when I used 9's I did all the time but rarely with 10's. I did once break a scratchplate into bits on a gig, the repair guy said he had never seen anything like it. 

How did you manage that?!

Err, sort of hitting the strings onto the pick ups and the neck pick up basically collapsed ( into the swimming pool rout I think)and took the scratchplate with it. Fender single ply. From around the middle pick up forwards it shattered into several peices. We were playing a support at the Robin, where I also lost my favourite guitar strap.

ICBM

koneguitarist said:

First time I broke a string on a gig for about 10-15 years literally just got through the solo and bang the 3rd( a plain .20) went.

Anyone else regularly break strings or just every once in a blue moon like me ?

Breaking a plain 20 is quite impressive, assuming you weren't in some weird tuning where it was a lot higher than G…

Where did it break? If it was at the bridgeplate, check for burrs - such a high-gauge string can tend to form them, and then it may cut the new string as well.

I don't break them often. If I do it's usually the top E, sometimes the D, and once that I can think of the B. The G on an acoustic more often, but that's a wound one and the core is probably about the same gauge as the top E.

Branshen

Not very often, the last one was a good few years ago. But it will only happen right before a performance.

randomhandclaps

If I snap them it's only when stretching them - I really stretch every last bit out of them.   Haven't actually broken a string playing in around 10-15 years.  That said, as I spend so much time recording strings are never on for long enough to really deteriorate and every other part of each guitar get checked frequently.  When I was younger I would get more nervous so would sweat a lot on my hands.  Nowadays unless playing in a boiling hot studio or rehearsal room in high summer I do not sweat which helps.

Col_Decker

usually one per gig. I blame the combination of hitting them hard and my rusty fingers.

Panama_Jack666

My profile picture is of when I broke a string mid gig. My mate is jamming the tele and I'm looking pretty disgruntled as I'm going to get a replacement guitar.

bobblehat

Cant remember the last time ,but i do change them after a bout 10-12 hours of playing or every 3-4 weeks depending on what comes first.Never stretch them though .

PolarityMan

I occasioanlly break one of the bottom strings live, if it hasn't blown the intonation too bad (an advantage of fixed bridges) then i just carry on the song without the string then usually make a big show of tearing it off at the end of the song.

I've had a few times where the rest of the band hasnt even noticed and were about to pile into the next song while I was swapping guitars..