Breaking guitar strings? setting up a guitar?

J

jwalsh

New member
Since I dont have work today, I figured I'd ask a question about string breaking, which is somewhat nagging me. I have a telecaster which a little over 1 year old. I have never taken it in to get setup. And I have never had a problem with it. Until recently. For about the last month, I am constantly snapping the D string. I think the problem is due to the fact that I wrote a song in which the D string is tuned up to E, and we have been playing that song live, so in the middle of the set I am tuning the D string up. I have only been breaking strings since we have been doing this song (note: I dont break the string on that song, only on regular tuned songs). Is the problem that I have somehow screwed the neck up, and should bring my guitar in to get setup (or do it myself, although im not completely sure how to)? I have lifetime free setups from the store that I bought my guitar in, so I should take advantage of that. And how often do guitars need to be setup? Thats it and thanks in advance.
 
I'b be a bit cautious about "lifetime free setups"... I usually pay in the 'hood of $50 per setup and that is once a year. That's seting the intonation, checking and adjusting string height and de-crudding the tremelo (which is a job in itself). What kind of tremelo are you using??? If you use a serious tremelo bar like Floyd Rose or Kahler make sure the roller isn't stuck on your D-string... That would cause it to break more often than it should.
 
The string consistantly breaks at the saddle. My style of play is a tad agressive live, but I usually dont do any heavy bending or anything. Its strange, because I didnt break more than 5 strings a year for about 5 years, and now all of a sudden, I cant stop snapping this string. I figured that it could be in some way related to tuning the D to and E on occasion as I said before, but it doesnt snap in this tuning, only in standard. I'm not too well versed on techincal things, but I thought that maybe bringing it in to get setup (which I guess couldnt hurt anyway) may help the problem. Its frustrating, and we have some pretty big shows lined up, and its real unprofessional to break a string 2 songs into your set. And my backup guitar is a mexican strat, so its a step down from my custom tele.....and I dont really play it as well (a confidence thing I guess..)
 
You may want to try a lighter guage "D" or set..Also, look at where the string breaks..nut?? saddle?? or any random spot..I had a Les Paul that would break "G" strings regularly at the bridge..upon investigation I found a little burr on the tune-o-matic that would rub whenever I bent the string down (toward the floor)...bend enough and *ping*...binding at the nut sorta does the same..
 
Thanks guys. I'll look into everything. We have a show tonight in the city (NY), and I hate having the feeling I'm going to break a string, constantly in the back of my head.
 
Hey jwalsh, I would look into getting some string saver sadles by graphtech, I bought my last ones from the local music store here, their worth their weight in gold, I used them on a tele, and now on a strat, and belive me I've broken alot of strings on alot of diffrent guitars in thirty one years, but never in five years since I've used these sadles broken not one! and dont worry about the tone, its still there even better...Peace
 
Strings don't like to be stretched to a higher pitch and then back down to a lower pitch. This will cause the windings to separate and then compress. Metal fatigue is what is probably breaking the strings....of course try out all of the above suggestions, and look for sharp edges or burrs.

I play Pedal Steel, and my strings are constantly being stretched and released. String breakage is just a fact of life for a Pedal steel guitar... same for you if you de-tune... (it's not the same a bending a string at the fret board.) You are actually changing the tension on the string.

Sincerely;

Dom Franco
 
I think the replies here have covered the issue porperly, but 50$ for a setup????
I work at a music store in Goshen IN, (way up north there) and we do set ups--complete and very nicely, for 15$ electric and 18$ acoustic. We have the cheapest prices I have ever seen. IF you are ever in North-Central Indiana, stop by TG Music. They do it right, and cheap.

MIKE
 
I've been using D'Addario .10's for as long as I have been playing the guitar (about 7 years). If I knew that they were definitely the problem I would change them, but otherwise, I really rather wouldn't. I'm sure the problem is something related to the bridge. We played a show last night and I didnt have a problem, but I am bringing my guitar in to get looked at this week cause I dont think that it just went away.
 
Ever looked into diferent brand name strings?
Not that it will make a big diference if you have burrs but using strings like "Power Brites" might help. They are bit on the expensive side, but the brass coating that they use helps with wear and tear.

Rob
 
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