When's the last time you broke a string?

Matt300ZXT

Matt300ZXT

Well-known member
I ask because I see guys do this playing on YouTube videos, guys doing it live, people starting out, etc quite frequently.

I play D'Addario 9-42s exclusively in Eb usually with Floyd guitars for the most part, and a couple Teles with standard Tele bridges and Warriors with string through tune-o-matic bridges. Other than probably 8 years ago when I had a Jackson Dinky Professional that'd break them at the bridge because there was a burr in the saddle and took me a while to figure out, I haven't broken a string from playing in probably 15 years. I use Jazz III picks and predominantly just play 80s guitar solos and noodle around. Maybe I just have a lighter touch?

When's the last time you broke a string, and have you been able to figure out what caused it and fix it?
 
The last time I broke one was about 5 or 6 years ago. I had bought my last guitar which has a Floyd 1000 series on it and after 9 months or so started breaking strings due to the string lock insert blocks being made of softer metal...bought a set of titanium insert blocks and haven't broken a string since.
 
I break them in practice a fair amount. Had one break for first time in a show recently. And I change them all the time on multiple different guitars. It’s usually the 2nd or 3rd strings. Almost no others
 
I use nyxl 10-52. I randomly broke a high e tuning on a set that had been on guitar over a year.

I have broke acoustic strings a few times many years ago, but i play very hard and have never broke one while playing

Edit: i dont play leads with tons of bends on the thin strings to be fair
 
I broke a .50 sixth string last. It was fairly old tbh.
 
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Broke a d string a couple of weeks ago on my Music Man Axis. Not often, but when it happens its almost always the d for whatever reason.
 
headlessdeadguy said:
I can’t remember the last time I broke one.
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+1

I used to break them all of the time decades ago playing GHS. I switched to Ernie ball strings and have been using those exclusively for over 25 years and never broke one since.

I play 10-52 in Eb and 12-60 in C#.
 
Now that I think about, it’s been a long time. Maybe I’m getting more precise. Or maybe turning into a sissy as I get older
 
I used to break them all the time when I used GHS boomers.

Since I switched to NYXLs I break strings maybe once every 6 months to a year. Generally play 10-52s in standard with dunlop jazz iii XLs

I break strings more often doing setups or changing strings.
 
A couple of weeks ago. Playing my Ibanez 1077xl with the stock strings. .09 high E *ping*
 
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DanTravis62 said:
I used to break them all the time when I used GHS boomers.

Since I switched to NYXLs I break strings maybe once every 6 months to a year. Generally play 10-52s in standard with dunlop jazz iii XLs

I break strings more often doing setups or changing strings.
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I'm always turning my head when turning the high e. I just know the one time I don't it's gonna pop and stab my eye out.
 
glpg80 said:
+1

I used to break them all of the time decades ago playing GHS. I switched to Ernie ball strings and have been using those exclusively for over 25 years and never broke one since.

I play 10-52 in Eb and 12-60 in C#.
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Goddamn dude, it'd take one hulk of a man to break a set of 12-60s. You sure you don't just play bass and no one told you?
 
Matt300ZXT said:
Goddamn dude, it'd take one hulk of a man to break a set of 12-60s. You sure you don't just play bass and no one told you?
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I’m left handed but play right handed. I’ve always had a heavy left hand. I used to play 9-42 in Eb when I first started out and that was when I broke strings all of the time. I jumped up in gauges ages ago to help prevent it too and never went back.

The 12-60 isn’t so bad. The hardest part to get used to is the 24 gauge solid core G string (I hate wound G’s)
 
glpg80 said:
I’m left handed but play right handed. I’ve always had a heavy left hand. I used to play 9-42 in Eb when I first started out and that was when I broke strings all of the time. I jumped up in gauges ages ago to help prevent it too and never went back.

The 12-60 isn’t so bad. The hardest part to get used to is the 24 gauge solid core G string (I hate wound G’s)
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dude, i couldn't even get that 24 gauge solid core G string to ring out properly on my explorer tuned to B and sometimes C. I use the 12-60 set and swap the 24 out for a 22. it helps a little. I can't do wound g's either. they feel weird bending. i just broke the D string on that set last week. I've been known to break A's and G's like crazy. the other guitarist in my band back in the day had the same problem. we're probably just heavy handed.
 
JimAnsell said:
dude, i couldn't even get that 24 gauge solid core G string to ring out properly on my explorer tuned to B and sometimes C. I use the 12-60 set and swap the 24 out for a 22. it helps a little. I can't do wound g's either. they feel weird bending. i just broke the D string on that set last week. I've been known to break A's and G's like crazy. the other guitarist in my band back in the day had the same problem. we're probably just heavy handed.
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I also use the 12-56 set and if I can’t get the pack with the solid core G string I’ve been known to swap out the wound G for a 22 as well.

Also how in the world do you do 12-60 tuned to B? I’d have to go to 13’s. 12’s in C# feel just right but start to feel loose to me in C/drop B.
 
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