breaking strings... When did it stop happening ???

[prsplayer86]

So I was commenting on another post and mentioned breaking a string... got me to thinking... I haven't broken a string in YEARS. I've gigged/rehearsed/ played a ton, and I have a pretty heavy right hand.

I'm not sure when it stopped happening, but I know in the early years of my playing... It happened fairly often. Then it just seemed like it kinda stopped one day.. Its one of those things you don't notice unless you sit and think about it for a moment.

I'm assuming that its a mixture of better quality equipment (Bridges,saddles, nuts), regular maintenance, better quality control with string production after 2003-ish, and improving on my own playing technique.

So how often does my fellow Rigtalkers pop strings, and did anyone notice a decline in string breakage after a point?
Most importantly, Any suggestions/tips/tricks for the youngsters on the subject would be cool.

 

[ace_operations]

I probably stopped breaking strings a year or two into my playing when I learned to handle the strings more gingerly. It's come to a point that I pretty much do not break strings at all now. Of course, I now play a better guitar compared to what I did in the early days and that's got to have something to do with it.

At one point, I went without changing the strings for about 5-6 years and the were those nanoweb thingies from Elixir. They started sounding like shit but they never broke!

 

[mrhiwatt]

I have not broken a string since the early 80's when I was shit faced at some jam's. So it was definitely the Captain and not me breaking them lol. I learned to save the party for after the playing.

Mrhiwat

 

[ghosty999]

Same thing totally happened to me! I think it's using less floyd guitars, when I had 3 floyd guitars I'd string them wrong as younger lad and would bend all over the place and snap them.

Now I play more strat style guitars, my bends are less aggressive and if I use my floyd, I focus on stringing it correctly.

Very odd, never noticed till you made this post

 

[crankyrayhanky]

So I was commenting on another post and mentioned breaking a string... got me to thinking... I haven't broken a string in YEARS. I've gigged/rehearsed/ played a ton, and I have a pretty heavy right hand.

I'm not sure when it stopped happening, but I know in the early years of my playing... It happened fairly often. Then it just seemed like it kinda stopped one day.. Its one of those things you don't notice unless you sit and think about it for a moment.

Totally true. But the weird thing is besides fixed bridges I also use a lot of FRs (Peavey HPs) and still don't break strings. I think I used to use lighter strings back in the days when they broke a lot- those 8 or 9 gauge E strings always needed a backup in the case. But I think any of them broke pretty often(?)

 

[Shawn Lutz]

maybe you just found control or the limits and don't push them to break?

I always ended up breaking the hi E string when I was using 9's regardless of what guitar I used them on. I went to GHS Boomers 10's back in the mid 80's. I break an occasional string here and there but its rare...usually they're beyond dead before I change em. I end up just grabbing a guitar that has newer stings and end up havnig to change a bunch of guitars at once

 

[prsplayer86]

I'm so attentive to new having my guitar setup before a session or shows, that I think thats it more than anything else. I rarely get "dead" strings anymore .

The last time I remember playing live and breaking a string was on a floyd probably 4-5 years ago. I know those strings where 5 weeks old, had 4-6 shows in them, and at least 8 2 hour rehearsals on them. Since then, i've religiously changed them .

 

[Steinmetzify]

I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I broke a string. Probably been since the early 90s, if not longer.

Like you said, it just happened...I didn't really notice for years, until someone said something about it a few years ago and I realized how long it'd been.

Better strings, maybe? Meaning they're actually making better strings than they used to? I know a lot of what I use comes vacuum packed anymore and I don't know when that happened either.....

 

[firegate]

Funny, when I started playing (Squier Strat) I would break a string every few days. Now, I honestly don't think I've broken a string in over 10 years. Agree with everyone else, it's a combination of better equipment and better technique.

 

[prsplayer86]

I vaguely remember finding bad strings in new packs in the late 90's(before vacuum packing was popular). When I say bad, I mean strings that had a slight kink or burr on them. I haven't seen that since then.

At the time I compared it to drummers dealing with inconsistencies with sticks or cymbals .... just much cheaper. lol

 

[moltenmetalburn]

two broken strings in twenty years. one was becasue of a sharp saddle. i have a HEAVY hand as well.

dunno why some guys break them alot, i bet more often than not its sharp metal contact points that the eye cannot see.

 

[Alex Stanley]

Can't remember the last time I broke a string. All my guitars in regular rotation have Floyds, and I'm not gentle on my strings.

 

[prsplayer86]

We are all going to break strings at the next show now ..... damn it karma..

 

[toddbz]

I break a string about one a month or so. Broke a high E the other day and a G just last night.
I do it on multiple guitars. So rest assumed, it's me.

 

[ejecta]

I actually broke one the other day and it had been so long, like in years, that it startled me.

 

[BigDog]

After I stopped cleaning pools and handling chemicals. Acidic sweat would corrode and rust strings which lead to regular breakage. Has been several years since and don't know the last time one broke.

 

[rottingcorpse]

I stopped breaking g strings when I started buying her thongs.

Actually it was when I layed off the floyd.

 

[tubortski]

It stopped after I heard a live recording of my band. I dug in so hard that I could hear the ringing chord go out of tune, then become in tune. I was way too aggressive with my picking hand. Broke a few few strings. After that, nothing.

 

[glassjaw7]

I've never broken a string in almost 20 years of playing.

 

[just42dave]

rarely maybe fear of breaking a string,,, it scares me lol