Breaking my first string....

[Steve Lipsey]

I use LKR to pull the first string from F#-G#, (along with 6th string G#-F#)...I use the pull a lot, mostly for 6th string, (hardly ever play the first string, use my LKV or C pedal E->F# instead generally), but it snaps regularly just from being pulled....GHS Boomers ....the 3rd and 5th strings are labeled as "PG" (pedal guitar) strings, made to take the stretching, but the first is not....

I'm happy with the strings otherwise....who makes a "pedal guitar" .013? I just ordered some Cobra Coil .013's...Jagwires not available....is the Cobra Coil stretchier than the GHS?

I'd like to keep the pull, I use it with 4th string to get the "country" riff...

Thanks...

[Lane Gray]

Where is it breaking? I suspect a burr.

[Jerry Overstreet]

How often is "regularly"? Could it just be a bad batch of 13 ga. strings? Yes, they will break there same as 3 and 5. You might try a 12PG reinforced there v the 13.

If they break at the bridge on the roller finger, that's pretty much normal. Otherwise, at the keyhead end, not normal.

If you don't use the 1st string G# pull, you could detune that raise down to G instead.

[Jack Stoner]

I have the 1st string raise, along with 2nd string raise and 6th string lower on my RKL. I've never broken a 1st string in the 30 years I've had that pull on my Franklin.

I would look, as mentioned, for a mechanical problem such as the mentioned burr on the changer finger, depending on which end it's breaking.

[Steve Lipsey]

breaking at the changer. will look again for burr, not sure what I'm looking for, it looks pretty smooth....

and it doesn't break a lot, many 10's of playing hours at least, maybe more. Just that nothing else ever breaks on the Rains...broke twice so far, both from original sets of Boomers, don't know if they are same batch or not. I've been playing steel for 5 months, a few hours every day of practice and gigs...

[Tony Prior]

Before going crazy, 1St string pulls breaking strings is about as rare as it gets.

when the string is OFF

take a piece of cotton and pull it across the changer to detect a burr.

if there is no BURR

get some new strings, GHS Boomers do not have a typical wrap for a PSG. We have read countless "My string breaks " stories for years now...many are just flat out related to BAD strings, Bad wraps etc...approach that first, it's the cheapest and easiest issue to eliminate.

GHS Boomers are not PSG strings. Putting them on a pull may cause an issue. Having them on a "NON pull" is fine. Many of us have been using 12's or 13's for years with no issues but likely they came from PSG String sets, the wraps are different.


If there is a BURR on the changer, a small file very light gauge file or 1000 grit paper will knock it out....

Don't go crazy...this is an easy one...

t

[Arne Odegard]

During my first few years of playing I never used to break strings. As my playing got more advanced (for me anyway) I started to break more strings, at least every couple of months. I really love the LKL lever that raises the 1st string. So it really takes a beating.

[Carson Leighton]

Steve,,put a .012 on it and you probably won't have any more problems..You might be using that change a lot more than you think...Sometimes they will stand it,,but sometimes they won't..If a .012 breaks,,then you have a problem some place else...Make sure the roller nut is turning freely...The changer is usually the point at which they break because of the curvature at that point and the fact that the changer finger is always moving..They usually break right after the twist on that end..As has been said though,,check for a burr...Hope you find the problem.....Carson

[Jack Stoner]

I had a problem a while back breaking B strings (5 th string) at the changer end. It felt smooth and I couldn't see any burr or problems but I sanded and polished the finger and no more problems.

LIGHTLY sand with at least 600 grit emery cloth then polish with Simichrome or similar polish (it's sold as Harley Davidson brand polish at Harley Davidson motorcyle shops).

[Steve Lipsey]

Thanks, guys, I've got plenty of ideas to try now....will try them all when it breaks again or sooner....the cotton trick is a good one to remember....and I have Simichrome, will that be enough for a small burr or will aI also need emery cloth?

[Jerry Overstreet]

Unless you can see or feel a burr or deep groove, I wouldn't advise sanding. Over time, this will take a toll on the finger radius.

Semi-chrome is a mild abrasive and should be enough to smooth out small imperfections.

This still sounds like a classic case of string fatigue. Any plain string you bend back and forth a whole step is going to fail with repeated use. You say you use the 6th string lower a lot and the 1st string is on the same lever. The repeated bending will fatigue that string too whether you are picking it or not.

As stated in my earlier reply, maybe try a different batch of 13's or stick a 12 PG reinforced on there just to see if anything changes.

Hope you get it straightened out. Keep us posted.

[Steve Lipsey]

Jerry-
I think you are probably right...the other strings that move a lot are "PG" rated, this one is not, GHS just decided for us that we would never want to pull it a lot....I'll try the Cobra Coil .013's and see if they are better made....I don't know what they actually are...if not, using a .012 might be the answer....or just replacing it more frequently...

[Adam Sorber]

I use Cobra Coil .012's for my first string. They hold up better than any other strings that I have tried.

[Ransom Beers]

Steve,Tom Bradshaw sells good strings. When I was using GHS strings I broke a lot of .011's then I discovered a burr on my tuning key,I filed that off,put Tom's strings on & haven't broken one since

[Ray Anderson]

Cobra coils are excellent strings, haven't broke one in a year and a half and they last really well. Can't say that for some of the other brands though.