String breakage

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 8 May 2002 12:14 pm

...third string breaking on the E9th tuning? ...funny; I've never heard of such a thing.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 8 May 2002 4:19 pm

On my Carter D10, I use Cobra .011 for the 3rd string, I can easily go 4 or 5 weeks with a good amount of practice before it breaks, maybe longer. I do also change the 3rd string a day or so before the weekend gig
and may or may not change it for the following weekend, it depends on gig smoke, sweat, humidity, pedal mashing, all that stuff. But you can get like two dozen for $8 so the cost is pretty low to play it safe. Also a good practice is to polish the finger bridge before placing a new string on the guitar as well. I have not experienced any out of the norm' string breakage on my Carter.
tp
TPrior/SteelGuitarHomesite

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 8 May 2002 6:53 pm

I have owned 3 Carter guitars and have not broke any strings. However, I don't play 4 or 5 hours every day, so that might be it.

Every guitar will break strings if you play it a lot, except maybe the Superb Keyless Excel, and the Anapeg...al.....

[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 08 May 2002 at 07:54 PM.]

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 8 May 2002 9:20 pm

Bill! this is nice to hear, as Jerry is building me a Fessy, Wow "No string breakage" I wont know how to act? au

Keith DeLong · Post by **Keith DeLong** » 9 May 2002 3:02 am

I've had good luck with the George L Stainless Steel strings, haven't broken a third string since I put them on (touch wood)

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 9 May 2002 6:53 am

On the Fender 1000 that I use for the Ralph Mooney stuff, I have actually broken four strings in sight of an hour,__pulling them up to an A.

Do you think a .070W would pull up to that high A note?

Seriously:
Do most of you use a .012 in that position?

Thanks in advance, Rick

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 9 May 2002 7:53 am

You practice 7-8 hours every day, Bill? Wow! I'm lucky if I get that much practice time in a week!

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 9 May 2002 7:56 am

I don't think it's that Brand A breaks strings and Brand B does not, it has to do with the condition of the finger. Tony touched on it with the "polish the finger" comment. If the surface is scored, you're going to break strings. I've been working on my Fessenden bridge to get the scoring out (polishing with simichrome), but there's still some there. And it has to do with the string spacing, too. If the string is positioned off to the side of the finger it may be on a smooth part and away from the scoring in the middle of the finger. I want my spacing to be even and consistent, so I always line up the strings in the middle of the finger, which also positions them consistently over the pole pieces of the pickup. Why do new guitars not break strings? No scoring.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 9 May 2002 8:24 am

SIT sells a "reinforced" 12 gauge that I've had good luck with for the 3rd string.
Get ahold of Malcolm Kirby w/Discount Strings.
Erv

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 9 May 2002 8:42 am

I want my spacing to be even and consistent, so I always line up the strings in the middle of the finger

If you have some scoring you can't get out, you could move all strings to one side or another and still have consistent spacing.

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 9 May 2002 8:44 am

I agree w/ Michael. Although I have had great luck w/ my Dekley(only broke 1 string since 12/2001), I know from the other stringed instruments that I play, that there is usually a reason for string breakage. If your axe is popping lots of strings, dont just trash the broke string and replace it. Take a close look at it and see where the break occured. W/ six string, if you have a guitar that is popping strings, it is probably either a problem w/ the nut or saddle. Take a close look and make sure there are no burs or imperfections. Another thing that I do on the b-bender on my Les Paul is put graphite or grease pencil on any part that the string rolls over or might have friction. It aint pretty, but its a lot better than having a string pop on stage.

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 9 May 2002 8:54 am

I rarely break strings on my Dekley, in fact I once had a third string that lasted 14 months of six night/week playing. Of course it sounded terrible and the harmonic was almost a whole fret off, but I wanted to see how long it would last.

One of the reasons Dekleys do so well on string breakage is the chromed steel changer fingers. My guitar is 22 years old and doesn't have the slightest sign of scoring on any of the fingers.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@charter.net
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden Ext. E9/U-13 8&8=-

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 9 May 2002 10:35 am

Rick! If you can get a .012 up to a high A on a Fender 1000 I dont want to be in the same county whan you hit that pedal, I say dont even try it! au

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 9 May 2002 12:18 pm

Let's see, 8 hours practicing, 8 hours on the Forum... Doesn't leave much time for anything else, does it Bill?

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 9 May 2002 12:50 pm

Rick! If you can get a .012 up to a high A on a Fender 1000 I dont want to be in the same county whan you hit that pedal

Yes Al, you are right.

I did try it however, and it sent me from L.A. County to Orange County.

I tune that string on the E9th to G#; but I don't pull it. It really limits you a great deal and I have to use a lot of slants; but I really love the sound of the Fender for this style of picking.

Rick

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 9 May 2002 12:54 pm

I NEVER break a 3rd string on my Emmons SD-10....while i'm sleeping. However, when I am playing it, I break one every now and then. Some last longer than others.

I think breaking 3rd strings is one of those things that just comes with playing a steel guitar.

Bob.

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 9 May 2002 6:49 pm

Rick! I cant imagine getting a lot of Mooneys licks without pulling the G# to A, Brumley tuned his Fender 1000 down to Eb & I saw him break one in 66, also, did you know that Mooney laid his amp face down, with lots of treble to get those early Buck & Wynn sounds? I dont want to sound like a know it all, but I cut my teeth in 59&60 playing that early West Coast stuff, when I lived out there! Too bad those great days are long gone! Regards! au

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 9 May 2002 7:14 pm

Al,

Again you are right, I can't hit a lot of the licks without the G# to A pull; but I get by with a few slants.

Charlie Walker's "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" (someone on the forum said J. Day cut that tune with him),__I condider those licks Mooney style also (could be mistaken).

Thanks for the information about the amp;___now that's weird.

Rick