The Steel Guitar Forum

BTW, I forgot to mention I use GHS (super Steels) strings on my Williams Series 600 Steel..have not broken any strings in over 3 years...best steel I ever had.

I know of no company that makes .11 strings that starts from the ore to the finished string. They buy wire cut it, buy the balls, put the ball on the end of the string, wind it and pack it for sale. The wind that puts the ball on the string and how clean they keep the string so it doesn't rust in shipment they have done there part. Who ever made the wire must select good steel, make sure rollers and the machines making the wire are right. Make sure the fires tempering and annealing the wire must be exact. Any one of these affect the string. Get a bad roll of wire and your reputation can go to pot as a string maker. I know the "Piano Wire" we used for guides came from Sweden. I wonder where and who is making it now??

I wonder if we will ever have a "3rd string breakage" thread where we don't read about a certain brand being on the guitar for months on end, even a year !

That may be the case ..but...it has nothing to do with travel and use.

A Speed Picker may burn thru a 3rd string in a few nights..A Speed Picker will not go to the next weeks gig with the same 3rd string, he knows better...you know that B pedal thing... A mild mannered traditional player may very well get more time.

but

The amount of B Pedal mashes may be very close in number for both players.

It's not about the time on the guitar, it's about the travel and the amount of pulls. PHYSICS.

Just like car tires.

I drive about 6,000 miles in 6 months, my wife drives about 1000 miles in 6 months. Same tires, who's last longer ? Can she brag that she gets 10 years on her tires while I only get 2 or 3 ?

Of course a quality string should give a better overall life, Jags use a shorter ball end wrap, that is an improvement.

But it is still gonna break and any working player knows this and should change the $1 string every week or two. $4000 guitar, $1 string...helloo...

It's not about the time on the guitar, it's about the travel and the amount of pulls. PHYSICS.

I agree completely. There are so many different aspects of the physics that have a part in the play. From the amount of travel that a finger creates during rotation, to the resistance that is met at the headhead rollers stretching the keyhead portion of the strings, to the different scale lengths,(albeit small differences) to the agressiveness of the players picking attack, to the attack on the pedals and levers. etc,etc,etc.


I wish I could afford an Excel..............

Almost ZERO string breakage according to the general consensus.....

in my case it was the string...and JUST the string.
When I started using Jagwires ( no, unfortunately I don`t have any endorsement deal with these guys....)
the nightmare was over for ever !!

A few years ago I purchased a pack of the
" Good BRAND" strings, 011's. The first 3 I used broke while winding them , the rest were ok.

I guess I don't know how to wind them ? This after not having any issues for years, I switched brands and had issues..go figure.. switched back and have no issues again...

I guess I'm just a slug, I use Cobra's , no complaints, plus I get to talk to bobbee now and then..
uhhmm, maybe i should complain about that !

t

So Brennan, did you have any luck tracking down the cause of your problem

I get my strings from b0b. Jagwire Lloyd Greene set and have had no breakage. This set seems a good match w/ my Stage One. A good friend has high praise for Cobra Coil strings but I'll keep doing biz with b0b and help support the Forum

I use the 0.011 strings with the reinforced winding that used to be available via Carter and are now available through Al Brisco. Have had no breakage issues with these at all.

A week ago I changed strings 2 through to 6 on my Mullen. The first 0.011 I tried wasn't one with the reinforced winding - and it broke when I was bringing it up to pitch. The second one had the reinforced winding, came up to pitch no problems, I stretched it, still didn't break, re-tuned to pitch and no breakage.

I don't know who actually makes these strings, I just know where to get 'em. That'll do me.

I am amazed with my Rittenberry. It just don't break strings. It dosen't matter how long I use them they just don't break. I even have a LV pulling my 3rd to b# . As for as I know, no-one is having a problem with their Ritts Breaking strings.

Richard Sinkler wrote:
I read this to mean between the roller nut and the tuning key. I don't think I have ever seen a string break there. Usually the changer finger or the hole in the tuning peg. Try a different brand for the 3rd as was suggested. Maybe try a .010, though you probably won't like the sound.

I just changed the 3rd using a .010 due to not having a .011 or 012 on hand.
You are correct with the sound....it is weak and sounds tinny on my BMI
Sam