The Steel Guitar Forum

hi, i a newbie and after five months or so of playing, the third string today is gone. Five months, pretty good. so i put in a new 0.11, tuned it, OK. Now i press the B pedal: third broken. Put a new third: same issue.
Five in a row.
All the strings seems broken in the zone between the tuning peg and the roller bridge......
Any suggestions?
thanks in advance

check the roller nut for burrs and see if it rolls easy and lubricate it with a drop or 2 of lite oil
it must roll free

check tunning peg at string entry point for sharp

edges when you wind up new string be sure to

wrap around the string entry hole until it

is covered and string is on peg and not over the hole to prevent hole edge from cutting string

if the changer end is free from burrs or ware

places try a different brand of .011 also as

sometimes string makers over wind the ball end

and it weakens the string hope this helps mike

Mike's point is important - many have the same issue with the 3rd - unlike the other strings, it has to have enough windings on the peg so that it doesn't go over the hole, or the edge of the hole will cut it. Happened to me...

One night many moons ago I attempted to replace string 3 in a cold attic during early winter. Went thru 4 strings in the space of a half an hour. Also put on safety glasses after the 2nd trial install and snap.

The third string can be a pain in the @$$....

Make sure you have 4 or 5 windings on the tuner peg. Raise the string to note SLOWLY when you first tune it so the stress in the string can be distributed thru those windings evenly.

Works for me. Haven't snapped string 3 in a long time.

All of the above first! You probably have a burr or something not quite right with the roller, if thats where they are always breaking. Try rolling the roller to the other side and see if that helps. Extra winding is especially necessary if they are always breaking at the peg hole. Its also possible that the original string was a different gauge and your pedal tuner is too sharp. Try loosening the tuner and retuning it slowly with the new string. If still no luck, try a lighter gauge string (.010).

If the string is breaking at the roller check the rollers for a bad place, Mark the roller and move it 180 degrees before tightening the string down on roller. If it is breaking at the tuner shaft make sure you measure at least 2 keys longer and be sure to wind the string clear of the hole in the tuner shaft, and it is being tightened on smooth shaft. Had a 3rd string break after a stage change one night I had short wound it in a hurry. Next day in practice it broke, wrapped over my bar hand and buried in my ring finger on my right hand. OUCH. Make sure have plenty of wraps now to be safe. Good Luck and be careful.