The Steel Guitar Forum

What was your most memorable reaction to having a string break while playing?

I was practicing in my music room today, really getting into a country rock-swing piece when *TWANG* my third string took off for the stratosphere. Stung (by the whipping of the string) and startled, I reeled back and tossed my bar onto the floor. Brilliant "instinctive" maneuver. Fortunately, the room is carpeted so neither the floor nor bar are worse for wear. Fortunately nobody was standing next to me....

A no 3 went on me tonight,and I had just put it on.Better at home than a show.I have often thought about winding just a small amount of an extra 3 on ,and when that baby goes flop the new one over and crank it on up,This would be a superman type string change if it works.This might save your but on a short show.

I had a bass player bending over to adjust the mike chord or something once and I was tuning up for the beginning of the 1st set. The 3rd string broke as he was bent over and struck him right on his right temple. It wrung his bell to say the least and he was a big guy that just as soon settle it outside as to look at you. He had the wildest look on his face as if he'd been stung by a heavyweight punch. He looked at me and said I hope that doesn't happen again.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Frank Parish on 03 February 2003 at 04:41 AM.]</p></FONT>

My greatest concern and memorable reaction to either of no's .011 ga or .018 ga. breaking suddenly was the sight of BLOOD !!!!

John

Reason I do not use a .012 on the third string. I drop my bar everytime it breaks.

Bad nerves when I play I guess.

The worst one I ever saw was way back in the early '70's in Bangor, Maine. Joe Macumber, the steeler on the local Curly O'Brian TV show, had just taken delivery on a brand new Sho-Bud.

I was at the studio checking it out before the show, and he broke a third string while tuning. The end wrapped around his left hand and stuck into his thumb! Now Joe is a big guy, but he had tears in his eyes. I had to find some needle nose pliers to pull it out!

I've always worried about that happening to me, but so far (33 years) it hasn't.

Jumped back and dropped my bar several times.

This is sorta gross, well.. maybe not considering the post above, but...I was working a casino in Reno many years ago and the curtain was 5 or 10 minutes from rising. I broke a .11 while tweaking the tuning and warming up. it wrapped around my right index finger. No big deal, but...when I was pulling it off my finger...it was stuck. The guitar player looked over and asked "is that string IN your finger?" Yes, it was. I tried to pull it out and we could see the curved tip making a movement under my skin...on the opposite side where it had entered my finger. It had gone in and wrapped around the bone. After a minute or so of using pliers to pull and twist the string, out it popped. One drop of blood and that was it. I put a new string on and it was showtime. A bit sore but no other problems. Bizarre but true.

Mike<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Miguel e Smith on 03 February 2003 at 08:49 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Miguel e Smith on 03 February 2003 at 08:50 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Miguel e Smith on 03 February 2003 at 08:51 AM.]</p></FONT>

Wayyyyyyyyyy back in the 70,s i was experimenting with different tunings,what i diddn,t know at the time my guitar was not suitable for E9th! Well when my 3rd string broke, my temper went with it and, this is true, i have witnesses,i broke every string on my D10! Spent a long following day restringing and retuning my ole D10 Fender!!!!!!!!! Take tat Fender!!!!!! Ole Dave

Hmmmmmm.

I have been led to believe that PSG's don't break strings if you change them before they go dead.

Course I know more believed that than I do that Sadam Hussein will lead the next Billy Graham revival,

I got tired of string breakage. I went out and bought a guitar that does not break strings; no matter when they go dead and NO matter how long they been on there.

Thank God there is a better way.

carl

....(Bill)...What was your most memorable reaction to having a string break while playing?....

Do you mean other than the time we were playing the NCO club at Fort Bliss, Texas and had spent the afternoon across the river in Mexico pigging out on mexican food? www.genejones.com

Carl, this curious mind wants to know how long has your 3rd string been on now? Glad to see you're back with us. Tom

Getting a .011 string stuck into your thumb is nothing compared to getting a lower return spring stuck into your index finger. I still have a scar from that. Taught me to be more careful when working on those. My strongest reaction to string breaking? Yelling the German word for $hit.

Be careful guys! If OSHA gets wind of this they will have us steel players wearing safety goggles and protective gloves!

Terry

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Terry Edwards
Fessy D-10; Nash 1000
Martin D-21; Flatiron F-5

My reaction??? Nine times outta ten,it usually happens right in the middle of a solo. There ain't enough expletives in the "book" to totally express my feelings.
And even if there were,b0b wouldn't let me post 'em here!
How 'bout "@#$%" or "?&@$",for starters?

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<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre></font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 03 February 2003 at 12:42 PM.]</p></FONT>

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the nice words. Come April 5th the strings will have been on there for exactly 3 yrs. I have not a clue when the 3rd string will break. Or any other string for that matter. I have played the guitar almost every day since I got it. And some days many hours.

It is proof positive that 99% of string breakage (unless faulty when installed) on a PSG, is NOT due to stretching. Rather it is due to bending of the string; back and forth as all changers do; with the exception of Anapeg and Excel steel guitars.

carl

Well, I've drawn blood, and/or dropped the bar occasionally with a string breakage, but some of these stories make me want to start wearing welders gloves when I play.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>I have been led to believe that PSG's don't break strings if you change them before
they go dead.

</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah Carl, as a structural engineer, I get asked, "When should I perform this seismic upgrade?" I always answer, "Before the next earthquake."

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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic"

Oh phooey,there goes another .85 cents.(Right Smiley)?
Ray www.swsteelguitar.com

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

When I got my new LeGrande in '94, I took it out to the first gig, broke an .11, after 5 or 6 .11's breaking, I had to abort playing steel and pick up my guitar for the rest of the evening.

It was late on a typical Sat. night in a concrete bar outside of nowhere. The tiny
strand let go with a ping and the drummer
snickered............... So I killed him.
Anyway he couldn't keep time. Just kidding
I knocked him out.