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Topic: String Breakage and Humidity: Fact Or Fiction? |
Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2019 9:24 am |
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I hadn’t broken a string on stage in years and now have broken four in the last week and all broke in different places. The only thing different in my routine is that I’ve played an unusual number of very humid outdoor shows in the last few weeks. Before wondering if it’s a string quality control issue, I’m wondering about the possible role of the humidity.
I know some folks have mentioned in the past that they thought humidity might play a role in breakage. Who has some experience/facts/informed speculation they can share? |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2019 10:32 am
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If you’ve broken four strings in a week I’d bet it’s a string quality issue way before humidity comes into play. That is, if humidity is ever a serious factor at all. Oh, I guess an argument could be made about the negative impact humidity has on strings but not when it’s over the span of one week. Just my opinion.
I once bought a lot of 11’s for 3rd string replacement. Broke one, put another on and couldn’t get it up to G# for love nor money, let alone pull it to A. I then put another on and another and another. Bad lot of strings was the problem. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2019 5:07 pm
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The strings broke in *different* places? Where, exactly? Plain or wound? Breakage during pickking or when a change is engaged?
That's mainly out of curiosity.
There''s about a .001% chance of it being a humidity problem. IMO quality control is also unlikely - it's probably a string storage issue prior to installation. If the strings had been closely inspected before they were installed IMO random corrosion spots would have been found, with breaks occurring in those areas.
Brand is generally irrelevant - buy fresh strings, and store them in boxes or drawers with silica gel packs that absorb moisture.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 15 Sep 2019 5:09 pm Re: String Breakage and Humidity: Fact Or Fiction?
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| Chris Bauer wrote: |
...I know some folks have mentioned in the past that they thought humidity might play a role in breakage. Who has some experience/facts/informed speculation they can share? |
Uhh...no, that's a new one on me. More humidity will make 'em go dead faster, but it has no effect on breakage. |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 16 Sep 2019 6:41 pm String breakage and humidity, Fact or fiction
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Usually humidity is the culprit when storing strings. It will cause small rust spots that weaken the string and causes it to break.
If the strings are breaking in different places the strings was stored in high humidity or they were bad strings from the beginning. Some string wire just has impurities in it that will cause random failures of the strings. Good Luck and back happy Steelin. |
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Bengt Erlandsen
From:
Brekstad, NORWAY
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Posted 17 Sep 2019 3:45 am
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Just speculating...if the material the string is made from is different from the material that it is in contact with on the changer or tuning post there would be a possibilty of galvanic corrosion or not ??? which in turn would create a weak spot on the string or create excessive wear on the changer ???
B.Erlandsen |
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Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2019 5:30 am
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I used Jagwires for years and felt there was nothing better.Then I bought 5 sets and broke a string from each pack after a few nights at a gig.In my case, I feel it had something to do with the manufacturing process. I did check for burs,grooves etc. and found nothing.
FYI,I have a set of George L's on my Williams now for 9 months and haven't broken anything yet. They don't sound too good but I'm amazed at least one string hasn't gone on to string land by now.
_________________
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
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Steve Sycamore
From:
Sweden
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Posted 17 Sep 2019 6:51 am
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| I've gone about a year without breaking strings. The weather has changed significantly recently and 3 strings broke in the last week or so. All were small gauge great quality wound stainless steel strings. No corrosion was visible. No changes in model or manufacturer were made. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 17 Sep 2019 7:48 am
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I have no more problems with string breakage here in Florida with high humidity, compared to where I lived before - Kansas City, Missouri.
Outside jobs can (and do) tend to deaden strings quicker but that's the only thing I've found. |
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