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Topic: My Guitar never Breaks Strings? |
Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 4:49 am |
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I can't tell you how many times I've read that on the forum,years ago I was playing at a toilet in Kenai Alaska and broke 5 strings in one set on my Blanton,Now I used to only change strings after they broke,I was almost in tears,5 strings!!
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 5:33 am
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| Keep them on long enough and any steel will break one occasionally. Some break more than others or rarely but they will all do it. I've seen posts on here that "my guitar never breaks a string" but I disregard those. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 6:21 am
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And then you have:
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| This is why I use (Brand X) strings. They don't break. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 6:30 am
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Jack,and Lee Yes!!
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Greg Lambert
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 9:46 am
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| I had an old Fender D10 built by shobud years ago. I cant ever remember breaking any strings on that guitar. When I got my derby D10 it would break the 3rd every now and then and I thought something was wrong with the Derby. |
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John Palumbo
From:
Lansdale, PA.
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 11:26 am never breaks strings
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| Or if you have a Williams guitar, you may never break a string. Their changer is almost a straight pull, hardly any bend on any string. |
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Larry Carlson
From:
My Computer
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 11:47 am
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I have a guitar that has never broken a string.
I just finished building it so it's not strung up.
But still..............
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I have stuff.
I try to make music with it.
Sometimes it works.
Sometimes it doesn't.
But I keep on trying. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 12:57 pm
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The "use (fill in the blank, usually with a small company brand name) string - they never break" make me laugh.
They're often exactly the same strings whichever major brand actually makes them and puts private label packaging on them.
_________________
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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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 3:18 pm Re: never breaks strings
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| John Palumbo wrote: |
| Or if you have a Williams guitar, you may never break a string. Their changer is almost a straight pull, hardly any bend on any string. |
I owned a Williams 600 for a while. It broke 3rd strings as often as my Carter. Not very often on either guitar, but strings will break on a Williams too.
By the way Stu. My toilet breaks strings too. 🤣🚽
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2018 10:03 pm
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I can't remember the last time I broke a string. It's been years, for sure. I carry a full set, just in case.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 31 Aug 2018 12:22 am
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it's all just off the grid talk.
I have not broke a 3rd string on a gig in probably over a decade, maybe longer. ( talkin' E9th)
But I do change 3 and 5 at home at least once a month.
I hate surprises. And yes I carry spares and sets.
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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 31 Aug 2018 10:35 am
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I have not broke a string in 20 years, i have tried every brand on the market, i change them every month as i play most weekends, more winding's on the 3rd is a life saver especially if they break right off the bat, smother that peg with winding's and all will be good.
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A.K.A Chappy. |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2018 1:13 pm
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| The third string on my Derby broke about two measures into "Steel Guitar Rag" during a gig; last song of the night. I muddled through and changed the whole set the next day. I left that steel set up at home and didn't break a string for at least two years after that. I wanted to keep playing it just to see how long it would take to break another string. I finally gave up and changed strings on principle. I don't think that guitar has broken one since then. |
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Barry Coker
From:
Bagley Alabama, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2018 6:58 pm
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I read this post last night and this afternoon I broke the third string on my Williams 400. The strings are a little over 2 months old and I guess its time to change strings this guitar will break the third between 2 and 3 months after replacement like clock work.
Barry |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 31 Aug 2018 7:11 pm
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| Barry Coker wrote: |
I read this post last night and this afternoon I broke the third string on my Williams 400. The strings are a little over 2 months old and I guess its time to change strings this guitar will break the third between 2 and 3 months after replacement like clock work.
Barry |
That's odd; because my Williams 400 Series never breaks strings. 
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Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2018 7:24 pm My guitar never breaks strings.
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I carry extra 3rd and 5th strings in my seat. I also carry a full set of strings too. I put the date I change strings on the package. I change and put the set in my seat on my steel, Take a set from my stash, Put the change date on the pack, And put it in my seat.
I checked the pack yesterday and it had 6-10-18. Oh no 50 days on set, Changed strings yesterday. They tuned good and sounded great at a gig tonight. |
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Jim Bob Sedgwick
From:
Clinton, Missouri USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2018 7:46 pm Re: never breaks strings
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| John Palumbo wrote: |
| Or if you have a Williams guitar, you may never break a string. Their changer is almost a straight pull, hardly any bend on any string. |
I have played Williams exclusively for 32 years. If you break a string, it was either a bad string or you left it on long past its utility. I have strings on my D-10 that have been on for two years. They are deader then last years tax return. It's definitely time to change them. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 1 Sep 2018 3:39 am
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Richard,The"Toilet reference is to a crappy night club"nothing to do with an actual Toilet.
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Drew Pierce
From:
Arkansas, USA
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Posted 1 Sep 2018 2:58 pm
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I used to break thirds regularly and 5ths pretty regularly on my old Zum. But I almost never break any on my PPs. Not sure why that is, but that's a fact. Unless I'm going to be playing a show where I REALLY don't want to risk breaking any strings, I don't change one out until it either breaks or I change the whole set. FWIW, I can usually change a broken string before the song is over. I try to finish a song with a broken third, but breaking a 5th or 6th in the middle of a song is a lot harder to deal with.
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Drew Pierce
Emmons D10 Fatback, S10 bolt-on, Zum D10, Evans RE500, Hilton volume and delay pedals. |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 2 Sep 2018 10:26 am
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You need to compare apples and apples.
The next time someone says that their steel never breaks strings, ask them what brand of guitar they are talking about.
A shorter scale length guitar should in theory, all else being equal, be more string friendly.
As a side note...........
Just a gut feel for others to comment on, but I've always thought that the design of the Williams changer should be more string friendly.
It appears to "pull" the string to change pitch, as opposed to bending it over the bridge roller (right term?). |
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John Palumbo
From:
Lansdale, PA.
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Posted 2 Sep 2018 2:22 pm
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| ajm wrote: |
You need to compare apples and apples.
The next time someone says that their steel never breaks strings, ask them what brand of guitar they are talking about.
A shorter scale length guitar should in theory, all else being equal, be more string friendly.
As a side note...........
Just a gut feel for others to comment on, but I've always thought that the design of the Williams changer should be more string friendly.
It appears to "pull" the string to change pitch, as opposed to bending it over the bridge roller (right term?). |
The Williams Changer
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 2 Sep 2018 3:39 pm
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but from the look of it the fingers on a Williams rotate a few degrees for raises and lowers, don't they? The "nose" moves up and down?
If so the bending forces at/around the bridge-point are about the same as on the majority of PSGs, and the bending-stress on the strings where they leave the changer should be more or less the same as on other PSGs with the same finger/shaft radius. |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2018 3:47 pm
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| I broke the third about three years ago. Was on my Mullen Discovery. I play my Super Pro on all my gigs. No problems here. I am using Live Steel Strings. (Nickel Wound) |
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John Palumbo
From:
Lansdale, PA.
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Posted 2 Sep 2018 4:39 pm
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| Georg Sørtun wrote: |
Correct me if I'm wrong, but from the look of it the fingers on a Williams rotate a few degrees for raises and lowers, don't they? The "nose" moves up and down?
If so the bending forces at/around the bridge-point are about the same as on the majority of PSGs, and the bending-stress on the strings where they leave the changer should be more or less the same as on other PSGs with the same finger/shaft radius. |
I think possibly Georg in terms of the amount of stress (pulling or releasing force) on any string yes certainly it probably would be identical. But is it possible because on the Williams the string is not bent to more of an extreme angle as other guitars, that it would benefit string life. Would not the more severe angle of bend over the roller be a detriment. Just thinking here. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 2 Sep 2018 6:08 pm
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| John Palumbo wrote: |
| But is it possible because on the Williams the string is not bent to more of an extreme angle as other guitars, that it would benefit string life. Would not the more severe angle of bend over the roller be a detriment. Just thinking here. |
I follow you – the Williams design may have a slight advantage.
However, my experience is that strings break right on the top of the changer because how they get bent up and down by changes, so unless the radius is larger – which reduces the bending but makes it easier for strings to buzz on the bridge/changer – the advantage of the straight string-end past the bridge-point on string-life is gonna be really small.
One little detail that I know nothing about for Williams, is how that design affects slip/hang on the changer – usually most noticeable for 4th string pitch when returning after lower. If it doesn't slip/hang at all, string-life should be improved because of the reduced wear on strings and changer. |
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