I've built about twenty CBGs in the past year (three, four and five stringers. Fretted and sliders). I've used a number of different style tuners and only occasionally break a string.
Recently, I built a six-stringer with a Piezo pickup. I'm using good quality medium weight, bronze wound strings (0.013~0.056). My tuning is standard guitar tuning (E A D G B E).
In the past three weeks, I've broken the three-string twice, the four-string once and today, the one-string. I'm using an electronic tuner, so I'm not over tightening, but I've never broke strings like.
Note: Every string is breaking right at the point where the string exits the tuner shaft.
I'm using the Gitty black Tombstone sealed tuners. I've used them on at least four other builds and never had a problem.
So, does anyone have any idea what might be causing the breakage?
Has anyone had a similar problem?
Has anyone ever had to smooth and re-contour the string holes in the tuners?
Could they be the cause? A bad batch maybe?
I'm pulling out the last of my hair over this and I really hate pitching almost-new strings.
Thanks
Replies
I noticed the paint missing where the strings wrap. Maybe the paint acts as a lubricant, not taking up the tension with friction around the post & placing more tension at the hole. I have had very few strings break, but I do not use painted machine heads.
What are you using as a nut? Even with a zero fret the nut slots should be angled down toward the tuners. To much meat under the string will cause unwanted friction. Not allowing the string to move freely when tuned. That trapped tension will break the string. If your nut slots are flat that may be your problem.
Not quite sure how a string could break at the tuner peg hole. The shaft of the tuner is what hold the most part of the tension. If the broken string has a curly end then it's broken at the hole. I've owned scores of guitars in my lifetime. Played in a good hand full of bands. Never seen this happen.
As far as tuning goes, I've always made sure the string was wrapped once at the top of the hole. Then two to three times at the bottom. This ties the string in place. I try to cut the string as flush to the hole as possible.
I now set up my own gits. I now only break 'em when they wear out through use.
If your lucky to have a string break on the ball end, there is a way to fix it. I clamp a small fishing weight on the string about 1/2" from the end, wrap the string end around the weight and twist around the string. Then solder. Works like a charm.
cant help but I have always said that the G string is evil its always the G string
Strange, but I've read that very thing on some other guitar sites.The G seems to like to break.
It is weird, the 2 Martin sets(1 electric and 1 acoustic) I got had the G and high E strings break. The Southbound set(Shane Speal 6) broke the G and B strings. I think there's a lot of pressure on the G string and high E string anyway, so a lesser quality set may break there first?
With this method, I no longer, or very very rarely, break strings after the nut. I now usually break them right at the saddle, due exclusively to wear and fatigue. I have a heavy right hand pick attack, and I leave my strings on until one breaks (anywhere from 1-6 months, the longer term being achieved because I use Elixirs, the shorter when I'm playing and rehearsing 3-4 times per week, and using D'Addarios). Once one string breaks, I replace the entire set.
Even though Elixirs are more expensive, getting three to six months out of them means they are actually more cost effective than buying a new set of D'Addarios every month.
Too early in the morning to accurately visualize this, but I think it is similar to the method shown in the Martin YouTube video. I think any standardized method to installing strings is a step in the right direction.
BTW, Prairie Home Companion has been one of my favorite programs for years.