Broke a string, Have a question

[Frets]

Okay so I bought a Angus Young Signature guitar and pretty much just collected it as a collector piece. But I decided to mess around with it the other day and maybe start using it??? Not 100% sure that or sell it off. Either way I was finger picking and the D string broke on me. The strings have never been plucked but they have been tightened for storage. Not 100% in tune till the day I broke the string. The strings are original from 2002 but they have never been played and I was wondering if they would loose the strength over the years even if not tuned to standard tuning and not played. I am looking at it from both sides of the coin and felt I should turn for some advice on it.

My question is are the strings old even tho they havent been played or was it just me thumb picking to hard? Or is it the metal saddle points(not 100% sure on the terminology here) so please refer to pic). I was wondering if the metal points were the cause? If so what is a good replacement?

[Grant Harding]

I think it's either that the strings have a bit of corrosion on them and weakened over time, or there's a burr on the bridge saddle that was never noticed before.

 

Either way I'd take the strings off, polish up the bridge and nut slots and put fresh D'Addario NYXL strings on it, then decide if you want to keep it.

[billybilly]

It needs to be played.... Follow what koiwoi stated too.

 

Did I mention you should be playing that guitar?

[Preacher]

Okay so I bought a Angus Young Signature guitar and pretty much just collected it as a collector piece. But I decided to mess around with it the other day and maybe start using it??? Not 100% sure that or sell it off. Either way I was finger picking and the D string broke on me. The strings have never been plucked but they have been tightened for storage. Not 100% in tune till the day I broke the string. The strings are original from 2002 but they have never been played and I was wondering if they would loose the strength over the years even if not tuned to standard tuning and not played. I am looking at it from both sides of the coin and felt I should turn for some advice on it.

My question is are the strings old even tho they havent been played or was it just me thumb picking to hard? Or is it the metal saddle points(not 100% sure on the terminology here) so please refer to pic). I was wondering if the metal points were the cause? If so what is a good replacement?

 

Maybe it's something to do with that pink yarn you have around the bridge? I mean, I don't know how that could be helping...

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

It needs to be played.... Follow what koiwoi stated too.

 

Did I mention you should be playing that guitar?

 

What utter nonsense, playing a guitar, next thing is you'll be advocating the use of less than 10 guitars.

 

Sorry Billy, but I'm giving you a warning for inciting a forumite to play a guitar, don't let it happen again

[knotty]

Free the billy 1 !

[t_e_l_e]

The sky is blue, water is wet, women have secrets and strings break,who gives....

[gardo]

 

What utter nonsense, playing a guitar, next thing is you'll be advocating the use of less than 10 guitars.

 

Sorry Billy, but I'm giving you a warning for inciting a forumite to play a guitar, don't let it happen again

 

 

 

Sorry Ratae but you can't argue with science.

 

[WRGKMC]

6 months is enough to sap a string of its elasticity. Two months is pushing it for good tone. Professions Performers may change strings before every gig once a day. 13 years????

 

Even if the string was barely played it only takes a slight scratch on the chrome coating to let moisture get in and corrode the string from the inside out. Since it broke at the saddle that's likely the cause.

 

Add to that when you have two different metal types in contact with each other you can have a certain amount of electrolysis occur as humidity levels change. Temp changes also take their toll as steel expands and contracts, plus that D string might have 15~20 lbs pulling on it all that time which eventually weakens the string. In any case, those strings were toast many years ago. Just the salts and acid on your hands when you first put them on started that clock ticking weather you played the instrument or not.

 

You should always slack the tension way down when storing an instrument for extended periods of time to prevent the neck from twisting up on you. I don't recommend removing all tension because the truss can back bow a neck if there's no tension, down at least 4 or 5 semitones should reduce the tension on a neck by about half.

 

You may want to read these.

 

http://www.acousticmasters.com/AcousticMasters_Strings2.htm

 

http://www.professorstring.com/string_FAQs.php

 

http://www.start-playing-guitar.com/guitar-strings.html

[knotty]

Never saw the argument for slackening string tension when storing.

Would you slacken it if you were not storing.? How does the guitar know if its being stored or just out of favour for a month or two?

[WRGKMC]

Its a matter of heat and humidity over "long" periods of time. Strings can break in a case tuned to concert pitch and then you have an unbalanced pull on the neck which can twist it. Extreme temp changes can cause steel in the strings and truss to shrink in cold and expand in heat. Short term this isn't an issue and having an instrument go up and down in pitch by a semitone shouldn't do any damage.

 

Acoustics and semis, are a whole different animal. Temp and Humidity changes will warp the hell out of a body with constant string pull so slacking the strings can preserve the lifespan of the instrument. Problem is people will through an acoustic in a closet for 5 or 10 years only to find it completely unusable afterwards.

 

Semihollow bodies can have issues similar to acoustics. I can show you pictures of my Epi Dot and how the body has warped up on it. Solid bodies are usually sealed in lacquer or poly so the body is protected and any environmental changes will be limited to the neck.

 

There is allot of opinions on whether this is a big issues and most of that can be directly related to the quality of the build. String gauge is another. The more tension the more variance that can occur.

 

When you use a guitar regularly you should be maintaining that instrument and the slacking of strings changing them reseats the truss and with an occasional truss tweak you're fine, On a guitar that's in storage, 2, 5, 10, 20 years its more like an Egyptian mummy in that case.

 

Wood does dry out and becomes more brittle and you can have things like fret boards lift and twist over time. If you were playing it regularly and you have a little temp change affecting the truss you'd tweak it to keep the instrument in good playing condition.

 

In storage there's no one monitoring those changes and bad things can happen. I've repaired a few that were complete basket cases where necks were toast. Many of those were stored in basements or garages where they were susceptible to the elements however.

 

Basses for sure should have a little slacking. I had a Vintage Fender Precision that had as much as 1/2" relief at the 5th fret after a couple of years in storage left strung up. I had to use wood clamps to coax that one back in shape over a three month period of time. I gradually made it flatter while taking up the truss nut so that bugger wouldn't snap on me.

 

Its questionable whether that neck was right before it was stored. Maybe the guy put heavier strings without adjusting the truss, didn't like it then put it away. There no way of knowing.

 

I definitely wouldn't loosen the strings completely without loosening the truss, but A few semitones shouldn't hurt anything and there's less chance of a string breaking over time causing an tension imbalance an twisting. Acoustic and semihollow bodies, definitely slack it up. I've had guys open the case and found the bridge ripped out. A couple of semitones to be safe is should be fine. If its less then say 6 months I probably wouldn't even bother.

[knotty]

Yep agree, acoustics and semis are a different kettle of fish. As is humidity and temp. But all things being equal I dont see the inherent concert pitch tension being an issue.

I do accept the broken string twisting the neck over a period of time though. I have never uncased a guitar to find a broken string personaly but can see it might happen, so thanks for that.

[Buttcrust]

I break strings on all my guitars, occasionally. The Firebird is presently at the local luthier, having Graphtech saddles installed. Will have it done to the Epiphone LP Pro+ also, next in line. Metal saddles do make the strings break at the "vertex point", no matter how expensive or how "great" the builder/guitar is. That has been my experience. Get a roller bridge if you have a vibrola or Bigsby on it. That will reduce the strings breaking at the saddles.

[Buttcrust]

Graphtech saddles are a "good replacement" imho

[badpenguin]

butt, can't argue there, but a question arises.... You pay someone to do something that should take an hour to do by an amateur?

[WRGKMC]

I break strings on all my guitars' date=' occasionally. The Firebird is presently at the local luthier, having Graphtech saddles installed. Will have it done to the Epiphone LP Pro+ also, next in line. Metal saddles do make the strings break at the "vertex point", no matter how expensive or how "great" the builder/guitar is. That has been my experience. Get a roller bridge if you have a vibrola or Bigsby on it. That will reduce the strings breaking at the saddles. [/quote']

 

I never have that issue and I do bend the crap out of my strings. If anything the ball ends unwind and come off. This is why I put a drop of crazy glue on the ends and let it dry. Its an extra step but well worth it to prevent the unwinding and associated tuning issues.

 

As far as the bridge goes, I use nut files lightly on TOM type bridges to get a smooth breakaway and prevent any binding. Most of the ones I have are brass saddles which is a softer metal then the steel strings so the brass wears before the string does. Fender type bridges rarely need anything unless they are worn and have burrs. I do use a little graphite grease to lube all my saddles just so the strings return back to pitch after bending them.

 

I cant remember the last time I broke a string at a saddle, or broke a string period using these small tweaks. When I did the strings were either defective or old and how old is a matter of perspective unique to each players playing habits. the strings on the guitar I been playing most lately are about two weeks old. I did a weeks worth of playing riffs, a studio session, and a gig over the weekend. I used it again last night to record and the high E & B had lost their treble tones and had lost their flex. The wrapped strings have notches underneath so today I'll be replacing them.

 

If I were using these for live music through an amp, I'd simply kick the treble up a tad and I wouldn't notice the treble loss. Recording those small details are noticeable to a trained ear, plus with the wear at the frets it requires more string pressure to get a solid note which slows down my playing and creates even more friction which accelerates fret wear.

 

In my case, I do prefer that new string sound and like the highly polished glass fret bend feel so Its unlikely strings will ever remain on a guitar long enough to break. For other players, these things may not even be a factor. Everyone has different playing styles and not everyone uses the same string gauge or brand of strings so their mileage is going to vary allot so you cant use your own preferences to advise others. Even their amp and pedals have a big influence on tone so worn strings may go undetected till they actually break.

 

One thing for sure, the quality of strings has never been better and the selection available has grown allot since the internet has been around. Back in the day you could only buy strings at a music store and many only carried a few brands. One thing for sure, strings are one of the few things that are still a bargain. I paid more for strings during my first 30 years of playing then I do today thanks to the internet and online vendors. Plus its easy to try out all the brands to find the ones that suit your instrument and playing habits best.