Ever broken a bass string?

[lug]

I've popped some G strings but let's keep this discussion to bass guitars.

[WRGKMC]

Most strings should be able to take double the tension without breaking. String durability is essentially a manufacturing issue. Years ago as an electronic field technician I visited a couple of steel plants and saw how some products were made. When they make wire its placed on huge reels.

Storage is often exposed to the elements and wire can rust and corrode if its isn't processed into musical instrument strings quickly. Some alloys are resistant to rust and have a much longer shelf life. Others get coated with chrome to prevent rust then hermetically sealed.

 

Plain steel can rust over night and begin to pit the steel so storage time is a big factor.

 

I bought some strings recently that had rust on them in some spots. Whatever rust was on the wire wasn't properly removed before chroming them or the chrome didn't completely cover the steel and rust developed under the chrome. Even if the wire does have the rust removed the wire can have pits in it making for weak spots.

 

The blending of an alloy, purity of the ingredients and tempering of the steel is the other item. So many strings are forged in the orient now. We have no idea just how much of that metal comes out of the ground or is recycled. I know some bass strings like the D'Addario have very hard metals. It helps keep them in tune because they don't stretch allot but it also makes them more susceptible to fracturing. Other strings like Labella use traditional steel instead of a harder alloy and will stretch more before cracking. Strings are magnetic which leave you with Iron, Nickle and Cobalt. Alnico combines aluminum in with the others. What percentages strings manufacturers use is based on their own recipes. They also use various coatings to prevent oxidation. Chrome is most common but polymers are being used too. Bare Stainless steel or stainless with a nickel coating is commonly used too.

 

I haven't broken any bass strings in a real long time. I change them before they ever have a chance of going dead. If anything they might f=get bends at the frets and cause pitch issues. When I did get a break its usually occurred at the tuners where the wire wound up fracturing because of the right angle bend. I cant remember ever getting a break at the ball end or some place in the middle but I suppose it may have been possible.

[Mikeo]

I've been playing bass since I was in high school' date=' and in all that time, I think I've only broken one string. How about you? Ever had one break? Which string was it?[b'] Was it at a gig or... ? What were the circumstances?[/b]

 

 

Broke a bass string back in 1983 at home.

 

Defective D string.

 

 

 

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

[elsongs]

I've been playing bass since I was in high school' date=' and in all that time, I think I've only broken one string. How about you? Ever had one break? Which string was it? Was it at a gig or... ? What were the circumstances? [/quote']

 

 

 

Been playing bass for 20 years. Broke a string just ONCE -- just four days ago. Dunno if it counts, but whenever I re-string a bass, when it comes time to wind the strings up to tune, I give the string a tug above the pickup area to pick up any loose tension. While changing a 5-string set, the A string snapped at the ball end.

 

Fortunately I have the old string saved and it's in the broken A string's place, and I contacted the string manufacturer (Curt Mangan) to tell them what happened. They replied to me the next day asking for my address to send a replacement string to. Great service!

[Phil O'Keefe]

Sorry to hear you broke a string Elson, but that's great that they are sending you a new one!

[Beyer160]

Broke an A string about halfway through my first gig in college, 25+ years ago. I was prepared, though- took the spare out of my case, slapped it on and started tuning up while the rest of the band finished the song. I had unplugged from my amp though, and was using a newfangled Sabine tuner so I couldn't actually hear what pitch I was at during the tuning process. Adrenaline and nerves caused me to sail right past 440, and I kept cranking until that string snapped, too. So I put on the D, which sounded kinda funny.

 

Haven't broken one since.

[RobRoy]

I've learned the hard way that if you are towing anything bigger than a Smart Car, the B string is the only choice. Five string bass, it turns out, has many advantages.

[RobRoy]

I've actually broken two strings. One just snapped and the other was the result of some heavy, um, frustrated playing while practicing.

 

So yeah, since 1998 I've had to replace two sets of strings.

[RobRoy]

One of the fun things about bass strings breaking is that they don't snap or anything. They just go dead. The inner wire has no tension but the outer wire is still intact.

 

It's a safety feature.

[isaac42]

Pluck it and it comes off in your hand.

[RobRoy]

Pluck it and it comes off in your hand.

Yep. That's pretty much it.

[bluzboy]

Not so much break as disintegrate.

 

I was long overdue for a string change.

[isaac42]

Not so much break as disintegrate.

 

I was long overdue for a string change.

Probably true for most of my basses.

[AlienArtifact]

I broke the D string on a Dean 5-string bass a long time ago. It broke at the bridge. Speaking of boiling strings... I used to do that all the time back in the 90's when I was broke and couldn't afford to buy strings in bulk. I boiled them in plain water... no alcohol, etc. I would dry them off with a dish towel and they would sound fresh for another gig at least. After about 3 boiling sessions, strings are pretty much dead. I used GHS Boomers and Dean Markley Blue Steel back in those days. Now I use Webstrings, SIT, Rotosound or Elixir... whatever is on sale.

[Tom Sklenar]

If I remember well, I broke string three times during 13 years I play bass. Once during practice and two times at gigs. In all three cases it was E string. At gigs it was in both cases during last song, so I finished it with broken one. It was a bit unpleasant, that during this last song our singer introduced each member of the band, who have to play some sort of tiny solo. I remember it was really interesting to play it with broken E on my bass :-)