breaking strings

[mark "mudcat" quigley]

still new at this so bear with me

 

i have an electronic tuner from cb giity.  when i tune strings it seems like i break the bottom struing frequently when tuning  use strings fro gitty tuned to what the set is designed for---what am i doing wrong-  using bolts for nuts and bridges. thanks for the help

 

[Don Thompson]

Rand Moore said:

Rand, Didn't mean it to sound like I was correcting you. I was merely pointing out that a .010 tuned down 1 full step to d from e shouldn't be breaking. It may well be that a slightly thicker string will solve the problem. Once again, sorry.

Don 

 

Okay. I stand corrected. I'm sure you are (Don Thompson is) more knowledgeable about these things than I am. But I have had a similar experience on a Chinese 3-Stringer called a Qin-Qin and I kept breaking the melody string (string 1) until I increased the diameter of the string. If all else fails, Big Quig, try a thicker string.

[YeahDoIt]

I change string tension slowly on the thin strings, about a half note per minute.

You might use steel fishing wire, it's much cheaper than guitar strings, until you get this problem figured out. Sold in fishing stores. I use the number 2 size 0.11 inch diameter for first and second guitar strings, $ 1.39 for 30 feet.

http://www.americanfishingwire.com/toothproof.asp

http://www.malinco.com/fishing-hardwire.html

[Don Thompson]

Mark, the OP never mentioned that the string broke at the same place, perhaps it did, but he never said. And yes, too great a breakover can be a problem with string breakage.

Don

Francois said:

Somehow, I suspect the problem might be at the point where the strings attach to the guitar using the string nuts (the little tube things on each string).

If the line bends at too sharp an angle before going to the bridge, it will make a weak point in the string and pretty much guarantees that the strings will break at that point.