String snapping

[hofner]

Hello , is there anyway i can prevent my strings from snapping? I just snapped my high E string when tuning it half a step down. I still don't know the corrrect way of changing strings.....and i thought gauge 11 was more resistant to snapping :twisted:

 

[mikemann]

Have to check your saddle and nut, sometime the groove is abrasive, so string snaps easy. Are you tuning with a electronic tuner??

I have people tell me they tune by ear......haha. Ended up with a warp neck from prolonged over tuning.

Neck tension is very important, it's built to be tuned to a certain key range only and strings tolerance. Changing gauge will affect the neck action, as it's bend according to string tension.

Some guitars are stubborn, won't accept tuning down. remember the wood have life once. Even after life the properties of the wood will change with age, temperation, atmosphere.

One tip. use a pencil to line the groove. Lead has a lubricating property.

Regards,
mike
Mikemann Music Studio

 

[hofner]

i use Guitar FX box in my pc to tune my guitar to standard tuning....sometimes i play GNR songs sometimes Joe Satch...so when i play in gnR mode , i use ear to tune down .

questions

wheres the groove

whats the meaning of over tuning?

 

[mikemann]

Our ear is very off when measuring pitch. Remember guitar mags with ads for tape lessons to learn the perfect pitch, haha..... these ads has being running since the 80's. Just like photographic memory, it's like natural talent, most don't have it, a few have it, and the few who have it and plays music are even less few.

Best to get a tuner like boss or korg ones, good and lasting. Learn to use it to tune down 1/2 or most 1 step. the guitar don't like to go beyond that normally. Your string tensions gets messed up and you get lousy tone.

When your guitar without strings, the nut and bridge/saddle groove, use the pencil to "marker" it. Don't be shy, rub as much in as you can. You can do so every time you change strings.

Hope it helps.

Regards
Mike
Mikemann Music Studio

 

[hofner]

Our ear is very off when measuring pitch. Remember guitar mags with ads for tape lessons to learn the perfect pitch, haha..... these ads has being running since the 80's. Just like photographic memory, it's like natural talent, most don't have it, a few have it, and the few who have it and plays music are even less few.

Best to get a tuner like boss or korg ones, good and lasting. Learn to use it to tune down 1/2 or most 1 step. the guitar don't like to go beyond that normally. Your string tensions gets messed up and you get lousy tone.

When your guitar without strings, the nut and bridge/saddle groove, use the pencil to "marker" it. Don't be shy, rub as much in as you can. You can do so every time you change strings.

Hope it helps.

Heh will be getting a tuner when i have the $$...right now saving up for pickups. Anyway the groove is the thing at the headstock where the strings passed through right?

Regards
Mike
Mikemann Music Studio

 

[penta-tonic]

hey. does ur string always snap at de saddles (6 pieces of metal which ur string come out frm if u r using a regular tremolo bridge)? i used to haf tt prob n i snapped 3 high e strings in 1 day. thot i was over bending my strings but it was due to a groove cut into de saddle which caused my strings to snap. so i had de saddles changed to graphtech graphite saddles. havent snapped a string since. u can buy them frm davis guitar shop down at peninsular.

 

[hofner]

O REALLY!!! GREAT! How much do they cost?

 

[penta-tonic]

oh. i think mine cost me abt $70. kinda expensive but a really worthy investment. esp if u love playing rough with ur strings. for me since only de thinner strings were snapping i changed de first 3 saddles so i still haf 3 spare graphtechs. maybe ill be going down to davis one of these days. ill help u check whether they r in stock. guitar workshop at bras basah also sells them.

 

[ChanMin]

wait..pentatonic...you mean to say you only changed three of your saddles?... so you got 3 in normal colour and three black saddles?... why didnt you change all three?... in case the first three wear out ah? ... hahah ... j/k.
$70 bucks?... my trem is the vintage kind... not the latest trem would graphtech saddles fit all strat trems?...

 

[penta-tonic]

haha. yeah. in case i wear out de first 3 den i can change again. i fit de saddles into my prs. but prob is shops usually sell de saddles tt only can fit fenders n de saddles were a little to wide for my prs bridge so i had to file it down to size. de graphtechs r really gd. sound remains de same after i changed de saddles.