I'm having some troubles changing strings on my electric, my D-string has snapped 3 times now already trying to get it up to pitch :(
I tried it as gently and slow as I could.. could it be that i'm not giving it enough slack when I put the string through the tuning peg? or maybe because of that I'm using ultra light gauge strings?
first time i'm changing strings on an electric and it's really making me sad :-/
never had much trouble with it on my classical guitar.
Did you change from a different gauge of string?
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
yep, the previous strings(bass strings) were still the ones that came with the guitar when I bought it
I leave my tuner hooked up to my guitar when changing strings. I'll take one off, put another on and tune, etc. That's the way I prefer to do it. You can take them all off at once, I just choose not to.
I would also check to see where they are breaking. Might be a bur on the bridge or something, which means it's not your fault. :wink:
Hope you get this straightened out soon.
I'm no guitar whiz, by any means, but from what I have read in other posts it seems like its most common that someone has replaced the existing strings with lighter ones and so now an adjustment would be needed. Hopefully someone can provide you with those details.
Or
The other possiblility i have read is that there is a burr that ends up weakening or cutting the string.
I'm not much help, I know, but hopefully someone who's better can shoot you in the right direction.
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
We need a bit more information. What kind of guitar do you have? Where, exactly, does the string break? How do you tune the string?
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I have an epiphone les paul std, the strings breaks near the tuning peg and I'm using an electric tuning device.
I've replaced the treble strings in the past with light guage strings but didn't touch the top fabric strings (I know now you should better change all strings at once but at the time I didn't)
the previous strings were thicker, I'm thinking of trying to use thicker strings for the basses again(E A D) as i'm used to playing and the lighter ones for the G B e. Is it okay to use different types of strings/thickness on a guitar?
If it'll make you feel any better the other day I was changing the strings on my Agile LP (which has .09's on it) and I was tuning the Low E and A strings. I thought the tension felt kind of tight on the strings but the tuner was saying they were in tune. It's had been a while since I changes .09 gauge strings so I was used to the .10 on my other electrics and the .11's on my acoustics. Then the A string just SNAPPED! Scared the heck right out of me! I had been so used to using the .10's on my other guitars I didn't realize that I had tuned these strings a WHOLE OCTIVE HIGHER! :oops: :oops: :oops: Whenever I change strings I try to get the tension to what feels close to being in tune then go over to my tuner and tune all of them together. Well they felt close alright...like the .10's! :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :lol:
could it be that i'm not giving it enough slack when I put the string through the tuning peg
This sounds like a resasonable explanation, I broke 2 strings when restringing my acoustic due to not leaving them slack enough before winding to tune.
I've found (and this is purely my opinion) the string you are tuning should be resting lightly on the neck of the guitar after 1 full turn of the peg. You've then got another 1.5 - 2 turns to bring it into tune without being too tight.
Pete
Then the A string just SNAPPED! Scared the heck right out of me! I had been so used to using the .10's on my other guitars I didn't realize that I had tuned these strings a WHOLE OCTIVE HIGHER!
I used to do that all the time when I started out too, it can take a while to get used to which octave is the right one...
about being an octave too high, was thinking that might be the problem too for a while..
getting new strings tomorrow, keeping the things in mind from here hopefully I'll get it playing again
thx for the replies :wink:
'm thinking of trying to use thicker strings for the basses again(E A D) as i'm used to playing and the lighter ones for the G B e. Is it okay to use different types of strings/thickness on a guitar?
Yes, but it may require a little tinkering. I've got a '67 Tele that I use a light top/heavy bottom set (.010-.013-.017-.030-.042-.052) which gives me easy bending with a full, tight, almost baritone sounding bass. But you made need to adjust your saddles a bit to accomodate. This is the set I use: Just Strings
Also, about the string breaking, I was having similar trouble once but with the high E. Turned out it was a little burr in the nut slot. Don't do what I did and just stick your knife in the slot and try to clear it and end up snapping off the end of the nut and having to get a whole new one cut while trying to explain to the guitar tech that you're really not an idiot and that you think you saw your cat bite it off.....or something.
good luck-
silvertone
:lol:
well I got it working now, turned out I was pulling the basses way too tight wich made me try to tune them an octave too high like someone mentioned above :oops: It just felt a little akward with them being kinda loose maybe cause I'm used to playing a lot on my classical guitar..don't know.
almost 3 heartattacks later, I guess you could say I learned it for life now, won't make that mistake again..
should have changed them earlier, new strings are so much fun to play on...yummy sound again
