Breaking Strings while bending them

Were the strings old? If they were old or even somewhat corroded, that could have caused them to break.
Were you digging too deep with the pick? There's more tension on the strings when you bend them, so make sure your hold on the pick is relaxed.
I'm asssuming you were in standard tuning and hadn't tuned any of the strings sharp.
I doubt that you broke them by dint of an extraordinarly forceful bend. I'd be very surprised if this were a case of your fingers' not knowing their own strength.

I never broke a string from bending.
my strings break because of my pck attack; it's strong.
I noticed that when I pick aggressively next to the bridge I experience( not often) string breakage.
ususally the third, second and first strings...G, B, E.

next time you play and break a string (try to as an experiement)
look where you are picking.
I played with a guy who was like a hammer. just wailed on the strings. he always broke them; every session.he was rather new at guitar.
we told him to lighten up and he stopped breaking strings.

Dogbite, haha, thats a funny story. Yeah but anyway... I used to break strings too, usually the B string, but that was because of how hard I attacked the strings, that was about 2 years or so ago when I first started playing. After awhile you will lighten up, with practice that is. Also, maybe the thickness of your pick is causing it too. May I recommend fender california picks in a coral blue, medium guaged (I'm biased because that's what I have). They're pretty nice, light picks.

Thick strings might be your problem, Invictious.

The thicker a string is, the more tension it's under to get to the same pitch. On top of that, thicker wire is less flexible - that's the whole reason the bass strings are wound (to build up mass/diameter without sacrificing so much flexibility). When you have strings that are under a lot of tension, and not very flexible to begin with, they're easier to break when you bend 'em.

I'm going to echo what Noteboat said. Lighter strings may be the way to go, big strings do have a great deal of tension in them. If you bend them a lot, they are likely to break. I use light strings on my electric, and play with lots of bends. I've never broken a string from picking. Only from tuning them after they have been on forever.

Paul

Thank you all for your replies

I use those 1mm big triangular picks

I also have this crap kapok guitar which is like 2173th hand, and i strum very aggressively and I keep on retuning it, and the string hasn't broke yet, i can even bend up 3/4 of a tone

I use the same pick for the guitar, I was actually picking lightly, and the guitar strings were definitely not ready to break, they were fine, i used that for a week only and i wipe them after i play them everytime

Perhaps it is as NoteBoat, so I am getting

Elixier Medium Strings

I've been known to play pretty aggressively but it dosen't mean I'm hitting the strings very hard. Even with my Floyd Rose getting a good work out. Actually my opinion is that one can play smoother, faster, and with more dynamic's if you use a lighter touch. Plus you might not break strings as much.

Joe

I tend to break picks more than strings. But then again I have only broken string while tuning. And I play of sorts of stuff from light mellow soft rock to hard crazy metal.

Edit: I use all kinds of different picks too. Fender thins, and Dunlop 2mm are the ones I normally use.

I've had strings break when bending many times. Kinda feels cool doesn't it? 8) Like you're REALLY KICKING ASS!! hehe :lol: I think they were almost always pretty old strings that had been bent many a time though.

I wouldn't be surprised if the new brand/gauge of strings solves the prob for you, at least as far as new strings breaking is concerned. I'd be suspicious about that manufacturing batch of the strings you broke.

To add to my earlier pst.I broke a strap. But never a string (while playing.)

Thank you all for your replies

I use those 1mm big triangular picks

I also have this crap kapok guitar which is like 2173th hand, and i strum very aggressively and I keep on retuning it, and the string hasn't broke yet, i can even bend up 3/4 of a tone

I use the same pick for the guitar, I was actually picking lightly, and the guitar strings were definitely not ready to break, they were fine, i used that for a week only and i wipe them after i play them everytime

Perhaps it is as NoteBoat, so I am getting

Elixier Medium Strings
eeh, aren't Elixr strings especially succeptable to breakage? Plus, since you're having a string breakage problem, wouldn't it make sense to get cheap strings, instead of the most ecpensive ones out there?

cheaper strings tend to break easily.

make sure you don't have any burrs on your saddles or the nut. that'll break a string real quick.

Well I got Ernie Ball strings, Medium Gauge

Right now they are a bit too slack and there is fret buzz, but well, its a bit too light for my taste, but still it works well. Thanks for all your inputs.

I haven't broken a string yet

One thing that really helps is installing Graph Tech String Saver saddles. They replace the saddle on your bridge and are made from a graphite compound which is self-lubricating and non-corroding. They cost around $30-40. I put them on all my guitars, and it makes a dramatic difference in preventing string breakage. I used to have to worry about breaking strings on a gig even with a fresh set of strings. With the graph techs, I don't have to think about it.