I was tuning down my high-e string to D when it broke. I'd read on here about how breakage can be caused by the string binding in the nut, but I'm not sure that was it. The string seemed to have broken before it reached the nut, just below the tuner. I have a couple ideas as to what happened, but I'd like to know if anyone else has any input on this. I'd rather not break it again.
My first thought is that the string did bind in the nut, and that the area above the nut was at a lower tension than the area below. The binding gave way and the string snapped forward, breaking at a weak point. In case this was it, I used a 2B pencil to lubricate the nut slot before I restrung it.
My other idea is that the semi-regular tuning/detuning (probably 12 times since I got this guitar last month -- that's another thing, brand new guitar, haven't changed the strings on it yet) caused the string to weaken at the point where it was being wound and unwound around the tuner. Eventually it just snapped.
Any other ideas?
Thanks
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I'd be thinking the same. As for nut slot binding, there are a couple of clues you have this going on before a string breaks. If you hear a "ping" when you're tuning up, it's from the string catching, building up excess tension between the tuner and nut and suddenly releasing it as the hung string breaks loose. If you're watching a tuner and picking the string as you tune, you'll notice too-long pauses in the rising pitch as you tighten the string with the tuner but the pitch isn't going up. If you see that you're headed for trouble. You may be able to lift the string at the nut with your finger to help it release the built-up tension, but if you're having to do that you need to open up and lubricate the nut slot. "Sawing" a string of the gauge you're using in the slot will open it up. Press or pull down on the upper end of the string so it's angled toward the tuning post it goes to, so it'll take down the sharp corner on the top side of the nut that the string tends to hang on.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Thanks Richochet, I'll give it a try.
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Two weeks later and it happened again! Brand new (High-e) string, broke at the same point, which is odd since it's not rubbing on anything there. This time I was tuning it back up to standard after being at D (I wasn't doing it terribly fast either). None of my other strings have done this, though I don't end up tuning them down /quite/ as much. Still, my B and G strings seem fine, even when I'm tuning them up 1/2 step or down 1 step.
Is there anything I can do other than stock up on more strings?
Thanks
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It's awfully easy to have a kink in the string from putting it on the post pull back through the hole in the post and be in the part of the string under tension if you're not attentive to maintaining constant proper tension during the stringing process. Might be something like that.
But watch the tuner as you tune up. If the rising pitch isn't constant and smooth, but proceeds in steps, with tuning machine tightening sometimes not resulting in rising pitch, you have a nut binding problem.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
