Breaking G String !

**yankees1** · May-29-2012, 7:03pm

Just broke my third G string within two months ! The one closest to D string and all breaks have been at different points and only once at the bridge. Once by the string cover and another half way between the bridge and cover ! ??????????????

**Tim2723** · May-29-2012, 8:06pm

You didn't get your hands on some of those counterfeits did you? Sometimes it's just a run of bad strings, sometimes it's just a run of bad luck. I'm sure you already know all the likely suspects to check, but it doesn't sound like an instrument flaw.

**Don Grieser** · May-30-2012, 8:21am

This is a family forum.

**Doug Edwards** · May-30-2012, 10:06am

Wow!

**Tim2723** · May-30-2012, 10:20am

Yeah, wow is right. But I had it happen once with T.I. strings. That'll make you cry.

**yankees1** · May-30-2012, 10:35am

Just broke the same G string again ! ( number 4 ) These are PF270 strings so I am switching back to EXP77 and see what happens as this never happened with these strings !

**Tim2723** · May-30-2012, 10:39am

Did you buy them all at once from the same source? Strings are made in the millions and bad things happen to good people.

**yankees1** · May-30-2012, 11:02am

Bought all at same time from elderly ! Not getting much practice time in playing this morning but-------------getting a lot of practice in changing strings !

**Doug Edwards** · May-30-2012, 12:01pm

Just Strings has singles including TI's.

**Tim2723** · May-30-2012, 12:23pm

Yeah, $19 for a single string. Cry with me!

**Pete Braccio** · May-30-2012, 12:35pm

Wow. I have never broken a G string. I would have thought that it would have been impossible to bust one (let alone four!).

Pete

**Doug Edwards** · May-30-2012, 12:44pm

Originally Posted by Tim2723

Yeah, $19 for a single string. Cry with me!

I think it's for a pair. I ordered a TI E and received a pair. Not cheap anyway, you may want to confirm with the vendor if it's a pair or not.

**Denny Gies** · May-30-2012, 12:49pm

I have used J 74's for years and never have broken one. On an old Auria I once owned, the e strings used to break all the time; turned out it was a problem with the nut. Good luck. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

**Tim2723** · May-30-2012, 1:19pm

Originally Posted by Doug Edwards

I think it's for a pair. I ordered a TI E and received a pair. Not cheap anyway, you may want to confirm with the vendor if it's a pair or not.

Ok, so at least it's $10/string. Still nothing to be happy about! LOL! I stopped using them when I went back to the Ovation, but thanks.

**Willie** · May-30-2012, 1:28pm

Just maybe you are trying to tune to the wrong G note on your tuner....

I know that sounds petty but I have heard of worse things happening to mandolin players that have been playing for years....If the strings are breaking at a place other than the nut or bridge and you have broken four of them you must be trying to tune to an octave higher....Just a thought....

Willie

**Tim2723** · May-30-2012, 2:36pm

That's a possibility, but by now I hope the man knows what a G sounds like.

(Sorry Willie, I'm watching the Hatfields and McCoys special. It has me talking like that. What a show!)

**allenhopkins** · May-30-2012, 2:45pm

Are all the breaks between bridge and tailpiece? Do they occur when bringing the string up to tension, or when playing?

That's an odd location for string breaks. Since tension's applied from the headstock end, breaks caused by strings "hanging up" at nut or bridge, and thus getting over-tensioned, seldom happen "south" of the bridge. The "defective string" hypothesis seems plausible.

But: why just String #7, and not String #8 if they came from the same package? Something not computing...

**Tim2723** · May-30-2012, 3:09pm

#7 has a longer run to the tuner capstan? Same reason D's and A's have trouble?

He bought them all at the same time. I still think it's just a bad run of strings or a bad run of luck.

**yankees1** · May-30-2012, 3:41pm

Originally Posted by Willie

Just maybe you are trying to tune to the wrong G note on your tuner....

I know that sounds petty but I have heard of worse things happening to mandolin players that have been playing for years....If the strings are breaking at a place other than the nut or bridge and you have broken four of them you must be trying to tune to an octave higher....Just a thought....

Willie

Not the problem!

**yankees1** · May-30-2012, 3:45pm

Originally Posted by allenhopkins

Are all the breaks between bridge and tailpiece? Do they occur when bringing the string up to tension, or when playing?

That's an odd location for string breaks. Since tension's applied from the headstock end, breaks caused by strings "hanging up" at nut or bridge, and thus getting over-tensioned, seldom happen "south" of the bridge. The "defective string" hypothesis seems plausible.

But: why just String #7, and not String #8 if they came from the same package? Something not computing...

All between the bridge and tailpiece and happened during playing. I spoke with Elderly and they offered to send me replacements but I declined at this point as I would like to rule out everything but the strings first. I have switched to EXP77's and no problem yet!

**Tim2723** · May-30-2012, 3:49pm

But, switching to another brand can mask the original problem if it is a run of bad strings from a particular label. Having no continuing problem with another brand could suggest a bad run of strings?

**yankees1** · May-30-2012, 4:37pm

Originally Posted by Tim2723

But, switching to another brand can mask the original problem if it is a run of bad strings from a particular label. Having no continuing problem with another brand could suggest a bad run of strings?

That is the reason I switched to another brand ! If I no longer break the g string than I will assume the GHS PF270 G strings are defective. But, I don't know why only the #7 G string is breaking and not the #8 G string !

**Jeff Budz** · May-31-2012, 5:30am

I bought some GHS sets (silk and bronze) from elderly, and went on to break 2 string (#6 and #1) within a week. That has never happened to me before with my usual J74/EXP74s. It has been very humid last week, perhaps that has something to do with it.

**yankees1** · May-31-2012, 8:07am

Well-----------------my #8 G string ( GHS PF270) string blew this morning so I am convinced that I have a bad batch of PF270 G strings so I will call Elderly today! My EXP77 #7 is still going strong!

**yankees1** · May-31-2012, 7:17pm

Elderly and GHS have been excellent to deal with and they were more than willing to replace the G strings ! GHS is sending me i 270 strings instead of the uncoated PF270 strings. Hopefully this will take care of this problem !