Breaking strings

rgrice

I tend to play hard but lately I've been breaking lots of strings, especially D, even and A and E last night. Is it just me and my technique or has anyone else had trouble with Argentine 11s lately? Note: they break at bridge and I don't typically break tons of strings on this guitar. If so, it's usually the G, which wears so poorly and is me trying to get my money's worth beyond it's life.
Bridge seems like grooves for strings may have dug in a bit too deeply.
Thanks for any help to a frustrating issue that is happening. Good thing is I'm becoming expert in changing quickly and can jump in to finish a song!

Bones

Might be a problem with your bridge??? The slots should not be too deep and should be not too wide either. Depth maybe 1/3 of the string diameter or so. Don't have to be real deep. If the grooves are too deep you could bring the top of the bridge down but maybe better to try a new bridge and see if the problem goes away. Have a luthier set it up who is familiar with selmacs or archtops if you are not handy with working on guitars yourself.

Hard to say without seeing the guitar. Can you take a closeup picture and post it?

Bones

Also, I typically use a little pencil lead (graphite) to lubricate the slots in the bridge and nut but not sure if that makes any difference or not.

rgrice

That's what I'm thinking @Bones thanks. I always use pencil from 5 string banjo days with Scruggs tuners. Like you, not sure if it really works, but it sounds like a good idea. When strings broke it appeared slots were to deep. My luthier can fill in with rosewood and resin and start anew.

Bones

Cool, let us know how it works out. Interesting.

anthon_74

This may or may not apply to you, but....

In my early days playing gypsy jazz, where I played primarily rhythm, I broke a ton of A, and D strings. I discovered that, in order to get the quick whip action needed for Pompe', I was overly bending my wrist, and digging into the strings too much with each rhythm stroke.
Once I corrected that, I stopped breaking those strings so often, and started breaking the E and the G like you're supposed to.

Anthony

Jazzaferri

I play with a firm maybe or middling stroke single string and everything from light to whacking on rhythm.

I have only broken 1 string in the last 10 years. I play guitar averaging maybe 10-15 hours a week.

rgrice

@anthon_74 only began happening recently but I bet that's what I'm doing. Added another guitarist and am playing mostly rhythm and probably overdoing my job!
Jay, that makes me feel worse! Thanks, buddy!

MattHenry

Have you swithed to the sideways Dunlop? I hate to be such a maven since folks are usually strongly wedded to whatever pick they're currently using (I'm no exception, obviously).

That said, I'm a fan of the 2mm purple delrin and these days I'm even using the 1.5 light purple one. It's less of a bludgeoning instrument and if you commit to it for a few months you get used to it. It cultivates a more intimate distance from the strings. There's less pick noise and more precision on lead and you can get a warm dark tone for gypsy rhythm as well if your picking technique is good. And of course no broken strings from a scrawny pick like that. It even prolongs the deadening of the G string that Argentines are known for. I also use Argentines btw and for what it's worth they never break.

If you're breaking low strings it might just be from beating the heck out of them with your rhythm attack.

Jazzaferri

@rgrice, wasn't meaning to........I don't bend strings much, and I replace them when I can feel a fret groove that's cut through the outer winding.

If you are breaking them in the first 10 hours or so, check out Christiaan's video question and answers where he talks and demo's a light hand with rhythm.

I spend time each practice session working on a flat strum,(equal sound for all strings) striking from 5 down or 6 down. Relaxed, light and even. I find it useful to be able to Change the chord root note without really looking.

anthon_74

I actually only break the E string regularly. I do, however, kill my G string so it goes completely dead within 3 or 4 days. The reason for that, however, is I have found that the secret to a Django like Vibrato is pressing extra hard, which blows out your strings faster.
But yes, if you're playing mostly rhythm, try consciously keeping your wrist only slightly bent. That should stop the string breakage.