Had a string unravel on me.....

[puppyonacid]

Playing my JP6 on Tuesday, whenever I bent the top E string it went flat. Retuned it and it happened again. Sooooooo, figured I'd leave it and see what it was like in the morning (which! incidentally can work! Am I alone in finding the odd niggle on a guitar can sometimes disappear as quickly and mysteriously as it crops up?)

So, the following morning, same thing was happening. Put some more nut grease on the nut, kept happening. So I just went for it and bent the hell out of the string. It then went mega slack, retuned it, pushed my fingers to the ceiling and got the SNAP! sound that goes through you like glass when you break a string. I rarely break strings. However, when going to pull the ball end out of the back plate, the ball end just dropped on the floor. String was totally intact. No break. Just unravelled. The string had been on there for a couple of months. I'm figuring it was just a duff string. But, got a few important gigs coming up so, can anyone put my mind at ease and tell me that it really isn't indicative of anything wrong with my instrument.

Ta!

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

I had that happen to me a few times - I switched to the RPS slinky strings and haven't had the problem since.

 

[puppyonacid]

Well you won't believe what strings I use then!

I'm not so worried about the brand I use. Just hope its not an indication of as problem with my JP

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Well you won't believe what strings I use then!

I'm not so worried about the brand I use. Just hope its not an indication of as problem with my JP

The string had been on there for a couple of months. I'm figuring it was just a duff string. But, got a few important gigs coming up so, can anyone put my mind at ease and tell me that it really isn't indicative of anything wrong with my instrument.

There ya go

I can't imagine the guitar caused the string to unravel.

 

[puppyonacid]

Yea. I knew . Just wanted to hear someone else say it. Never happened before so I had no idea if a guitar could do that to a string.

Thanks Pete. Put my mind at rest.

 

[Big Poppa]

He had me at pulled the string to the ceiling

 

[ivanmihaljevic]

Change strings more often...

 

[Plaschkes]

Happend to me once too a while back. Never happend again. Guess it's just the string. Since then i've been changing hem every month.

 

[banjoplayer]

it happened to me once only with a very cheap string (it was a giveaway).

It should not happen with quality strings. However I don´t change strings that often and it never happened again (cheap strings on all my Non-EB-guitars, RPS Slinky on my Morse).

 

[fbecir]

I had the same problem once. My strings were one week old (I change my strings every month or 2 months if I am lazy) and the ball end of the E string just went away...
Sorry BP, but the strings were RPS. It is the only problem I had with Ernie Ball since I use them (that means 15 years ...). I use more or less 12 sets every year (I use EB string with all my guitars). That means that with 15 * 12 * 6 strings = 1080 strings, I had a problem just with with one string .... It seems that the quality control is quite good !

 

[roburado]

I have never had that happen on the plain strings. The wound ones? Yes. Can't remember if those were the brand with GoreTex or the brand based on Long Island.

 

[jazzbo jim]

Happened to me dozens of times (and I use EB!)
But, I bend like a fiend (MA3 even MA4) so it isn't surprising to have this occur.
However, I have gotten into the habit of soldering the windings and that helps A TON! In fact, I still bend the snot of those strings but rarely will they unwind.
It's a bit of a hassle but well worth the investment of time and reduction in frustration.

 

[SteveB]

I've had that happen to me... usually with wound strings, and usually with a tune-o-matic bridge. I never thought much about it.. just replaced the strings and moved on.

 

[Dr. Metal]

Wow! That's crazy! I've never had this happen before. Of course, years ago before I discovered the magic of EB, I used to solder the ends of D'Addarios to stay in tune better with the Kahler on my old Jackson.

With my JP, I use the RPS's and have never had an issue and no soldering for me. I just switched to 11s a couple of weeks ago (just the regular 11s not RPS - they didn't have them at GC). BTW, I LOVE the 11s!!! I'm also tuned 1/2 step down.

 

[puppyonacid]

Its no biggy really. I don;t need to change strings too often as my hands dont perspire or get dirty. The fretboards and strings on all my guitars never ever feel grubby. I'm just lucky I guess. It didn't bother me at all. Just thought I'd ask if it's happened to anyone before thats all. I'd never use anything but EB strings. That's not an issue for me.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Just a duff string. Don't worry!

 

[Jamhog]

I have recently had 6 or 7 new strings unravel at the ball end. All high e 9 GA. Ernie ball super slinkys using a Kahler trem. I've had the guitar for 30 years recently had it set up and it started this. I read somewhere to solder the ball end wrap.

 

[Jamhog]

6 or 7 bad strings? I've used super slinkys for 34 years and never had that happen.

 

[beej]

Holy 9 year old thread ... !

If you're repeatedly breaking strings at the same place, they're likely being damaged by a sharp edge (burr, etc.) on the saddle, or in the path of the winding.

Best bet is to smooth out the saddle (sand/file), etc. so this doesn't happen. But you can also reinforce the string ... rather than doing this manually, EB's RPS strings are reinforced at the ball end and would also be a good fit.

I'm going to shut this one down - feel free to start a new thread if need be.