high e-string keeps breaking in the middle of the string on my new JP7

[Santuzzo]

I have a question to other EBMM JP guitar owners that have stainless steel frets:

the high e-string on my new JP7 keeps breaking when I do larger bends (3fret/minor 3rd bend). Not every time I do these bends, but after a few hours of playing. This happened now for the 3rd time within 5 days or so.
This does only happen on this particular guitar (I also own another JP7 where I do not have this issue at all). The weird thing is: the string breaks in the middle of the string exactly the 13th fret. Every time at the exact same spot, I compared the broken string halves (from the ball end to the spot where it broke) and they are exactly the same length on every string that broke.
I checked the frets in that area for any sharp or rough edges but I could not detect anything. When I run my finger across the fret-edges they are all somewhat sharp, but that's on the edge where the string does not go.

Has anybody of you had a similar experience on their EBMM stainless steel-frets-equipped guitar?
If yes, how did you solve this problem?

Thanks,
Lars

 

[PaoloGilberto]

hi LArs,
as you remember I also bought recently a JP 7 ss frets, no problems of that kind, in fact I love so much the ss frets that I am seelling now all my other music man /sterling guitars for that reason

sorry for not helping, though ... :-(

 

[DrKev]

Unusual problem to have. Something clearly is happening to the strings at that point but I don't think any of us would expect it to come from regular playing. When you put new strings on, how do you stretch them in?

 

[bvdrummer]

It does seem like the fret if that's where it's breaking. Even if you can't feel anything with your finger there might be a tiny rough patch that's wearing the string thin. Maybe you could buff it with some very fine emery cloth or something.

I've had 2 Carvin's and a Warmoth with SS frets and not had this problem. But then again I can only do full step bends with .010's.

 

[Santuzzo]

Thanks guys for your input, I appreciate it!

hi LArs,
as you remember I also bought recently a JP 7 ss frets, no problems of that kind, in fact I love so much the ss frets that I am seelling now all my other music man /sterling guitars for that reason

sorry for not helping, though ... :-(

no worries. Congrats on your new JP7 I'm glad to hear you like it!

Unusual problem to have. Something clearly is happening to the strings at that point but I don't think any of us would expect it to come from regular playing. When you put new strings on, how do you stretch them in?

I noticed that guitars with locking tuners require much less pf stretching in than guitars with regular tuners, so on this guitar I just do a couple of bends on different areas of the neck then retune and repeat the process until the string stays in tune.

It does seem like the fret if that's where it's breaking. Even if you can't feel anything with your finger there might be a tiny rough patch that's wearing the string thin. Maybe you could buff it with some very fine emery cloth or something.

I've had 2 Carvin's and a Warmoth with SS frets and not had this problem. But then again I can only do full step bends with .010's.

Yes, I was thinking that, too, that maybe it's something so tiny it's not visible but it's still there and maybe the fret just needs to be polished a bit.

This still baffles me, since this happened repeatedly (on the factory EB string as well as on the D'Addario's I replaced the broken string with) and each time on the exact same spot, I find it hard to believe this could be bad strings.
On the other hand the fret looks perfect, just like the other frets ...

 

[DrKev]

Do talk to customer service and see what they suggest.

 

[Santuzzo]

Do talk to customer service and see what they suggest.

Oh, I did.
They said it might be bad strings, and said if there was something up with that fret I'd probably feel something on the fret.
Makes perfect sense to me, but the whole thing is still a mystery to me.

 

[AgustinJP50]

At this point, I'd highly doubt it could be bad strings... I mean, it happened on the factory strings, well, ok, bad batch, but you even changed the brand of strings and the result was exactly the same, in the same spot... I know, the weirdest thing of all is that the fret seems to be in perfect condition, but I think the fret may have a rough bit small enough so that you can't see it. I'd talk to customer service and/or take it to a competent tech. Hope this gets sorted out!

 

[ksandvik]

Use your finger nail to feel around the fret, if it bumps and with closer inspection such with a magnifying glass, you see tight groves, then the fret needs refinishing.

 

[Santuzzo]

Thanks guys for the suggestions and the help.
I hope this will be an easy fix, maybe that one fret just needs some polishing.

 

[Santuzzo]

I'm pretty sure now that this is something wrong with that fret.
I checked the string after playing for a few hours by grabbing it with my thumb and 1st finger and running my fingers over the middle of the string. At the spot where the string is at the 13th fret I feel a little 'bump' / 'dent' in the string. There's something 'grinding' the string on that fret. Even though it's not visible, it's there.

 

[Santuzzo]

So, I had a guitar tech look at the guitar and he checked the frets with these magnifying glasses, but said the fretwork was prefect, he could not see anything wrong with it.
I myself had noticed a tiny, tiny little scratch on the 13th fret, but I can't feel it with my fingernail, so I couldn't possibly imagine that being the cause of the string breaking...but then again, I don't know, these are stainless steel frets after all ....
Anyway, despite he said the frets look perfect the tech said he could polish the frets, but he also said he was not sure if that would help.
Got the guitar back, and played it for a bit, the string has not broken YET, but after doing a couple of 3 fret bends on the 14th fret I can already feel that ' bump' on the high e-string at the 13th fret when grabbing the string with my thumb and 1st finger and running them over the string.
The string is taking some damage at that fret and it will break after a while.
I am getting so frustrated with this....

 

[t_rod]

Could it be due to the way the guitar is being stored when your not playing it? If you're using the case, is there something on the lid thats maybe catching it?
Is it happening when you put the string on, as if something in the trem block is catching it at that point as you pull it through?

I'm just thinking if the guitar seems to be fine then the problem might be somewhere else.

 

[Santuzzo]

Could it be due to the way the guitar is being stored when your not playing it? If you're using the case, is there something on the lid thats maybe catching it?
Is it happening when you put the string on, as if something in the trem block is catching it at that point as you pull it through?

I'm just thinking if the guitar seems to be fine then the problem might be somewhere else.

Thanks, these are good ideas, I had not even thought about that.
But guitar is out on a guitar stand all the time.
And I am very careful when pulling the string through the trem block, also last set was put on by a guitar tech, so I doubt it could be that, especially since the string breaks at the 13th fret every time, same exact spot...
There must be something wrong with that fret, maybe it is that tiny little cut I see (but can't feel with my fingernail, nor with my fingertip) on the 13th fret.

 

[ksandvik]

If fret problems you should be able to see the small groves with glasses or small magnifier glass. Also check the sides of the fret in case they are there. I doubt there are groves if you can't see them with proper magnification as they should be visible then.

 

[gswilder]

Hello. I was just wondering if you had found a solution to your High E String Breaking?

The reason I ask, is I am having the same problem on a new MM Silhouette. And both times it broke in about the same place.. 9th fret in my case.

I am not a heavy player and was only doing half bends on the high E when they broke.

Thanks in advance.
Greg

 

[Santuzzo]

Hello. I was just wondering if you had found a solution to your High E String Breaking?

The reason I ask, is I am having the same problem on a new MM Silhouette. And both times it broke in about the same place.. 9th fret in my case.

I am not a heavy player and was only doing half bends on the high E when they broke.

Thanks in advance.
Greg

Sorry to hear you are having the same issue.

I ended up sending the guitar back for a partial refund.

 

[gswilder]

I have broken 4 High E strings in the last week, and hardly any use at all. Interestingly, they are all breaking at the EXACT same spot. I mean exactly. Like something on the fretboard is cutting them. I have checked the frets in the area with a light magnifier and cannot figure out what is going on. I repolished the 3 frets. and put a larger #10 on the high E (per music man support recommendation). We will see. I may have to send this one back to Sweetwater.

Thanks
Greg

 

[PaulJam]

Hi,

Does the string sometimes slip off the fretboard while playing or grabbing the guitar? Maybe the string gets damaged while sliding over the end of the fret.

 

[uOpt]

Maybe you guys have some uneven padding in the case and the case's ceiling presses down too hard around that spot?