Leveling up in guitar = more frequent string breaks?

[ohdamnitsdevin]

I've been experiencing a strange phenomena lately and I'm wondering if I stand alone with this. Let me preface by saying I've always used Ernie Ball Strings (Regular Slinky) and in the first few years of playing, I remember only a couple strings breaking within that time. Fast forward to today and I've had to change strings already 3x this week.

When I first started off playing I remember the guitar feeling so foreign and uncomfortable, hell it even hurt a little to play but, I don't feel like I strum any harder now than I did then. If anything, I play with less force now.

I wonder if a more developed technique is more taxing on guitar strings?


Or maybe it's a fluke and I'm over analyzing but maybe others have found the same to be true?


Thoughts?

 

[BrickGlass]

Is it the same string breaking most of the time?

 

[ohdamnitsdevin]

No it's been different ones each time.

 

[BrickGlass]

I highly recommend the Ernie Ball RPS strings. I've never broken one. When I use the regular Slinky ones I break them often. The RPS portion only applies to strings 1-3 though, so if you are breaking 4-6 I have no advice other than make sure you don't have any burrs in the nut/saddles/bridge block.

 

[MesaBeno]

hmm, I can't say my string breakage has increased with my ability; if anything I'd say it's the opposite, but mainly because my gear has gotten better (and thus higher quality) and time has gone on.

Where along the string is it breaking? Near the bridge? Neck the nut?

 

[ksandvik]

You should try to inspect the nut and the bridge to see if there's anything causing friction triggering string breakage -- also use nut oil or other lubrication to avoid these kinds of issues + better tuning stability. So far I've managed to avoid breaking strings on my EB guitars -- then again I try to replace the strings frequently.

 

[frantic29]

I can't say that leveling up has every caused me more string breaks. In fact it's been years since I broke a string. I guess if your talking super aggressive bending techniques and whammy bar antics then sure I'll bet you will experience more string breakage. Outside of that there is aways a reason for string breakage, worn out or burred nut/saddles being the most likely culprit. In my short time as tech the weirdest one I have see was a burr on the machine post itself. Right on the edge of the eyelett. That was a pain to file down smooth again. Another possibility is a bad batch of strings. It's rare but like every other manufacturing process it does happen. If you bought several sets at the same time maybe there could be some issue with some bad wire or a machine/human not being perfectly in sync for a few hours.

One thing you can do to check for burrs on the saddles is rub a cotton ball over them. If there are burrs they will catch and pull strands of cotton out. On the nut you mainly just have to inspect it really close. I think the cotton ball trick would work on the tuners as well although I seriously doubt that is the issue. Good luck with it.

 

[Monster212]

I will also say what others have said, check for burrs, and also check the nut, I very rarely break a string but then again I have a very light picking and strumming , also make sure its not a tuning peg that has a sharp edge or something also...