String snapping hell!!!!!!

[Dee M]

Hi

Ive just added another Axis to my arsenal Gone now are my jacksons and esp's.....they just wernt getting or ever going to get used so went to new homes.

Anyhow, my latest Axis has been bought to be used as my main live heavy axe. Set it up with 11's and played my first gig with it at the weekend. It sounded crushing as expected but the thing is just snaping strings nonstop! Im tuned to Eb and setup as usual. Its not just one string neither....its the E, A and D. 4 strings in one night and 2 at practice! Ive tried differant strings, makes etc but its not solving the problem.
Maybe someone at EBall could give me any pointers as to what they would do at the factory with the same problem?

Its second hand but the saddles look fine to me so im pretty stumped

 

[Jimi D]

Hi Dee,

Hey, I traded a Jackson Soloist for my first Axis many moons ago and never looked back! Sounds like you've got a bizarre problem with your strings going out on you like that... Are the strings actually breaking right at the trem saddle or further along the length of the string? Could they just be popping out - ie: slipping the locking blocks on the Floyd? Breaking the E, A and D strings! Man, I've never done that!

 

[Dee M]

Hiya

yep, snapping right at the bridge! Its a real pain in the ss lol. I rarely rarely snapped a string on the jacksons and esps. I should have taken a backup I know but in all the excitement of using it for the first time I didnt. My other axis's havnt snapped a single string neither so I was feeling confident. I wasnt playing any harder than usual too.

I know what your saying with the jackson. I just sold a Dk1 a bit back which was my main heavy guitar and to be honest I wasnt sure about switching to the Axis. The jackson had emg81's etc and was absolutely stunning to look at and reeked of metal But I never used it at home EVER. I was an Axis addict and the neck on the Dinky just felt absolutely horrible in comparison, the pickups sounded nasty and fizzy and it weighed twice as much!
So it came down to being stereotypical and keeping the jackson or being a bit differant and going the way of the axis. Im glad I did......I got so many compliments on my sound at the weekend. I mean, people know theyre awesome guitars but they dont realise they can be used for serious heavyness too

Now if only my girlfriend would stop saying it looks like im using a Fisher Price kids guitar......women

 

[jongitarz]

You could be over tightening the strings at the bridge.

 

[Dee M]

You think? As in with the allen key at the rear of the trem?

 

[jongitarz]

Yes..I get them in the shop all the time. People think you need to really crank on those string retainer bolts. All they end up doing is making a groove in the block that holds the strings and that distorts the shape of the block, and you can't get them out to replace them, and also breaking strings left and right because of over tightening. When you change strings, do they come out flat at the bridge side? Too tight.

 

[Dee M]

Ok thx jon, ill check up on that. Saying that though, im pretty sure I dont tighten it that much as I learnt the hard way many years ago the joys of stripping the thread in a floyd rose

 

[jongitarz]

Good luck with it!