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  #1  
Old 07-21-2020, 06:48 PM
deepestend deepestend is offline
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Default Strings keep breaking at tuners

Hi,

I’m reviving and old guild by replacing the nut and saddle. I’ve been loosening and tightening the strings a lot as I adjust the nut and saddle and switch them out to try tusq and bone. Somehow, I keep breaking strings on retuning right at the tuners. It’s not a sharp nut issue. I’m mainly a bass player and trying to get up to speed on all things acoustic.

Is it possible that I’m not winding them correctly on the post? Any other obvious things i could be doing wrong?

Thanks!
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  #2  
Old 07-21-2020, 07:51 PM
JLS JLS is offline
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Good clean focused photos will help us.
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:26 PM
YamahaGuy YamahaGuy is offline
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1) tightening/loosening as in doing setups breaks strings
2) if the holes on the tuning peg heads are not chamfered, the edges of the holes can be sharp and lead to premature string breakage. A small cone shaped Dremel bit could get in there and clean up the sharp edges.
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Old 07-21-2020, 08:39 PM
JKMartin JKMartin is offline
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Old 07-21-2020, 09:57 PM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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If you don't have enough wraps on the posts, the strings will fatigue when tightening and loosening them. As an experiment, grab a string with pliers and bend it back and forth. The string will break after a few times. A couple of wraps around the tuner post will keep the string from flexing back and forth at the bend where it exits the hole in the post.
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Old 07-21-2020, 10:43 PM
deepestend deepestend is offline
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I may not have enough wraps. I’ve been doing 3. What’s optimal?
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Old 07-21-2020, 11:28 PM
JKMartin JKMartin is offline
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  #8  
Old 07-21-2020, 11:39 PM
Tuch Tuch is offline
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A BURR- invisible to the eye!hole perimeter needs ''ROUNDING-OVER' to eradicate.W & D 320 grit.TIGHT Roll...a few strokes eradicates.Deliberately erase the sharp defined edge perimeter..leave smooth.
the string under tension+sharp edge...acts like a saw!tuning[movement etc] cuts into the string voila BREAKS.
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  #9  
Old 07-22-2020, 09:26 AM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
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Default A thought

There's a technique of installing strings by wrapping first and then, last part, run the string through the post. It avoids the stress of the first thing the string feels is the sharp edge of the hole in the post. I have no idea if this will help op's problem, but it does honor the physics of a capstan.
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  #10  
Old 07-22-2020, 09:43 AM
HodgdonExtreme HodgdonExtreme is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YamahaGuy View Post
1) tightening/loosening as in doing setups breaks strings
2) if the holes on the tuning peg heads are not chamfered, the edges of the holes can be sharp and lead to premature string breakage. A small cone shaped Dremel bit could get in there and clean up the sharp edges.
+1 on both of these points.

I'd recommend a "Cratex" point for the dremel. It's basically a rubber pencil eraser with grit embedded in it. Not very aggressive, but great at rounding off sharp little corners.
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  #11  
Old 07-22-2020, 10:32 AM
Nymuso Nymuso is offline
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I used to wrap the string at the post per Martin’s recommendation (back in the 70s) of switching back under the first wrap. I then noticed a lot of breakage at that point when retuning and abandoned that technique in favor of Taylor’s over/under technique, which I still use today without incident.
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  #12  
Old 07-22-2020, 11:24 AM
deepestend deepestend is offline
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Lots of good advice here. I had never had string breakage issues before and in the past week I've had the strings on and off/tightened and loosened probably 30 times as I adjusted the old saddle, replaced the nut twice (goofed up the first one), and am now replacing the old saddle with a new one... so there has been a lot of action and tension/release going on which has no doubt contributed to the issues.

I'm going to try some of the advice here and will report back.

Here's a link to the Taylor method. Very helpful to see:
https://www.taylorguitars.com/suppor...-steel-strings

Last edited by deepestend; 07-22-2020 at 11:38 AM.
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  #13  
Old 07-31-2020, 10:28 AM
Scott R Scott R is offline
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i piece of twine coated in buffing compound then pulled rapidly back and forth through the tuner holes will smooth out a burr and correct the problem. They also make abrasive string to do the same thing
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  #14  
Old 07-31-2020, 01:16 PM
Frank Ford Frank Ford is offline
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I've yet to see a tuner that breaks strings because of sharp edges or burs on the post, provided that the strings wrap at fully around the post at least once.

Retuning lots of times, like some folks do with alternate tunings will cause string breakage from simple fatigue.

Premature string breakage at the post can be a sign of increased friction through the nut, particularly on slotted headstocks which provide lots of extra downward force on the nut.
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