Broke my first string..

[sloar]

I've been working on a new song that's double drop D. So Ive been going back and forth on tuning. Is that the reason my high E broke?

[Mike McLenison]

that is odd. i've tuned down a whole step on my HD-35 and never had a breakage.

[Gjimmy]

I usually break my G or B string for whatever reason. It happens, no big deal. If it happens every time you may have a sharp nut slot or something to check out.

[baw3]

Not really a big deal. I have had it happen a couple of times when I used GHS bronze strings and did the double dropped d tuning. I have never had it happen with daddario or martins though. Like someone else said it might be your nut. Try putting some graphite in the nut slot of your high e string. you can pick it up at any napa auto parts store.

[mawmow]

The first string is usually the one that breaks most frequently.

This year, the brand new 0,012" string of a not marketted anymore
MSP4100 set broke while winding for installation.
And this happened with two consecutive sets !
I had not encountered such catastrophy for years !!!

So yep ! Winding and releasing first string may cause it to break.

That is a reason I own many guitars : some are kept in alternate tunings.
In addition, I once read that changing string tension too often on a guitar
could apparently damage its structure. I do not know what to think about
this but I take no chance.

[Dru Edwards]

Frequently changing between different tunings can cause metal fatigue and may lead to string breakage. It doesn't always happen but it can.

Have you thought about leaving one of your acoustics in double drop D?

[birdsong]

Some of us just use the lead from a lead pencil to add some graphite into a nut slot. I use a #5 pencil for this but it's been so long I can't remember why I chose that level/style graphite.

J

[DCCougar]

The octave G string on 12-strings is always the one to go. Oddly, however, I was tuning down from G to E (going for all Es and Bs), and the darn thing broke!

[gfspencer]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Frequently changing between different tunings can cause metal fatigue and may lead to string breakage. It doesn't always happen but it can.

+ 1 to what Dru said. I usually break the octave G string on one of my 12-string guitars but I have occasionally broken a high E string.

[Earl49]

Changing tunings repeatedly causes metal fatigue and work hardening, so the string will eventually break. Tuning up and down also kills the tone quickly.

One way to partially mitigate this effect is using extra wraps around the post. If unwound strings have 6-8 wraps, then you are bending around a larger radius of the capstan or post. I've been doing this for years, on the advice of David Wilcox from a workshop. The only time a string has broken for me was after 10-12 cycles of tuning up and down. My treble strings go from "e" down to "c" at times, and the bass string goes from E down to Bb and back. I keep certain guitars in dedicated tunings to minimize the wear and tear, but as a string set gets toward the end of their tonal life, I will practice working through all my tunings on a single guitar. That is when breakage happens, but rarely even then.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by gfspencer

+ 1 to what Dru said. I usually break the octave G string on one of my 12-string guitars but I have occasionally broken a high E string.

Yea, that octave G string on a 12 string is probably the one that breaks the most often. Very thin inner core.

[Neal Pert]

With one broken string, it's almost impossible to know. If it's a pattern, then it'll become clear. One string can be a fluke, though.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by sloar

I've been working on a new song that's double drop D. So Ive been going back and forth on tuning. Is that the reason my high E broke?

Not necessarily. In fact, I've never broken a string because of the use of altered tunings. Usually it's because of sharp saddles or putting Aluminum Bronze strings (yes, still mad about them!).

[Misifus]

I’m guessing you haven’t played too long. Strings break. It just happens, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you did something wrong or that the string was bad. Sometimes it’s just unavoidable, although changing tuning on a string can cause it to fatigue, and lead to breakage. Folks who regularly play in different tuning, sometimes get different guitars to leave in each tuning.

I must say though, that back in the day, our six string, flat-top players always put new strings on before a gig, and they still usually broke a string or two each night. This was before Barcus-Berry or any other acoustic pickup, and they were playing pretty hard.

[sloar]

Thanks for the replies, and I’ve only been playing a little over two years. I was really concentrating on the song and it startled me a little when it broke. It’s on an old Martin Shenadoah so I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a sharp edge somewhere. Thanks again