Please Help With String Breaking At The 1st Tuner

[albertop]

Hi guys, this has never happened before, I don´t know what to do... I just broke the fourth 1st string I put on my new guitar. First it rattled a little bit when I play in open position, so I sanded the slot a little bit and the buzz stopped. But suddenly the .010 string broke at about 1/4" from the tuner (maybe with the tension it can get to the tuner...). I replaced it but it broke again. That happened a couple of times and now when I changed to .011 the string broke again when I was tuning! That has never happened with my other guitars but this is the first 6-in-line I build so I don´t know if it has something to do with. Does it happen often with 6-in-lines tuners? Do you think it could be the Dixon tuners (a taiwanese brand)? Please help, I don´t know what to do.

Alberto

[M_A_T_T]

If it's breaking right at the tuner you have a sharpness around the hole where the string enters the tuner shaft. Take a look at it.

If it were me, and this was the problem, I would take a small file, or a counter sink bit (by hand) and remove the bur/sharpness that's breaking my string.

[albertop]

Yeah, I also thought about that and swap the 1st tuner for the 4th, but it also broke the string. Thanks Matt I will try that, so propably it was the cheap tuner uh?

[Primal]

Its not like a super long-scale guitar is it?

Honestly, if its not the tuners, I can't think of ANYTHING that would be causing it...

Sorry.

[unclej]

if it's breaking between the tuner and the nut it sounds like you might have sanded the slot a little too small and the string is not sliding freely..in other words the slot is pinching the string and most of the tension on the string is between that and the tuner causing it to break..did i say all that right?

[frank falbo]

Is it the tele? I was thinking maybe your string tree was biting, but they're graph techs, and that's about as slick as it gets.

Let us know if it's actually at the tuner or in the space between the tuner and the nut. If it's at the tuner, a good way to alleviate that is to put a lot of winds on, and make sure they're perfectly stacked. That way the pressure is dispersed a little. But more importantly, the string makes it's final pass around the tuner towards the bottom, where the shaft is smoother. In other words, the string doesn't cut across the hole or the bevel at that point. It's past that part and onto the lower section.

[M_A_T_T]

If it's at the tuner, a good way to alleviate that is to put a lot of winds on, and make sure they're perfectly stacked. That way the pressure is dispersed a little. But more importantly, the string makes it's final pass around the tuner towards the bottom, where the shaft is smoother. In other words, the string doesn't cut across the hole or the bevel at that point. It's past that part and onto the lower section.

←

Good point. I always wind my strings, 7-8 times for the high E, around the tuner shaft then put the end of the string through the hole. Creates more friction and stays in tune better.

[Mickguard]

Maybe when you were working on the nut you nudged the string tree out of line? That could account for why it's getting bitten--maybe all it needs is an adjustment there?

I'd bet that it's breaking right at the hole--that'll teach you for using cheap tuners!

How about this: slide the string through a bit of tubing/wire housing, that way the metal doesn't come into contact with the metal of the tuner. (I did this at the bridge of my strat, and it solved my string breakage problems there). Since the tube will get compressed with the tension, it shouldn't affect tuning stability at all.

Personally, I prefer locking tuners, just easier to string up.

[unclej]

if i read the original post right the problem didn't start until the nut slot was sanded to stop the rattling. and the strings still break after you swapped out tuners..still sounds like the slot is pinching the string..in fact i've got..let's see..$1.83, a cough drop and two picks in my pocket that i'll bet on it.

if you've got a good magnifying glass check the floor of the slot to see if it's sharp v shaped or not. if it is you've probably found your problem.

[albertop]

Thanks guys, you all have good points, that´s why I love this forum

The string broke before and after I smooth the string slot. That keep me wondering about the slot but I´ll check it with a magnifiyng glass. Does anybody know how close the first string can get to the 1st fret? (string height wise) I´m about 0.18, maybe I can try to lower it a little bit and correct the suspecting string pinching.

The string broke very close to the string post, like 1/4" maybe less, if I try to pull the broken string from the bridge it gets really close to the string post, so that´s why I was thinking in sharp edges, but when I changed the tuner, well that puzzled me.

Hi Frank, let me see if I understand you: you´re suggesting me that I should wrap the string with a lot of turns and the final wrap would be closer to the bottom where the string post is smoother? Matt, are you saying the same? (my english is not quite good). I tried something similar with the .011 string, I wrapped almost all the string towards the bottom but it broke anyway. I´m blaming on the cheap tuners But i´ll check the string slot and the tuner post with a magnifiyng glass.

[JohnJohn]

I also wonder if it's binding at the saddle causing excess tension at the tuners.

What the distance from the bottom of the string to the top of the last fret?A standard distance is 1/16" - 3 /32".At the nut you want about 1/64"-1/32" from the bottom of the string to the top of the first fret.Too much height can cause extra binding and snapping,(unusual to occur at the headstock,but it does happen).

Also check the saddle slot to see if it's grabbing the string.

If you notice the string going sharp so you have to retune it slightly then going flat after you retune it then it's a good chance that something is grabbing the string.

Edited June 16, 2005 by JohnJohn

[Mickguard]

I also wonder if it's binding at the saddle causing excess tension at the tuners.

←

No, you guys aren't getting it. This has nothing to do with the nut or the saddles, or even the string trees.

And since the string is breaking BEFORE it gets to the hole --since usually you put a bit of string through the hole and then wind it -- but after the break he can't get the string to reach before the hole --it has to be something else.

Because the break is happening AFTER the nut and AFTER the string tree... so maybe there's something about the angle of the tuner?

So I'd suggest moving the string tree to widen the angle of the string going to the tuner.

Or send the guitar to me, it's obviously broken and can't be fixed

[thedoctor]

You need to pad the nut or replace it. You don't want to have to wrap or tape the string every time you replace it, do you?

[unclej]

i've had to re-think this one..i was dead sure that it was the nut but if..after the string breaks you pull it back up and there's a 1/4" gap to the tuner it probably is breaking at the tuner..when the string has stretched to breaking and then relaxes that's probably about right...so i'm now guessing that it's the tuner or the way that you're stringing it up..

so who do i owe the $1.83, a cough drop and two picks to?

[thedoctor]

Guitar Players Widows and Orphans Fund, International. Send all funds and trivials to Jason C/O this web site. Your generous contributions are largly ignored!

[Stickmangumby]

And since the string is breaking BEFORE it gets to the hole --since usually you put a bit of string through the hole and then wind it -- but after the break he can't get the string to reach before the hole --it has to be something else.

I think that he can't get the string to reach the hole because you can't get that much tension and stretch in the string by pulling it with your hand. 1/4" from the hole should line up with it perfectly if the string was tuned to pitch.

Edited June 17, 2005 by Stickmangumby

[haggardguy]

so who do i owe the $1.83, a cough  drop and two picks to?

←

can I have the cough drop,my throats a bit sore.

[unclej]

sure..but you've got to take the pick too..it's still in pretty good shape.

[Mickguard]

And since the string is breaking BEFORE it gets to the hole --since usually you put a bit of string through the hole and then wind it -- but after the break he can't get the string to reach before the hole --it has to be something else.

I think that he can't get the string to reach the hole because you can't get that much tension and stretch in the string by pulling it with your hand. 1/4" from the hole should line up with it perfectly if the string was tuned to pitch.

←

That's my point --that's not where the part of the string that goes through the hole of the tuner, since most people leave a lot of slack in order to wind the string around the post. So if it was breaking at the hole, he'd still have plenty of string to reach the post.

So that's why I wonder if it's a problem with the tuners or their holes.

With locking tuners, it's different--the string leaves the post at the hole.