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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Am I Lacking The Power Of Rock?
Posted by: slak Feb 24 2008, 06:34 PM
I've been playing the guitar for about almost a year now and, I have never broken a string. It's getting to the point where I'm almost trying to break one. My buddy and I jam together quite a bit and, he is always breaking strings. While I'm happy that I don't ever have to stop and replace strings or worse yet be caught without backups. I'm starting to get a complex.
Should I just start hammering on my guitar harder, or does this mean that my guitar is properly strung and as long as I keep changing the strings every few weeks/months I'll be alright.
Posted by: kaznie_NL Feb 24 2008, 06:37 PM
Well if you feel that your playing is loud enough, and the hammers are clear enough, then I´d say you just have nice strings and you take good care! Just let him break his strings, they´re expensive!
save the money and buy an effect for it or something (I´m dutch, I´d save it on tha bank 
)
g´d luck
Posted by: Owen Feb 24 2008, 06:38 PM
I wouldnt worry about it, I was in my third year of playing before I lost my first plectrum.
*sniff*
Those were the days. 
Posted by: Bogdan Feb 24 2008, 06:38 PM
Well it does not mean anything really 
If you change your strings every few weeks or every month you will hardly break any - especially if strings and guitar are good quality..Of course if you strum and bend like crazy you will break them easier though there are no rules for that generally.. If you are satisfied with your playing and progress you definitely don't lack the "power of rock" 
Just imagine if you would be playing bass - than you would be in serious trouble! (hard to break)
Posted by: USAMAN Feb 24 2008, 06:39 PM
Should I just start hammering on my guitar harder, or does this mean that my guitar is properly strung and as long as I keep changing the strings every few weeks/months I'll be alright.
I hardly ever break strings and I do some nasty things to them. Sharp edges on your hardware can cause this. Id be happy they dont break.
Peace
Posted by: slak Feb 24 2008, 06:53 PM
Hey thanks guys, I use ernie ball hybrid slinkys. And ya, I'm happy with my volume, hammers, and bends. I usually bend to far, but thats another post.
I burn through picks/plectums constantly, usually when I'm playing ryhthm on the acoustic.
Bogdan, you might get a kick out of this, my buddy is playing bass for Black Francis, and he is touring Europe right now. Anyway he broke his E-string on stage the other night, in Oxford, I think. I figure you really gotta be hammering on your bass to break an E-string.
Posted by: Bogdan Feb 24 2008, 07:03 PM
Yeah its pretty hard thing to do !! I usually break D and G strings..Though E is stressed very much when playing slap..But it all gets to a specific guitar and its mechanics..
Mysterious ways there I hope your friend had a backup bass ready
Posted by: slak Feb 24 2008, 07:09 PM
Yeah, He's a pro. He was all set to go.
Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 24 2008, 07:42 PM
Following your logic one must break strings constantly in order to be considered a good player is that what you are saying? You pro buddy certainly isn't a a good player because he broke the string, neither is your friend in a band. Can you tell me did you mean serious when you wrote that you are starting to get a complex because of the string braking all the time to buddy or you were just kidding?
I think you were kidding - off course - there is no connection to string breaks and how player is good. Take me for example - I tend to break strings all the time at gigs and I'm a terrible player - just ask Bogdan he can confirm that
Posted by: Kristofer Dahl Feb 24 2008, 07:47 PM
I only break the two thinnest strings - and they always break when I am bending or applying vibrato. I do break these string quite often!
Posted by: Tuubsu Feb 24 2008, 07:59 PM
I say you use good strings! I used to break a lot of strings but, After I canged to guitarboomers I hardly never break them and there not getting an easy workout... I mean I rape those poor little things, Agressive bending and vibrato and a lot of floyd rose tricks including a lot of those insane high pitched Squeel harmonics with a really agressive vibrato from the tremolo... So I says: Your friend uses bad quality strings/has some minor flaw in his guitar...
Posted by: slak Feb 24 2008, 08:00 PM
You pro buddy certainly isn't a a good player because he broke the string, neither is your friend in a band. Can you tell me did you mean serious when you wrote that you are starting to get a complex because of the string braking all the time to buddy or you were just kidding?I think you were kidding - off course - there is no connection to string breaks and how player is good. Take me for example - I tend to break strings all the time at gigs and I'm a terrible player - just ask Bogdan he can confirm that
I understand that how often you break a string has very little, if any relevance to your skill on a guitar. I guess I'm tryin to say that I would like to experience the feeling of snapping a string while I'm rocking out
I'm sure it's really not that big of a deal but, I wouldn't know. 
Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 24 2008, 08:03 PM
I think the main question you have to ask yourself is WHY you wanna break strings? Don't you know it is NOT desireable to break them 
Posted by: Tuubsu Feb 24 2008, 08:07 PM
Exactly! It's like you would go take a crap in the middle of having sex!
Posted by: Jakub Luptovec Feb 24 2008, 08:08 PM
I have broken string only once - when practicing one solo, which was EXTREMELY whole tone bends extensive.. other than that.. never.. Its about quality of strings, hardware.. also.. it is good, if you dont beat your strings too much:)
Care for your guitar as GF - especially, since your realtionship with your guitar is much more durable.. believe me...
Take it as arguing with your girlfriend.. Be glad, that you have good relationship, and you have never argued (with your strings..)
Posted by: DeepRoots Feb 24 2008, 08:11 PM
sometimes if i feel crazy enough to do a 3 or 4 semitone bend at the 21st fret im repayed with a stray string flicking me in the eye- usually top two strings for me.
I wouldnt worry about it though- next you'll want to snap your neck and blow up your amp to feel like a pro...all sounds a little expensive to me...
Posted by: slak Feb 24 2008, 08:24 PM
I guess I look at it kind of like falling off a bike. How often you do/ or don't fall off you bicycle really has no bearing on how good of a cyclist you are, and most people don't want to fall off their bike, but it's bound to happen. So can you really say one has expierenced everything cycling has to offer, if they have never fallen off their bike.
Posted by: Smikey2006 Feb 24 2008, 08:24 PM
used to use ernie balls and skulls .. broke strings all the time.. now i use GHS Boomers .10 and Elxier.. havn't broken a string in a long while
Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 24 2008, 09:13 PM
SO WHY in the heck don't you break that string already then??!!
Posted by: slak Feb 24 2008, 10:11 PM
I'm working on ti now. Hopefully Wallimann's bending Licks lesson will give the goods. If not it's down to the garage and I'm cranking the amp and not leaving till I break a freaking string.
Posted by: Bogdan Feb 24 2008, 10:23 PM
Well best way to go is not to change that strings set for some time - until you break the strings !!! Just bend like crazy and use a hard pick
Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 24 2008, 10:27 PM
I've got a pretty good advice how to brake one. Bend it two whole steps 50 times agressively, and you're definitely on a good track to break you "virginity".
Posted by: Tuubsu Feb 24 2008, 10:54 PM
And once you have breaken your "Virginity" tell us all the "Dirty details"
Posted by: slak Feb 25 2008, 06:43 AM
Well, I hammered away for about four hours tonight. Pissed the wife off and woke the kids up, ruined two picks (broke one, wore huge grooves in the other) and still no luck. 
On the plus side I made a TON of progress with my bends and slides (my fingers are raw). And I nailed a bunch of licks I've been working on and came up with a bunch more And had a blast playin!!!!
Inspired by Ivan's new video I think I'm gonna change my strings and give my guitar a nice cleaning. My guitar has been such a trooper through all this and I want to make her feel special. Knowing my luck I'll break a string tuning
Posted by: mattacuk Feb 25 2008, 10:47 AM
I break my high E on a weekly basis, always when going mad with bends and vibrato , The high B breaks regular too!
You may just have good quality strings, ive noticed Ernie Ball strings dont break so easy
Posted by: Smells Feb 25 2008, 11:35 AM
I'm sure it's really not that big of a deal but, I wouldn't know. Nothing worse than breaking strings in the middle of rocking out imo I hate it when it happens really annoying especially with a FR double locking trem, I find just changing my strings on a regular basis means I dont break hardly any these days I used to break the A and D strings a fair bit but now its mainly the high E or B string thats if I break any at all in between string changes.
Posted by: wrk Feb 25 2008, 12:14 PM
On the plus side I made a TON of progress with my bends and slides (my fingers are raw). And I nailed a bunch of licks I've been working on and came up with a bunch more And had a blast playin!!!! Inspired by Ivan's new video I think I'm gonna change my strings and give my guitar a nice cleaning. My guitar has been such a trooper through all this and I want to make her feel special. Knowing my luck I'll break a string tuning
i don't know if you mentioned it already, but what string size do you use ... 008 or 013 ? ... be careful if it's in the area of a 012/013 set ... you will most likely break everything else but not your strings .. first of all you fingers. Breaking strings is not that much fun to risk to be injured (.., but an experience of course).
Posted by: Guitarman700 Feb 25 2008, 12:21 PM
I use GHS Dave Mustaine strings, ive only ever broken 1. Somehow my dad broke the low E string though, i dont know how, its a 52 gauge. 
Posted by: Smells Feb 25 2008, 12:36 PM
sabotaged
Posted by: orion6324 Feb 25 2008, 02:53 PM
this might sound funny but ive been playing off and on for about 20 yrs and have never broken a string while playing.....go figure
Posted by: Scott Gentzen Feb 26 2008, 04:14 PM
For the tone?
Posted by: OrganisedConfusion Feb 26 2008, 04:20 PM
I never break strings really but they do go if you don't change them for months on end. It's better to have strings that never break than strings that break every week
Posted by: audiopaal Feb 26 2008, 04:28 PM
*sniff*
Those were the days.
Wtf? you played three years without losing a pick??
That's amazing, I think I lost 3000 picks the first three years
Posted by: OrganisedConfusion Feb 26 2008, 04:31 PM
That's amazing, I think I lost 3000 picks the first three years
I lost a bag of picks between the shop and my house once
Posted by: audiopaal Feb 26 2008, 04:39 PM
Seems we got something in common
Posted by: Zephyr Feb 26 2008, 04:40 PM
I've never broken a string while playing it, done it plenty of times when I was learning to tune up, though.
Posted by: Owen Feb 26 2008, 11:57 PM
It all went to hell a year and a half back I lose them all the time now, although I think my mate started stealing mine when he realised I nabbed a few of his every once in a while, cant have enough picks when you're 15 odd miles away from the nearest guitar shop.
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