G string snapped

[guitar344]

Right when I tuned it up to pitch after adjusting the trust rod. String did not look old. How can you tell if there are barrs on the tuning post.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by guitar344

Right when I tuned it up to pitch after adjusting the trust rod. String did not look old. How can you tell if there are barrs on the tuning post.

It could be a bit of binding in the nut slot, even if the break was at the post. So graphite the slot as well as checking the post with a magnifying glass.

When you re-string you could use the Taylor method (YouTube videos somewhere). The last wrap comes off the post below the string hole and so is clear of any burrs around the hole edges.

[Murphy Slaw]

Sometimes things just happen.

If everything looks okay, it might just be Murphy's Law....

[Steve DeRosa]

That must have been painful - not to mention embarrassing...

[KevWind]

OR if not a string or post flaw --I have in the past maybe twice --when using a tuner and failed to check it against the adjacent string (relative 5th fret method) gone right past the correct tuning, and up to the octave higher G and snapped it
And it was the G string both times

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

That must have been painful - not to mention embarrassing...

Bada bing.

He's here all week, folks...

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by guitar344

Right when I tuned it up to pitch after adjusting the trust rod. String did not look old. How can you tell if there are barrs on the tuning post.

Hi guitar344…
There may be other factors.

You can avoid the string being cut by any sharp edge on the hole in the tuning shaft by winding several more wraps neatly down the shaft beyond the hole…that way where the string unwinds from the post will not be cross, scrape, or abrade, or unwind against the edges of the hole (which can nick, or cut strings sharp or not).

Sometimes it's not a burr, or a sharp edge with the string not wound far enough to avoid unwinding across the hole in the shaft. I wind a minimum of 5-6 wraps on my 3rd string shaft (pic below). It also improves the break angle on any string to wrap deeper. It also prevents cutting or bending the string over and over (like a paper clip) till it gives up.

The age of the string can affect breakage especially of the 3rd string. It is the string with the greatest tension, and if you do a lot of alternate tuning, the one that breaks most often.

Elixirs have the weakest 3rd string of any brand out there (and I've used them pretty much exclusively on 6 guitars for the past 20 years…they are my favored strings). I used to break the third when moving between multiple tunings on the same guitar. After I started deep winding, I've not broken one in over 20 years.

When I taught guitar, and a student was a string breaker, we found that switching brands to D'Addario or even generic strings would usually eliminate breaking the "G" string (unless they used thin picks and strummed too close to the saddle and sheared the string off there). Heavy strummers often dig into the string bed (wielding thin picks & bending them nearly in half while they strum hard).

Hope this helps you trouble shoot.

I used to buy non-coated 3rd strings of my preferred weight in lots of a dozen. That way I could just keep putting fresh ones in when one popped. That was before I discovered the deeper wrapping.

Hope this helps and adds to troubleshooting…

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi guitar344…
There may be other factors.

You can avoid the string being cut by any sharp edge on the hole in the tuning shaft by winding several more wraps neatly down the shaft beyond the hole…that way where the string unwinds from the post will not be cross, scrape, or abrade, or unwind against the edges of the hole (which can nick, or cut strings sharp or not).

Sometimes it's not a burr, or a sharp edge with the string not wound far enough to avoid unwinding across the hole in the shaft. I wind a minimum of 5-6 wraps on my 3rd string shaft (pic below). It also improves the break angle on any string to wrap deeper. It also prevents cutting or bending the string over and over (like a paper clip) till it gives up.

The age of the string can affect breakage especially of the 3rd string. It is the string with the greatest tension, and if you do a lot of alternate tuning, the one that breaks most often.

Elixirs have the weakest 3rd string of any brand out there (and I've used them pretty much exclusively on 6 guitars for the past 20 years…they are my favored strings). I used to break the third when moving between multiple tunings on the same guitar. After I started deep winding, I've not broken one in over 20 years.

When I taught guitar, and a student was a string breaker, we found that switching brands to D'Addario or even generic strings would usually eliminate breaking the "G" string (unless they used thin picks and strummed too close to the saddle and sheared the string off there). Heavy strummers often dig into the string bed (wielding thin picks & bending them nearly in half while they strum hard).

Hope this helps you trouble shoot.

I used to buy non-coated 3rd strings of my preferred weight in lots of a dozen. That way I could just keep putting fresh ones in when one popped. That was before I discovered the deeper wrapping.

Hope this helps and adds to troubleshooting…

I wish my string changes looked this clean, wow. Come to B.I.G., I will pay you to do string changes for the show LOL!

[SFCRetired]

Sometimes it just happens, I have had it happen in the past, although it is not common. Wait to see if it happens again before you over think it.

[airborne1]

Definitely a wardrobe malfunction!

[abn556]

If you get a ping when you are tuning up to pitch, your string is hanging on the nut slots. You can get a nozzle file set from Ace Hardware for less than $10 that works great for opening up your nut slots. You don’t need the $300 set from StewMac. Note - do not file down. Just gently work the file against the corners of the nut slot to open it up just enough so the string doesn’t hang.

[guitar344]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi guitar344…
There may be other factors.

You can avoid the string being cut by any sharp edge on the hole in the tuning shaft by winding several more wraps neatly down the shaft beyond the hole…that way where the string unwinds from the post will not be cross, scrape, or abrade, or unwind against the edges of the hole (which can nick, or cut strings sharp or not).

Sometimes it's not a burr, or a sharp edge with the string not wound far enough to avoid unwinding across the hole in the shaft. I wind a minimum of 5-6 wraps on my 3rd string shaft (pic below). It also improves the break angle on any string to wrap deeper. It also prevents cutting or bending the string over and over (like a paper clip) till it gives up.

The age of the string can affect breakage especially of the 3rd string. It is the string with the greatest tension, and if you do a lot of alternate tuning, the one that breaks most often.

Elixirs have the weakest 3rd string of any brand out there (and I've used them pretty much exclusively on 6 guitars for the past 20 years…they are my favored strings). I used to break the third when moving between multiple tunings on the same guitar. After I started deep winding, I've not broken one in over 20 years.

When I taught guitar, and a student was a string breaker, we found that switching brands to D'Addario or even generic strings would usually eliminate breaking the "G" string (unless they used thin picks and strummed too close to the saddle and sheared the string off there). Heavy strummers often dig into the string bed (wielding thin picks & bending them nearly in half while they strum hard).

Hope this helps you trouble shoot.

I used to buy non-coated 3rd strings of my preferred weight in lots of a dozen. That way I could just keep putting fresh ones in when one popped. That was before I discovered the deeper wrapping.

Hope this helps and adds to troubleshooting…

It was an elixir. Seems to be my experience too.

[Bluenose]

As Robin Wales said rub some pencil graphite into the g string nut slot.

[CharlieBman]

Stuff just breaks sometimes. I even had an A string snap one time when first putting it on and tuning to pitch. Wouldn't worry about it unless it keeps happening.

[leew3]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

That must have been painful - not to mention embarrassing...

along the lines of my warped thinking as well...