G string breaking

Ted Woelke

Everybody talks about E strings breaking all the time, which kind of mystifies me. I've got about 6 complete sets sans G strings. I am just a hobbyist, so I only replace my (Argentine) strings maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Except the G. It is always the first to break, long before there are any signs of wear. Is this normal, or should I have my guitar (Manouche Moreno) looked at before I order a gazillion extra G strings from Djangobooks?

PapsPier

I never break E string (and I have never heard that it is the string which breaks more often) but the G and D strings very very often. And when I had the same question as you, people told me that was normal: these two strings in Argentine break easier (I don't have any explanation).

Hope it reassures you.

crookedpinky

It's usually the G string which normally cuts through the outer winding first and it's definitely the one most people seem to break while playing.

MattHenry

Savarez knows the G string is the weak link and you can bug them to send you a set of all G strings to use as replacements. It looks like their normal packaging only it's just 6 G strings.

I used Google Translate and had to write a few times before they got back to me. Contact email is on their website.

Jazzaferri

I have only had one strring break in the last several years and I change about monthly.

The G string being as thin as it is has the thinnest windings. When one plays a lot the frets wear the winding away. Once it starts to eat in, the smaller diameter creates faster wear than the larger strings as well.

Ryan Rhea

I just switched over to Argentines, as I was playing D'Addarios on my new guitar (and tried Galli's, as well). I'm sold. These things sound so good and seem to resisting tarnishing from my Alien acid fingers way better than D'Addarios and Galli's.

I'm still new to all this and have only been playing GJ for a few weeks, but I can see what the fuss is all about with Argentines. Jury is still out on string breakage for me. I literally never break a string on my electrics and other acoustics. I used to when I was younger because I picked too hard, but once I changed my technique that issue went away for me.

Since this is a style where one plays very loud to be heard in the mix, especially when jamming without amps, I wonder if I'll inadvertently be breaking strings more often myself on my Sel/Mac. Not something I'm looking forward to, if it happens. I'm quite used to having a set on a guitar for some time before having to change them out.

RR

wim

I break G's the most, E's the second most, and the occasional D. I find I break strings way less often now than I used to, I'm not sure the reason but it may be because I no longer use wegen picks. Or perhaps my technique has changed. But usually nowadays I change the whole set before any break, because the tuning eventually goes whack

Jazzaferri

The harder one presses a fretted string, the faster the wear. As we become more relaxed in this style most of us grip more lightly.