Why did my strings break?

[Kowad]

I feel as if I’m missing something obvious so asking seems sensible!

 

D’Addario NYXL 55/110s, long scale. Fitting them on a 35” (edit: no, 34”) bass. E and A fine. Both the D and the G snapped, at the tuning peg. 
 

This is a first for me. What might I have done wrong? Both strings had a clear run from bridge to nut, both were running under a string tree, both broke right at the tuning pegs. Tbf I have not bought heavy strings often (if at all), wondering if this is a big feature, but… they’re heavy gauge, they should be up to being tuned, right?!
 

Ta! 

Edited June 10 by Kowad

[Kowad]

Also apologies if I’ve hit the wrong forum, beyond happy for this to be shifted to repairs and maintenance or similar. Cheers!

[franzbassist]

I have been playing bass for 45 years and never broken a string, so you're super unlucky to have two go on a single set!

 

When you say they "broke", what actually happened - did the core physically break or was it something else?  Was it when you were tuning them up for the first time? Had you cut them? How many winds did you have on each tuner?  Were you in standard tuning?

[Kowad]

49 minutes ago, franzbassist said:

I have been playing bass for 45 years and never broken a string, so you're super unlucky to have two go on a single set!

 

When you say they "broke", what actually happened - did the core physically break or was it something else?  Was it when you were tuning them up for the first time? Had you cut them? How many winds did you have on each tuner?  Were you in standard tuning?

Thanks Franz. I’ve restrung a fair few basses so this was a surprise. Fairly narrow tuning pegs, and I prefer not to have overlapping winds so… actually, I had cut a couple of inches off E and A but the D and G were untouched! Full length. Perhaps 5 winds? Ish?
 

Full length / uncut, standard tuning. And, yes, the core went. I mean… I wish I’d paused to have a closer look, but both of them had popped just at the base of the tuner (winding top to bottom, clean winds, no overlap), perhaps half a cm of clear air between the end of the wind and the string, with just the wire of the outer curled like an old skool telephone cable between them!

[franzbassist]

It's very odd, so they broke at the point where the string touched the tuning post?  I can only assume manufacturing fault.  You should send them back.

 

[Kowad]

30 minutes ago, franzbassist said:

It's very odd, so they broke at the point where the string touched the tuning post?  I can only assume manufacturing fault.  You should send them back.

 

 

Didn’t think this one through, they were accessible / in the bin! 
 

Greatly appreciate your input. I’ll find out where I ordered them from (it’s been a while!)

[Doctor J]

Can you upload a picture of the head and strings by the tunings pegs? I've never heard of two strings go like that before. Did you manually wrap the slack around the tuning peg by hand or did you turn the tuning key fully from slack? 5 winds is a lot. If you loop them around the tuner by hand, you introduce twists to the core.
 

Generally I would cut maybe 2" past the post, insert the end into the hole in the middle of the tuner and turn the key with one hand, while keeping tension by hand so the string wraps tight around the post with little or no slack, always feed the wrap under the previous wrap, max 3 wraps in total. I've never had a breakage.

Edited June 10 by Doctor J

[Kowad]

2 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Can you upload a picture of the head and strings by the tunings pegs? I've never heard of two strings go like that before. Did you manually wrap the slack around the tuning peg by hand or did you turn the tuning key fully from slack? 5 winds is a lot. If you loop them around the tuner by hand, you introduce twists to the core.
 

Generally I would cut maybe 2" past the post, insert the end into the hole in the middle of the tuner and turn the key with one hand, while keeping tension by hand so the string wraps tight around the post with little or no slack, always feed the wrap under the previous wrap, max 3 wraps in total. I've never had a breakage.

Thanks, picture is just above. Suspect this may be it, 2-3 manual winds then tuner. 
 

I used to follow pretty much the process you’re describing but, I think during / following some sketchy interactions with silk ends, began hesitating about cutting strings. 
 

Guess it’s time to go back to old ways 😂

[Kowad]

20 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Can you upload a picture of the head and strings by the tunings pegs? I've never heard of two strings go like that before. Did you manually wrap the slack around the tuning peg by hand or did you turn the tuning key fully from slack? 5 winds is a lot. If you loop them around the tuner by hand, you introduce twists to the core.
 

Generally I would cut maybe 2" past the post, insert the end into the hole in the middle of the tuner and turn the key with one hand, while keeping tension by hand so the string wraps tight around the post with little or no slack, always feed the wrap under the previous wrap, max 3 wraps in total. I've never had a breakage.

I feel like a bit of a knob for posting this but there we go 😂 I bought a box fresh fodera monarch earlier this year.
 

Here’s Fodera’s workshop wound strings. I guess they miss the hand winds but they’re certainly not cutting them very short! 
 

I was doing similar way before this arrived, but your comment got me thinking that I’m fairly sure the monarch follows a different way of winding (and hasn’t snapped! Not here at least. Maybe they’re popping strings left right and centre in fodera’s workshop 😂)

 

Another Edit - and my less tidy own winding, replacement for the snapped strings, below.

 

 

 

Edited June 10 by Kowad
“Twit” inserted / autocorrected in original

[snorkie635]

I once bought three packs of strings -Dunlop Superbright - and on every packet, the G snapped whilst being fitted. Sent them back to BD and there was, indeed, a manufacturing 'fault', so your set could fall into this category?

[Kowad]

1 minute ago, snorkie635 said:

I once bought three packs of strings -Dunlop Superbright - and on every packet, the G snapped whilst being fitted. Sent them back to BD and there was, indeed, a manufacturing 'fault', so your set could fall into this category?

Thanks, I've emailed D'Addario, I'll see if they come back with anything!

[And, actually, they have whilst I was typing - a very quick response. Hour or two. Their response is surprised, particular surprise that the two thinnest strings would break, looking like they might think it's a defect.]

[snorkie635]

6 minutes ago, Kowad said:

Thanks, I've emailed D'Addario, I'll see if they come back with anything!

[And, actually, they have whilst I was typing - a very quick response. Hour or two. Their response is surprised, particular surprise that the two thinnest strings would break, looking like they might think it's a defect.]

Good luck. Let's hope you get your money back or a replacement set at least. 👍😎

[T-Bay]

My first thought is that they be fake ones, but seems not.

[Kowad]

16 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

My first thought is that they be fake ones, but seems not.

Ordered from Amazon, legit packaging, D'Addario whatsit code on the back of the wee grey bag! All checks out. I think! No second response from customer services yet, but fingers crossed!

I am feeling less like I f***ed up, which is also a bonus 😂

[ped]

Was that lovely dog in your avatar anywhere near the packaging 😆

[Kowad]

1 minute ago, ped said:

Was that lovely dog in your avatar anywhere near the packaging 😆

 

This one? She's on my lap as I'm typing, but is scared of bass maintenance so was NOWHERE NEAR! (She's not scared of basses, unless they're lain flat / being worked on?!)

Nor were the other two! (Chocolate is the 'dog voted most likely to eat strings' out of the lot of them tbf).

 

[bremen]

On the other hand, I just had this

 

      https://www.newtonestrings.com/do-not-cut-newtone-strings/

 

from Newtone.

 

 

[Mottlefeeder]

My experience with D'Addario customer service has been good.

I clamped and then cut to length  the strings on a headless, but when I loosened them to mask the sharp edge, one unraveled. 

D'Addario sent me two replacement strings by return - no charge.

David

[mattpbass]

It’s possible when changing strings for them to get stuck in the nut, so when you are winding them to tension all you’re doing is tightening the section of string between nut and tuning peg, with a snap in the peg area I’d consider that a possibility/likelihood. I’ve known guitar techs rub a pencil in the nut before stringing, a bit of graphite provides some extra slippage. 

Edited June 10 by mattpbass

[Kowad]

17 minutes ago, mattpbass said:

It’s possible when changing strings for them to get stuck in the nut, so when you are winding them to tension all you’re doing is tightening the section of string between nut and tuning peg, with a snap in the peg area I’d consider that a possibility/likelihood. I’ve known guitar techs rub a pencil in the nut before stringing, a bit of graphite provides some extra slippage. 

If this were the case, the pitch shouldn’t have been shifting, right? I was plugged into a tuner, pitch steadily heading in the right direction. (But not getting there!)

[Lozz196]

36 minutes ago, mattpbass said:

It’s possible when changing strings for them to get stuck in the nut, so when you are winding them to tension all you’re doing is tightening the section of string between nut and tuning peg, with a snap in the peg area I’d consider that a possibility/likelihood. I’ve known guitar techs rub a pencil in the nut before stringing, a bit of graphite provides some extra slippage. 

I always do the pencil in the nut thing when stringing my instruments nowadays, figured it must make things better, and given the scenario you mention above am glad I do this.

[mattpbass]

28 minutes ago, Kowad said:

If this were the case, the pitch shouldn’t have been shifting, right? I was plugged into a tuner, pitch steadily heading in the right direction. (But not getting there!)

The pitch could be shifting but then the string could get momentarily stuck causing the snap. 

[Beedster]

2 hours ago, Kowad said:

 

This one? She's on my lap as I'm typing, but is scared of bass maintenance so was NOWHERE NEAR! (She's not scared of basses, unless they're lain flat / being worked on?!)

Nor were the other two! (Chocolate is the 'dog voted most likely to eat strings' out of the lot of them tbf).

 

Chocs will eat anything 🤔

[Mykesbass]

11 hours ago, mattpbass said:

The pitch could be shifting but then the string could get momentarily stuck causing the snap. 

This also ties in with the heavier gauge going through slots for a lighter gauge.

[Kowad]

New set on the way, can't fault D'Addario's customer service, cheers to whomsoever suggested I contact them (or the vendor)! 

Feeling much less culpable - or at least I am until I pop the new set 😂