Advice to avoid breaking strings on a B-Bender

[A Hall]

I got my first B-Bender tele about a month and a half ago and I have been breaking an awful lot of B strings while using the bender. Any advice from other B-Bender users on how to avoid this? It is a '97 Fender tele with a Parsons/Green bender and graphite saddles. I bought a bunch of extra individual b strings (ernie ball is what they had at the store) as an inexpensive "solution" so that I wouldn't have to keep raiding my elixir sets. I haven't used it on a gig yet, and it worries me that I'm in constant danger of breaking a b string mid set. Any thoughts?

[russ]

Exactly where are they breaking?
we need to figure out the problem- starting there...

[Colt W. Knight]

Does it break at the nut or at the bridge?

What size strings?

Normally string breakage is caused by a burr on the bridge/saddle or the string hanging up in the nut. I have even seen some sharp tuner hole edges be a culprit.

[A Hall]

They've been breaking where the ball end sits in the bender device. The very end of the string, even before it gets to the saddle. I play .009s on my telecasters and the b string gauge is .011

[Colt W. Knight]

Originally Posted by A Hall

They've been breaking where the ball end sits in the bender device. The very end of the string, even before it gets to the saddle. I play .009s on my telecasters and the b string gauge is .011

What I would suspect is a hard edge or burr right in that spot where they break. I would grab a flash light and look in there to see if you see a defined edge/lege or somehting similiar, or even a burr or sharp spot.

[mellecaster]

Have you tried some Vaseline in the Bender piece where the B string loads ?

[NashTel177]

I was having the same problem when I got my b bender. I originally strung it up with .09's thinking it would be less stress on the bender. I put some .10's on there and havnt broken a string since.

[threadbare]

According to his website, Gene Parsons recomends a .13 on the b-string.

[Heyz]

I went through the same thing with my P/G. Gene Parsons web site goes through the steps to trouble shoot it. Colt Knight's suggestion is possible cause number 1.

http://www.stringbender.com/bender/fbbtec.php

[TwangBilly]

Just FYI in case you don't know, there is a B-bender forum on TDPRI. Maybe someone there would have some more info to help you. Also, I have never played one but my buddy uses .11 gauge D'Addario's on his B-bender with no problems. Good luck!

[drjordan]

I played a friend's Telecaster with a P/G bender for a while until I got my own guitar with a bender. I also had a problem with the B string breaking. The bender hits the string at a weak spot in the string. Other benders hold the string by the loop and pull on the end of the string.

Try a set of GHS Burnished Nickel light (.10) strings. The B string is a .13 and the set is designed for benders...they hold up to being used on with a B-bender well.

[Deep South]

Never broke a string with ether my Forrest B&G or McVay G bender. I used 9's for a long time and now use 9.5

However, on my Dusenberg bender I had on a lap steel I broke B and G strings all the time. The winding on the ball end of the string rode right on the fulcrum of the bender. I fixed it by adding more balls off other strings to move the string back so the wound section by the ball did not touch the fulcrum.

[Erikr]

This is not unusual on a PG bender. There are 2 things you should try.

1: Check to see if the 2 screws holdning the bender tower are loose.

2: Use a very light sandpaper in the area where the strings seems to break.

When strings break, they usually break in the bender tower and not on the sadle.

[Silverface]

Yep, this is an inherent problem with the PG bender - comparisons with other types are irrelevant.

Gage is also not as important as 1) ensuring there is no contact between the spot where the string breaks and any edge on the "tower", and 2) using a string that does not (by the nature of the way the ball is wrapped) create undue tension on that part of the string.

As Colt said, the usual culprit is a small burr - you can't see it, so all you can do is work with small tools and Microfiber abrasive paper (in grits beyond 2000) to try to smooth the area out. However, I know of others who solved the problem simply by changing to a string brand with a different wrap pattern.

[eugenedunn]

The most likely area in the Parsons Green mechanism is right on the rotating cam where the string breaks from that to enter the bridge assembly.

As others have said, move your string, and very lightly sand or use a small precision file to smooth that little divot where the string normally sits and pivots. Then, apply a very small bit of Tri-Flow or equivalent teflon lubricant and you should be set for much bending!

[Greg Seaman]

If your string is breaking near the ball end, try tinning the wrap at the end of the string with a little solder after of course you eliminate areas of excessive friction or binding of the string on the bridge, etc. Lube is a good idea too. Try Chap-stick. A little Chap-stick in the nut slots helps operation on that end of the string. Also helps whammy bars stay in tune. Hey, it works great, it's cheap and non-toxic too. If you use lithium grease, be careful not to get it in your eyes off the palm of your hand, etc. That stuff's nasty!