The life of a B string

[RollingBender]

How many hours of play time are you getting out of your benders of various design?

Normally, I never break a string. Back when I was gigging every weekend, I put on new strings each weekend (~7-8 hrs of playing time and 95% of that just strumming chords). Lately I haven't been performing but practicing mostly bending. 20 or 30 hrs of bending and a broken string.

[telex76]

Can't recall a B string on my bender ever breaking.

[TEXXBEND]

Hello, when my b-bender worked during 3-4 hours a night of music, I put a small drop of oil on the saddle before playing, and I have never had problem.

However, I changed the strings to all 2 weeks because we had contracts for 4 or 5 nights of music a week very often.

The string may break if it uses the b-bender extensively.

[claudel]

I always have a few spares around.

The GHS I use seem to lose their sparkle a bit sooner than the ones that don't get pulled.

After they start going dead, it seems as if they are more susceptible to breaking.

[bendecaster]

I, too, always have spares, but it is rare to bust a bent b string.

[brookdalebill]

I can't remember ever breaking a B string on my Hipshot equipped Tele.
I change (all) my strings after 2 or 3 gigs.
The unwound strings still sound OK, but I kill the wound ones.
I hate the sound of dead strings, torture!

[asatfan]

Originally Posted by brookdalebill

I can't remember ever breaking a B string on my Hipshot equipped Tele.
I change (all) my strings after 2 or 3 gigs.
The unwound strings still sound OK, but I kill the wound ones.
I hate the sound of dead strings, torture!

Same here....I haven't broken a string at a gig for years....and the last one wasn't a B string. And I wouldn't consider myself a "soft" player. But as Bill, I change my strings before each weekend's gigs because dead sounding strings bum me out.....

I always carry at least two sets of strings in my case, and I can change a string pretty quick, if necessary.

[Heyz]

I have two benders; one breaks b-strings, one never has.

I have a hipshot P/G bender that will eventually break the b string at the bending tower. I've made adjustments made to it per Gene Parson's troubleshooting list on his site. It breaks strings less frequently now and with my normal string changing routine they will last long enough. Normally, I'll change strings once a week. I think it could be adjusted a bit more (last step, raise the tower), but it's good enough now.

I have never broken a string on my Forrest Lee Jr B/G bender. And I've tried. I played for months with the same set of strings, well beyond my normal limits.

[Silverface]

Breakage is usually due due to a severe break angle between the saddle and ball end, the type of saddle and the saddle's smoothness. The info below addresses overall breakage. In your case the problem has to be an unseen sharp point or burr where the string contacts the pulling mechanism. Your benders are completely different and problems with breakage behind the bridge are more common with PG's. Polishing to remove any burrs is your best bet, along with the noted break angle adjustment if needed.

Extreme downward pulls are more prone to metal fatigue and breakage; roller-type saddlesgenerally have
less breakage than solid steel, brass, Tusq, titanium etc.; and the slightest burr,even on a roller saddle, can be the cause. I try to polish the heck out of my saddles and have never broken a string on stage (and I play mostly 100% bender live).

Brand of string makes no difference; there are very few actual string manufacturers on the planet; most brands are private-label packaging. Regardless, plain B strings vary little in alloy. I've used almost every brand of nickel wrap sets and found the plain strings to be essentially identical.

I'd try polishing the saddles (it's good for E and G strings as well with DuPont or another polishing ( not rubbing) compound owing a drill and cloth wheel. If that doesn't help, on a behind-the-bridge-hub type bender you can change the neck angle with shim to lower the break angle. Shims don't lose you anything tone-wise (most 50's Teles I've worked on had shims) but the angle and down pressure at the saddle do, so there's a law of diminishing returns.

I'd concentrate on polishing and shim as a last resort. You can try roller saddles, but unless they are very well built (translation=expensive) they can really kill sustain.

No matter what type saddle, lube all string contact points with dry Teflon (Tri Flow, DuPont and Blaster all make a dry version and oil type...avoid all oils as they attract dirt and grit, increasing breakage and gunking up over time.

[RollingBender]

It looks like this break is plain and simple metal fatigue. I have since looked at the broken string as well as all the parts involved under a microscope. There is no abrasion on the string and nothing on the bender part which would cause it. The break occured at a point where it is bent back and forth as the bender mechanism does its thing.

Like I said before, this string had 20-30 hrs of playing on it since installed and all of that was practicing bender licks. That much time bending would be a torture test for any string.

[Crazy Dick]

change strings every 2 weeks