While playing a song at a "fast" tempo, I "popped" the second string, a GHS L12. Fortunately, after locating a replacment string, I was back in busness within a matter of a few minutes. I have no fault with that string or its manufacturer. Has anyone else ever broken a string while playing the banjo?

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  14:29:08      

I was just thinking about this the other day. I've played for just over 2 years now and I can't recall breaking a single string. Maybe I need to pick harder

Tony

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  14:51:37  

I don't think I have ever broken a string either, not while playing anyway. I have been playing for about 2 years also, probably closer to 2 1/2, and I can't remember breaking a single string.

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  14:52:40          

ted i have broken a lot of them in my time could be fault in some the strings they make now

jim reed

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  15:22:09      

Hey Ted,where did it break? Alotta times during the summer,the humididy will cause strings to rust on twist above the loop. You cant even see it (maybe a kid with 20/15 can.). Speshally under a tailpiece flap that could be holding moisture after a damp nite.That can often be the culprit.
Man,I can honestly say that during my 131yrs of playin, Ive never broke a string, or had one break... I seen Doug D break 3 in 3 tunes.

http://www.myspace.com/johnkuhnbluegrass

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  15:23:46    

Never broke one while playing. Broke a few before i learned how to pay attention while tuning. Bad things happen when you turn a tuner while sounding a different string.

Old Tyme, all the time

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  15:26:51            

quote:

---

Originally posted by The KIDD

Hey Ted,where did it break? Alotta times during the summer,the humididy will cause strings to rust on twist above the loop. You cant even see it (maybe a kid with 20/15 can.). Speshally under a tailpiece flap that could be holding moisture after a damp nite.That can often be the culprit.
Man,I can honestly say that during my 131yrs of playin, Ive never broke a string, or had one break... I seen Doug D break 3 in 3 tunes.

http://www.myspace.com/johnkuhnbluegrass

---

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  16:00:15  

The break occurred a few inches from the tuning peg; the strings were changed about a month ago and they are medium lights.

Edited by - BanjoDuster on 07/14/2009 16:29:59

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  16:15:47        

If you want to hear a trainwreck in the making, listen to me playing and singing "Elkhorn Ridge." And, yes, that was my fifth string that popped at the very end of the song.

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...usicid=11106





Dean

"Each one''s got to have his own style. It''s all creamed potatoes, just fixed a little different." -- Benton Flippen

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  16:18:27      

Never broke a string in 30 some odd years whlie playing, a couple when tuning...

RatLer

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  17:36:12    

I've been guilty of leaving strings on waaay past their useful life. One night late into the evening while vigorously picking away, the second string broke, the lower half recoiling back and pierced the top of my right hand. I looked down and noticed the string sticking out of the back of my hand had punctured the vein that runs down between my second and third fingers. Didn't really hurt, but I tend to have a high pain threshold. I pulled the string out of the top of my hand and wondered about tetanus. There was blood on the banjo head that night my friends. Absolutely true story.

CUDavidO
Pasadena, CA

Posted - 07/14/2009 :  20:37:42            

CUDavidO, it sounds like you had a perfect album title staring you in the face.

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  08:30:21        

You've heard of the song, "Blood on the Saddle." How about "Blood on the Banjo?"

Dean

"Each one''s got to have his own style. It''s all creamed potatoes, just fixed a little different." -- Benton Flippen

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  14:15:13  

("Blood On the Strings": imaginary Starday LP of the early '60s.) This is amazing, as I've never heard of a banjo picker not breaking a string (while playing) at some point! I know I have. If it's evolving the other direction, so much the better!

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  14:36:22        

I've broken the 2nd string while using D-Tuner in a song, like Flint Hill Special.

David

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  14:55:03        

Never. 20+ years.

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  15:04:38        

Sometimes they break when I'm messing with a lot of different tuneings.

Don.

O==''=(::}

http://www.doncouchie.com

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  16:53:17    

I've broke many of them In the fourty years I've been pickin, I even broke a bridge doing a live radio show years ago, Right In the middle of Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms..

STELLING MAN

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  17:55:58    

I must be doing something wrong because I have broken a string at least 5 times during a song.

Posted - 07/16/2009 :  19:00:07  

Since 1977, I've never broken a string while playing. Tuning, after a string change, is another matter. Boing!

Posted - 07/17/2009 :  00:31:28  

5X during one song is as surprising as never. Yeah, there might be something to check around the bridge slot....

Posted - 07/17/2009 :  09:30:04        

yeah i broke one more than once while playin

Posted - 07/17/2009 :  10:23:49      

Here is a side story on this topic that amazed me. When I go to Nashville, in addition to bluegrass I sometimes go to hear blues music. There is a great band that plays now at BB King's fronted by a guy named Stacey Mitchhart. First of all, I highly recommend hearing him and his band..they are great.

Back to the story. Once when I heard him, he broke a string while playing a solo on an electric guitar. Unbelievably, he continued to play his solo break with only his left (fretting) hand using hammer-ons while proceeding to change the string with his right hand. I know it can only be done on an electric, but still it was very cool. So while he continues to play his break up and down the neck, he takes off the broken string, fishes around on the floor with his foot to find the correct replacement string, picks it up, gets it out from the packaging, strings it up and tunes it to pitch...and then finishes his two-handed break. It took all of 2 minutes. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

Sorry for the tangent, but I couldn't help sharing the story.

Paul

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Posted - 07/17/2009 :  12:07:38        

too many times

www.youtube.com/fergohanlon

Posted - 07/17/2009 :  12:26:42          

I've never broken a banjo string while playing, probably have while tuning. I did break an autoharp string while playing once. It flew out and hit the wall on the other side of the room. Not a big room, but it hit the wall pretty hard.

Erich -- There''s always room for cello..

http://vrteach.org/banjo/
http://prairiegrapevine.org/
U of Illinois-Springfield Old Time Music

Posted - 07/17/2009 :  13:30:18          

Lots of guitar strings, even an electric bass sting, but not as many banjo strings. The last time was on stage, about two years ago during the opening C roll in "Shucking the Corn"-----the G third string. They had about four hours of playing time on them. Snapped it right at the bridge with my index finger.

I use Prestos so it only took about a minute to replace it.......but it was the World's longest minute.



mike

Less is more. Unless you''re standing next to the one who has more. Then less just looks pathetic.