String issues, help!

[gotGASbad]

I have an awesome HDT which I have been playing non stop for over a year. I have always used Elixir 10-46 strings. I love 'em. But they keep breaking at the bridge . . . . always the E(46), A or D string, and always breaks before the saddle near where the strings come through the plate.
Lately I am breaking a string almost every gig (once a week), which is starting to get expensive.

Anyone else had this problem?
Anyone got a miracle cure?

[Pietro]

I had a whole BUNCH of bad strings in late 07 and 08, but acoustic.

The people at GORE were very good to me about it. Sent me replacements and a couple of extra sets...

KEEP the broken strings, they want to examine them.

[FFOGG]

I love those Elixirs also have not had any problems with them ...so far ...

[gotGASbad]

Yeah, it's a real problem as I don't want to use any other string. I love using Elixirs. I have emailed Gore but haven't had any reply from them.

The strings seem to be breaking just after they come through the plate, before the saddle. I don't know how I can do anything about this. It's a real issue as I gig every week and my HDT is my #1 guitar, it's the only one I want to play. Wrecking a set of Elixirs every time I gig is becoming very expensive!!!!!!:(

[picnic]

I had problems with Elixir 10's two years ago breaking at the bridge. Broke one every week at practice. Not hitting heavy either. High E's and D's mostly.
I got a dozen new packs of Elixirs off the net and have not had any problem with this batch.

[Pietro]

picnic,

CALL them. They do NOT respond well to email, but when I called them, they really helped me out.

And save your broken strings, they would like you to send them to them to evaluate them.

They seem to really care!

[mdrs]

They seem to really care!


Wow, what a concept!! LOL ;)

That is good to hear!!

[Armando]

they keep breaking at the bridge . . . . always the E(46), A or D string, and always breaks before the saddle near where the strings come through the plate.


What kind of bridge? standard or floyd?

[tom]

i have seen several times over the years where the holes in the baseplate are on the sharper side. if that were the case they could be sanded lightly. what year is this guitar?

[gotGASbad]

i have seen several times over the years where the holes in the baseplate are on the sharper side. if that were the case they could be sanded lightly. what year is this guitar?

Hi Tom,

My HDT was manufactured Nov '07 from memory. It was part of the stock to Australia for that year. It's been a beautiful instrument and here in the store I specced up another one almost the same that we got in our most recent shipment. It sold straight away.

I really want to get to the bottom of this problem. I'm hoping it's the strings . . .

[gotGASbad]

picnic,

CALL them. They do NOT respond well to email, but when I called them, they really helped me out.

And save your broken strings, they would like you to send them to them to evaluate them.

They seem to really care!

I'm in Western Australia, it's a bit hard (and expensive) to call them.

[tom]

that would be the newer bridge and we have had no issues with them. i would try a different brand of string just to see if it matters.

[gotGASbad]

Anyone recommend a brand of string comparable to Elixirs? (Not EXP's)

[Pietro]

Don't waste a lot of money buying expensive strings. Try plain old D'Addario EXL110's. Should be available in Oz at any guitar shop. They should be quite similar to the Elixirs, just without the coating (if you know what I mean ;) )

I love Elixirs, think they're MORE than worth it on a great guitar, and totally disagree with tombo above... unless you break a lot of strings. If I broke more strings, I'd buy D'Addario's. If you don't, Elixirs last me four times as long an cost three times as much (making them cheaper!)

Also, Cleartones are excellent. I prefer Elixirs myself.

[mbrown3]

I love Elixirs, think they're MORE than worth it on a great guitar, and totally disagree with tombo above... unless you break a lot of strings. If I broke more strings, I'd buy D'Addario's. If you don't, Elixirs last me four times as long an cost three times as much (making them cheaper!)


Hear, hear! Anyone who thinks that Elixirs and D'Addarios are the same string "just with coating" hasn't really evaluated them honestly. There's a world of difference, and WELL worth the extra cost. If you don't place a LOT, they'll last even longer than regular strings. Some of my students can get 6 months out of them (either out of lack of playing as much as they should, or out of having "extra" guitars that don't get played as much). D'Addarios will rust in the case even if you're not playing them.

[mbrown3]

Guys....think about it......Do you think Gore manufacturers their own strings? They order them from "someplace" (hmmm....I wonder where???) and then put their coating on them.

I don't really care if they manufacture their own or buy them from someone else. I just know that their strings feel better and last longer for me than any others (and I've tried just about all of them).


D'Addario are cheap, consistent, and good quality.

Well, they are cheap.

[pipedwho]

...when all gotGASbad wants to do is see if his bridge is breaking only Elixirs or breaking all strings?...
her ;)

BTW, what you suggested is perfectly reasonable in my book. Why test the bridge's ability to break strings with another set of expensive strings, when you can use a cheap set. Once the problem is sorted, then back to the Elixirs.

[morty]

Hello! I use Elexirs on my Accoustic and my electrics, never break strings.. i think i f your setup is good, it is not a problem! i bend strings a lot and does not have a particular soft playingstyle. But my guitars always have perfect setup. i have the Fishman Piezo bridge on my Anderson.

[gotGASbad]

her ;)

BTW, what you suggested is perfectly reasonable in my book. Why test the bridge's ability to break strings with another set of expensive strings, when you can use a cheap set. Once the problem is sorted, then back to the Elixirs.
Thanks for the gender adjustment Pipedwho!:D
Yeah, as much as I love Elixirs I guess I'm just gonna have to try D'Addarios for a while. I used them before Elixirs, though in Western Australia we've had 3 weeks with temps over 35C and the last two days over 40C, so rusting strings is really an issue here. . . . you can't help but sweat.

Here's to hoping that we just got a bad shipment of Elixirs and soon all will be back to normal.