Why do I keep breaking guitar strings?

Temperature shifts, per chance?

Change in temperature / humidity? Maybe you have them tuned too tightly? Is there anyway your truss rod might have changed and now standard tuning requires your strings to be tighter than they can be for long?

I thought I’d have the answer to this, but after reading the subject it sounds so odd and I’m not really to familiar with acoustic guitars, but I’d ask this guy. email him, He’s answered me back on a question I had about buzzing on the first fret. Turns out the nut was to low a little paper between it and fixed.

I have a friend who changes his strings a lot, perhaps a bit excessively, but at least once a month regardless, broken or not, he changes the strings on his acoustic guitar. So there is nothing odd about changing your strings far, far, far more often than you have, you’ve just had some odd luck in the past, or did not play often, and it is now catching up with you with some bad string luck.

First I thought it might be the bridge, but you said it’s not. And Ds are usually weaker, but you broke more Gs. And you seem to know what you’re talking about (well, you should, after 17 years). I’m just as confused as you are. Even temperature/humidity change shouldn’t do that, unless you left your guitar out on the porch and it’s been snowing or something. I take it that it’s tuned properly and kept in normal conditions, and that your fingernails are not too sharp or something?

Since your strings have been breaking at different points, I think it’s just a fluke. Maybe that particular set was faulty or something.

your guitar may be slightly warped.. putting excess pressure on the strings.. at which point they will break at their weakest spot.. regardless of where it meets the guitar..

This can happen with temp changes and just from having a guitar for a long time and holding it a certain way.. putting pressure on certain areas…

many guitar shops can straighten out the neck for you but maybe you should just buy a new guitar? maybe you’re due?

I think you may have just got a bad batch of strings. At the production level, there is always product that can be defective.

I’m going to have to agree with the bad batch of strings. I’ve tried those elixir’s when they first hit the scene, because I thought it was a brilliant idea, but all that webbing crap coming off with in a few weeks bothered me. Plus, out of my 15years of experience, I’ve never seen a string break due to extreme temperatures and I grew up in AK.

When the Elixirs first came out they used what they called a Polyweb coating. It was interesting, but not great. Now they use a new Nanoweb coating. It’s much better. It doesn’t peel like Polyweb did. It’s a lot more like using a regular string, except that it lasts longer (holds its tone, doesn’t rust)... which was great for me when I never broke strings.

As for the bad-batch-of-strings theory: I’ve used strings from three different packs at this point. One was given to me by someone else, so they weren’t even purchased at the same time or store as the others.

To those who suggest temperature change as a cause: that has certainly been going on here recently, but it hasn’t been extreme for more than just the past week.

There’s no way it’s my fingernails (but I appreciate the variety of suggestions).

And regarding the suggestion that the guitar should be replaced: this is a nice guitar that should last far, far longer than the five years I’ve had it.

I think I’ll give Taylor Guitars a call and see if they have any ideas. And I might try the idea of tweaking the truss rod. Also, I’ve been lazy about using my humidifier. I’ll pop that back in and see if the string-popping goes down.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

One more thing: I’ve use Elixirs for years… but if this keeps up, then I will start trying other types. Especially considering that Elixirs aren’t available individually.

If you tighten the strings too tight for that note, you will eventually break them. So tune your strings to the notes they are meant to be. There is an oil you can rub over your strings. Ask for it at stores where they sell guitars. Keep your guitar away from kids if they are continuously pulling on the strings because they will eventually break them also.

@ABMarguerite um, did I miss the part where they said they were tuning the guitar above standard? Besides, there is no “meant to be” tuning. Drop C, drop D, a whole step down, flat, open D, F, are all fun tunings. In fact I own 3 electric guitars and not one is tuned to standard. When I finally do get an acoustic I’m probably gonna keep it flat. Although, a tighter / higher tuning will put stress on the strings, I do not agree that there is a “meant to be” tuned a certain way.

@Axemusica You’re right; I am not tuning the guitar above standard (and, @ABMarguerite, no children have access to it). But regarding your statements about “meant to be” tuning: my guitar is set up for standard tuning with .013 gauge strings. I imagine the ideal setup might vary for at least some alternate tunings. I once borked the setup on a guitar with a floating bridge by trying to put it in drop C for a specific song, so there are some limitations that would differ according to the type of guitar and how drastic the change.