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December Birthdays
Speaking of Strat strings...
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 250 Port Fierce, Florida 
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Posted on Mar 23 2006 09:54 AM
I've been having issues lately with strings breaking at the brige of my Strat (American Deluxe model), mainly the wound strings (E,A & D). The guitar's just been set up recently, and I've tried using a couple of different brands (D'Addario XL's, GHS B-52's & Boomers, and Ernie Balls, all 11-gauge)...same result. It's almost like the string is breaking behind the saddle (?). Any remedies? — |
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Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 106 The Vatican |
Posted on Mar 24 2006 03:02 AM
Butch, Haven't we been down this beach before? If you want the best tone, and don't like weak-where-it-counts strings, than can you do better than to imitate Dick Dale? If you don't try them, then you might as well give up playing guitar. We do need more drummers, right? Oh, and if anyone tries to tell that they eat frets, don't believe them. In fact, ask them to show you a guitar with worn frets due to BS strings. No one has yet answered my challenge, so I assign that bit of malarky to the "old wives tale" category. My 8 year old strat is doing just fine with them, although I didn't switch to 11's until just last year (up from 10's). unlunf —MY RIGHT HAND IS FASTER THAN YOURS! |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 250 Port Fierce, Florida
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Posted on Mar 24 2006 08:00 AM
I wasn't really trying to imitate anyone, per se, with my choice of strings thus far, just running the gamut on string brands. I've used the D'addarios for years without issue, never really had the problem with the Jazzmaster, so I figured it was a snafu with the Strat bridge. I'll give the Dean Markley's a shot - are they roundwounds or flats? — |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 25560 Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A. 
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Posted on Mar 24 2006 08:47 PM
Butch, Jeff(bigtikidude) —Jeff(bigtikidude) |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 62 Southwest Florida
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Posted on Mar 24 2006 10:05 PM
Yeah, I was gonna reccomend trying a nut/saddle lube. Nut juice ~Ace —I'm Batman...No not <I>that</I> Batman. :p |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan
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Posted on Mar 27 2006 02:15 AM
I'd just like to chime in on this: I used graphtech saddles on my main Strat for several years. I recorded parts of Tsar Wars with that guitar, all of New World Relampagos, and toured the west coast with it. In retrospect, I think my sound suffered due to the saddles. I didn't like their feel much, didn't like the look at all, and I think the sound isn't as good as with US-made Fender vintage-style saddles, though it's a subtle difference. I would never use them again, for whatever it's worth. Ivan —Ivan |
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Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 106 The Vatican |
Posted on Mar 27 2006 02:26 AM
Ivan, Try using an equalizer to insert a sharp peak at 1.7KHz, give or take a few hertz. That's what the Graphtech saddles remove from the equation when you replace the steel saddles with them. Butch, I've only seen the DM Blue Steels in roundwound. Not that you have to imitate someone, or at least their sound, but often that's a good starting point. As Jacob, Eric and others here will tell you, you're not gonna make a living in Seattle by playing just surf music. If you want to play out, a lot, you have to branch out to other genres. Me, it can be country, blues, folkie, even jazzy, as well as good ol' fashioned rock'n'roll, I don't care, I'll play it, or at least try. The BS strings seem to be able to handle just about anything I want to play, they don't care. unlunf —MY RIGHT HAND IS FASTER THAN YOURS! |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan
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Posted on Mar 27 2006 02:37 AM
...or simply not use them. I've been happily graphtech-saddles-free for years now, and my strings don't break very often anymore. It helped when I switched to 12 gauge. Anyway, I'm happy. No equalizers needed in my future. Ivan —Ivan |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 3832 netherlands 
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Posted on Mar 27 2006 05:05 AM
I use grapphtech saddles and a used boss EQ - the boss EQ f'ed up he sound way more than grapghtech saddles ever could! anyway, they are a compromise, that's for sure. but my strat was eating strings at a rate I could no longer justify... as far as looks go, grapghtech now has metal saddles with only a small piece of space shuttle, or whatever it is, where the strings pass. still not as cool as vintage-style Fender saddles, but not an entirly black square on your git either. WR —Rules to live by #314: |
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Joined: Nov 10, 2000 Posts: -180 |
Posted on Apr 21 2006 11:28 PM
besides breaking strings, are you happy with the guitar? I was thinking about getting a deluxe. |
Joined: Apr 20, 2006 Posts: 2054
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Posted on Apr 23 2006 10:47 PM
...exits the body and goes to the bridge. Switching to 12's also helped me. — |
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SurfGuitar101.com © 2004 - 2024 by Brian Neal. All comments and user contributed articles are property of the posters.
Thanks to all the surf bands, past and present. And thanks to all the fans who care about and keep surf music alive.
Use Dean Markley Blue Steels, and fuggedaboudit. They don't break, they don't go out of tune, they sound like a surf guitar should sound, they aren't boutique, and they don't cost more than most other strings.
, saddle juice, are just a couple of the products out there. And, as Jeff said, graphite saddles get rave reviews...But I'd do that as a last resort if it were me.