I keep breaking strings...

[rockskate4x]

...from excessive whammy wankage!!!  :evil4: The obvious solution is to not whammy so much but nobody wants to do that... so I was wondering what strings people would recommend to take that kind of abuse. I am currently using Diaddario XLs (size 10), on my strat guitar equipped with a calaham vintage strat tremolo.

 

[dmraco]

what type of whammy?  Where are the strings breaking?  At the bridge?  I remember Ernie Ball used to make strings that had a nylon re-enforcement around the bottom...helped a lot.

I do not think any gauge is less prone to breaking if you are basicially lifting your guitar with the whammy.

 

[AutoBat]

i really like elixers.

if you keep breaking the same string at the same point, you may need to have a little work done at the source to remove a small burr.

 

[GoDrex]

I used to break strings a lot before switching to the Callaham bridge. I think the fact that ball end of the string is kept at the bottom of the block prevents lots of string breakage.  Where is the string breaking?

 

[Dan025]

if they break in the middle of the neck it's the strings, or youre too agressive, i always break ernie balls and la bella, i had luck with dr but the compress the wrap wire onto the core somehow and it makes them stiffer causing the intonation to change as the string breaks in. ghs seem to be good.

if you break them at the tuner or at the bridge then you may need to do alittle work to smooth things out, if they break at the ball you can solder the ball end but that makes string changes a pain.

 

[rockskate4x]

I've been breaking them at the saddles. And it was three different strings (D, A, and then the high e). I'm using a practically brand new vintage strat callaham bridge, and I don't think half of the saddles would get burrs on them this quickly, so I doubt that that is the problem here. I really like the tone and feel of this bridge. It's really staying in tune even with the floating trem setup... so I don't want to change the bridge. If possible I would only like to change the strings.

 

[Mor Paul]

Inspect the saddles closely for any burrs or points or anything.

 

[Dan025]

is it over the saddle or over the bridge plate? and do they contact in the hole for the string in the saddle? they shouldn't

 

[rockskate4x]

is it over the saddle or over the bridge plate? and do they contact in the hole for the string in the saddle? they shouldn't

They break at the saddle and not at the bridge plate. I am not sure what you mean by "contact in the hole for the string in the saddle".

 

[Dan025]

i mean in the slot cut through the saddle that the string passes through. there page indicates that there saddles have longer slots than fender so i dont think it should be a problem

http://www.callahamguitars.com/bridges.htm

on a side note there writing on pickups is hilarious.. but they seem to make a great bridge so i'll forgive them.