STRING BREAKAGES

 

Strings are an expensive commodity for all players of bowed string instruments. The last thing you want to do is  break a couple of brand new Larsen cello strings while putting them on your instrument. Even experienced players complain about faulty strings from time to time but, in this day and age, there is rarely such a thing. In almost all cases string breakages occur because of the way they have been put on the instrument or through a faulty set-up.

 

There are essentially three reasons for string breakage: high tension, sharp edges and bunching in the peg box.

 

 

High string tension

 

One common cause of string breakage is excessive string tension. This occurs when the string is tuned higher than its normal pitch. E strings can often break during tuning as a small move at the peg takes a thin steel e along way, which is why these strings need to be used with fine tuners.

 

Gut strings are particularly capricious.  Some people recommend tuning them down a semitone when not in use but this can only exacerbate the tuning problems associated with natural materials. Gut strings can also lose moisture in areas of low humidity which can increase the tension, which can lead to breakage.

 

 

Sharp edges

 

Strings touch the instrument at four places: the peg, the upper nut, the bridge and the tailpiece. Sharp or rough edges at any of these places will almost certainly cause string breakage.

 

The corners of peg holes and upper nut grooves must be rounded. Also beware of sharp tailpiece hooks for loop-end E strings. It is possible to purchase hook protectors made of plastic to increase and soften their surface area.

 

If a string cuts too deeply in to its bridge or nut groove, then friction during tuning can roughen the wood, shortening the life of the string.. It would be a good idea to reshape the top of the bridge or nut and smooth out the groove.

 

 

Bunching in the peg box

 

This is the biggest single cause of string breakages and the problem that causes most customer complaints about "faulty strings". We once had a customer who broke 3 cello A strings in one morning because he was putting them on in too much of a hurry. Strings must never be pressed against the walls of the peg box. This puts great lateral pressure on the string. Bunching in the peg box is the most common cause for breakage when new strings are put on. The same problem can also occur if string tension is seriously reduced due to changes of temperature, humidity, or simple lack of use. Any strings that break in the pegbox, or above the nut, will have been caused by user error, and not by faulty construction.