Comments on: Probability of breaking a string of your guitar

By: RJ Lowe

RJ Lowe — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:23:58 +0000

Not when you’re Eric Clapton.

By: Kezza

Kezza — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:19:27 +0000

which can be hilarious in a show, when you announce to everyone that you need a new g string.

By: B-man

B-man — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:52:44 +0000

and maybe it’s just me but 99% of the time it’s the high E.

By: B-man

B-man — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:50:11 +0000

SO TRUE! The other guitarist broke a string at the audition for a gig, we still managed to get in and then he broke THE SAME STRING, right before we went on.

By: Nick K

Nick K — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:47:32 +0000

Bass strings break about once a year, you can use them for months after they sound like crap and they won’t break. Not knowing your instrument FAIL

By: Nick K

Nick K — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:44:33 +0000

You all FAIL, this is why you figure out when a gig is, and you change your strings 5 days prior. This way A) They will be worn in and B) You won’t be a tard who breaks a string midway through a performance or recording…

By: Mikey P

Mikey P — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:04:33 +0000

How about 1 minute into the first song with no back up guitar and you’re the lead man?

By: Tanner5

Tanner5 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:02:27 +0000

G or high e
ALWAYS!

By: Tanner5

Tanner5 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:44 +0000

yeah dude, i was playing a show in front of about 200 of my classmates and other people. it was only me and a drummer and half way through my second song out of 7 my high e string broke. i had to finish the song w/ only 5 strings and luckily the guitarist of one of the others was chill n let me borrow his. but it still sucked!

By: Benny

Benny — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:45:08 +0000

When you’re in a crazyass solo: 100%

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:16:16 +0000

Happened to me on stage once. NOT FUN.

By: Ana

Ana — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:21:22 +0000

That is also true for violins.

By: ydobon

ydobon — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:13:55 +0000

A full set of reserve strings fits into every guitar case.
Or just ask an other musician or string theory physicist nearby….

By: Alcari

Alcari — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:46:38 +0000

no, the correct answer is “Two bars into your big solo”

By: cj

cj — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:53:44 +0000

my daughter dropped her clarinet going into Solo Ensemble auditions and broke her only reed. The squeaking could be heard for miles.

By: lulu

lulu — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:24:06 +0000

Seemed to always happen right before a show or when you get it just right. Good doubles are hard to find >.<

By: Fyre Deity

Fyre Deity — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:34:42 +0000

Although I’ve never played a ~real~ live show, the chart looks pretty damn accurate.
An equally crappy side-effect of breaking a string during any kind of performance and replacing it in a hurry…… is when it goes flat after about .2105ths of a bend or so, and I find myself reaching for the headstock to fix it.. >.>
damn strings and their need to stretch…

By: badcat

badcat — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:48:19 +0000

>Chance of Steinberger playing bassist breaking a string in his entire career:<1%

That’s nearly double his chance of pulling.

By: Unknown

Unknown — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:24:52 +0000

My friends and I have a band and I play drums… That isn’t the point. My best friend plays the lead guitar and she always breaks strings and we have to stop everything. We never play in a show or concert though. ; )

By: Seddah

Seddah — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:40:08 +0000

Grammar fail.

> “One does not simply enter stage into Mordor”. (This is more interesting than the actual line from the graph)
> Enter stage into Mordor.
> Enter stage.

By: S Rob

S Rob — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:46:51 +0000

…unless you are Yngwie, in which case you will break three mid-performance and still play like a demon…

By: Berry

Berry — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:36:47 +0000

Nah, the correct answer is “two bars before your big solo”.

By: Stuart Jones

Stuart Jones — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:23:57 +0000

And of course – it is almost always the ‘G’-string that snaps…

By: marxz

marxz — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:02:50 +0000

chances of breaking a string on your total PitA to restring 12 string during that tricky arpeggio introduction to the 3rd song of the set: 80% ± 5% variance.
Chance of having a spare string of the right gauge in your case: <5%
Chance of electronic tuner’s battery going flat while trying to restring: 100%

Chance of Steinberger playing bassist breaking a string in his entire career:<1%

By: Bart

Bart — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:20:21 +0000

This is sooooooooo true

By: This guy over here

This guy over here — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:15:11 +0000

So needless to say I learned then what all guitarists must learn – always always ALWAYS have an extra set of strings if you’re playing out.

By: This guy over here

This guy over here — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:55:14 +0000

You gotta watch who packs the van.

By: This guy over here

This guy over here — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:54:04 +0000

If it ain’t the truth . . .
I once broke a string in the 3rd song of a 10-song set for a show I arranged, and the “headliner” band was a close group of friends, but the lead singer would NOT let me have one of her strings or borrow her guitar. It’s not like I’m some drunk ass at a rave in a cow pasture (that analogy is from a personal experience).

So what do I do? I hopped in my car, drove 3 miles to my drummer’s house and picked up the set of strings I’d forgot, and drove back, replaced the string, and finished the set. While I was gone, an audience member jammed with my 5-string to keep the huge crowd of about 25 people entertained. It’s actually one of my most embarrassing memories – so what better place to tell it, eh?

By: anotherputz

anotherputz — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:07:46 +0000

Sorry, the correct answer is “10 seconds into the first song of your set”

By: Woodwind Nerd

Woodwind Nerd — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:48:17 +0000

This could also translate into breaking your favorite and only broken-in reed right before performing.

By: durr

durr — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:21:57 +0000

if you’re playing a show and you don’t then you shouldn’t be playing a show.

By: flamebeast

flamebeast — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:07:28 +0000

dont laugh, that happened to the guitarist in my band when we were recording, in a studio. he didnt have spare strings with him, so that was that day basically done

By: jacobyjd

jacobyjd — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:03:30 +0000

This is true.

There are also statistics on the probability of breaking a string during the show, only then to realize that your guitar was somehow left leaning against the back of the van when the band piled in and left home…

By: Aikidude

Aikidude — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:22:14 +0000

only if you have a new string available ^_~

By: Guitar Tech 101

Guitar Tech 101 — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:06:01 +0000

No worries. You can replace one in about two minutes.