[jalfordvidman]

Ok, I'm detuning my guitar to play in drop D, and my high E snaps at the tuning peg. Now I have a few questions...

1) Why did this happen?

2) Has it ever happened to you?

3) What can I do to correct it?

[wannalearn01]

How old were they?

Sometimes they just snap...check for burrs on the tunning peg...but really I would say it was a chance occurance.

T^roy

[mad_cow711]

either there's some sharp edge or something that it's catching on, or (more likely) your strings were a bit old and more brittle, so they snapped. it's happed to me a few times too, when i've had a set of strings on for a while.

[jalfordvidman]

The strings were kind of old, and I may move to medium gauge. (I'm kind of assuming that I don't have mediums on right now.)

[wannalearn01]

Yea you should try out some .012's on there. Get a good brand and you shouldn't have the same probelm. Also if you change tunings a lot(flexing/unflexing strings) they will break more often. Honestly, I have never broken an acoustic string, I change mine about every 2 months. But I always go with Elixur's and I use thin picks.

But yea when you are tuning individual strings, it changes tentions on the other strings...thats why you sometimes have to go back and retune strings a couple times...

T^roy

[Bobzyk]

Change your strings!!!! Try changing them every few months, or even more frequently if you play a lot.

[Jon_Mac]

I was wondering that. I play about 1-2 hours a day. I play chords and I finger pick (all sorts of things). When I do play chords I sometimes play pretty hard so how often should I chnage my strings?

[wannalearn01]

Really, unless your ear is really trained, you won't be able to tell a HUGE difference like someone who has been playing for a long time.

Mine tend to get deadened out after about a month, but thats when I really start to realize they are sounding flat*. I play about the same as you per day...

Professionals changed theirs a lot more often, and even will have someone else play it until it gets to the "tone" they are wanting...it is a small difference for most people, but some are just more particular.

Get some good ones and change them once every month and that should be more than good enough.

T^roy
*Change mine once ever 3 months...I'm still learning, and broke a lot of the time.

[dogpoo]

i change my strings once every 3 or 4 months, when they sound flat. but then again, those are nylons.

[jalfordvidman]

I got some D'Addario medium guages and changed the strings, so hopefully it won't happen for a while. I also got some lights, just for some variety. Although, the lights may not be a good thing, as I use a heavy pick.

On a side note, I don't know if it's due to the newness of the strings or not, but my new strings sound very bright and "tingy". Almost like a 12 string. Will this fade away, or should I just get different strings. I'd like some strings with more bass response, as my guitar has a thin body.

[wannalearn01]

I got some D'Addario medium guages and changed the strings, so hopefully it won't happen for a while. I also got some lights, just for some variety. Although, the lights may not be a good thing, as I use a heavy pick.

On a side note, I don't know if it's due to the newness of the strings or not, but my new strings sound very bright and "tingy". Almost like a 12 string. Will this fade away, or should I just get different strings. I'd like some strings with more bass response, as my guitar has a thin body.

Strings tend to "flatten" out in tone over time...it's just them getting worn out.

Replace them once in a while and you will be fine.

As for the light strings and heavy pick...just make sure you're a good strummer and you'll be fine...try to brush the strings, not really hit them. That bottom e will be dead in two weeks if your not careful.

T^roy