nylon string guitars

[Bob key]

Hi Ive been playing a Taylor ns34-ce the last couple of months,Im enjoying it, as this is my first time playing nylon strings,but I have found I keep breaking the 4th string,the other strings are fine.I thought maybe I had a problem with the frets but I dont see anything there.I went to get some 4th strings while I was at the music store I asked there repair man about it he said its the nature of the beast,they sell more 4th strings than any of the others.has anybody had this problem or any advice.


Thanks Bob

[craigdobbins]

Hi Bob-

There's a thread about that below somewhere...

Some folks tune the 4th string down (just a tone or so, not much) between playing sessions, but I leave mine at tension. As the man said, the 4th string is usually the first to go. They don't seem to break as much on my Sand (25 1/2" scale) or my Baldwin (around 25" or so). On 26" scale classics I've had, they'd break after a week or two.

The D'Addario ProArte don't break as much, also the LaBella recording strings. In the old days I used Augustine. They sounded great, but I had to buy 2 or 3 sets to get one full set to tune up.

No real advice here, just keep some extra 4th strings on hand.

Craig

P.S. I do tune down the 5th and 6th on my Delvecchio, because on that guitar, they're the first to go, usually the 5th. Again, just a tone (whole step) or so, not much.

[Vidar Lund]

Here are posts regarding the fragile D-string among other things.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2790

[Norm]

If they keep breaking in the same place you have something sharp in the mix. if it's at the bridge sometimes buffing the bridge saddle with 0000 steel wool will take care of the issue. If it's at the nut, take one of the broken strings and hold it like a garrotte and ramp it in the slot a few times keeping in mind you want to buff any sharp edges off. You can't always see the burr...

[Terry Tolley]

I have a 1999 Gibson CE where the string broke often at the bridge (I have 3 nylon stringed guitars and this is where they USUALLY break). My breakage was a bit above the normal amount so I examined the bridge with a 20X jewel's loupe and I could see a small burr that the 0000 grit sandpaper easily removed. I still have string breakage from time to time - but the frequency of breakage went from about 4 weeks on the D string to about 12 months on ANY string. High tension strings will break more often that the normal tension, but nothing lasts forever! The Jack Benny in me likes to get value for the dollar. I guess I'm showing my age with that statement - but it is what it is - not much I can do about it.

[craigdobbins]

My experience is, if the strings are truly breaking due to tension (not due to a bad nut, fret, or bridge), they break at about the end of the fretboard, about the halfway point of the string.

Actually, they don't "break"- they come unraveled at the winding, and the silk inner core strands are loose, but not broken. Nylon strings are a different animal than steel strings.

Craig