Guitar strings, and the breaking thereof... (1 Viewer)

[Psychotic no 2]

Re: Re: Guitar strings, and the breaking thereof...

Originally posted by Juno
I dunno now Peter - as you know whenever myself and Karl alternate the ould bass playing I shorten the strap and neither of us have ever broken a string on it ...

Yeah, but you should see what happens to my guitar if Mary so much as fucking looks at it.

 

[LMD64]

i use a combination of regular 5th fret tuning and 5th + 7th harmonics tuning sometimes, if you have the time it can give you much better results

E 7th harm = A 5th harm
A 7th harm = D 5th harm
D 7th harm = G 5th harm
E'7th harm = E 12th harm
E'5th harm = B 7th harm

i think thats about right

 

[Jimmy Magee]

I think, if you can do it right (i.e. if your ears don't let you down), 5th fret or 7th fret tuning is better than using harmonics, because the guitar is even-tempered, and using the frets gives you even-tempered intervals, whereas tuning with harmonics will give you untempered intervals...since my ears ain't so hot, I just try playing various things, 5th frets, 7th frets, 12th frets, or playing stuff a few strings apart (e.g 3th fret E string, G string open) until it all sounds okay...

 

[Jimmy Magee]

Re: intonation..

Originally posted by captain anomie
Intonation - takes about 10 mins like...

If you get a tuner of the chromatic variety do this:

1. Check the harmonic on the twelth fret till its tuned to G
2. Play the twelth fret and see if its in tune.
3. If its not turn the screw at the bridge a bit, loosen it if the string is flat ( i think, its hard to rember using a PC keyboard) or tighten it if its sharp.
4. tune the harmonic on the twelth fret to G again, and repeat the above till it ends up that the twelth fret is the exact same as the twelth fret harmonic.

Hmm, I'm only thinking this off the top 'o me head...but if my theoretical brain serves me correctly, if your intonation isn't right the 12th fret harmonic should actually be slightly to one side of the 12th fret...(my reasoning being that if the intonation is off the 12th fret is no longer the midway point of the string, hence the discrepancy between the 12th fret harmonic and regular 12th fret)? Do you find this? Maybe it's too slight to notice, I dunno....

 

[ann post]

for intonation you have to to both..

I tune my bass through the big muff, as it really makes any dodgy stuff sound a lot clearer. I use the frets thing live between songs, as the sound of somone tuning a bass through a big muff is probably as far from crowd pleasing as you can get.

Anyone do modal tuning stuff?

 

[LMD64]

true. i find it easier though, using the harmons, cos they're purer tones than tuning against notes that are octaves apart.
anyhoo, each to their own, i say, i say

 

[Jimmy Magee]

Indeed...I don't really tune using stuff an octave or two apart, it's more of a check to prevent cumulative errors...

 

[Goodbye]

SHUT UP SHUT UP THE LOT O YEH AAAAAH

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

As far as tuning goes, I haven't found a better article than this one here by Mr. Jack Endino.

 

[ann post]

Re: Re: intonation..

Originally posted by michaelknight
Hmm, I'm only thinking this off the top 'o me head...but if my theoretical brain serves me correctly, if your intonation isn't right the 12th fret harmonic should actually be slightly to one side of the 12th fret...(my reasoning being that if the intonation is off the 12th fret is no longer the midway point of the string, hence the discrepancy between the 12th fret harmonic and regular 12th fret)? Do you find this? Maybe it's too slight to notice, I dunno....

Yep, that happens, but the twelth is the easiest to hit as the string travels (vibrates more than any other harmonic) the most so it sustains well for doing harmonics. Also there is a thing called "natural resonance" (i think) which means that if you hit the harmonic, it will settle on the note its tuned too sooner or later because it the most natural way for it to vibrate - like when you hit it really hard and it sounds out of tune for a second but then settles on the note its tuned to.
You could do it on other frets but you'd need more patience.

 

[Beanstalk]

I used to break strings at every gig...then someone told me that it is common practice to change a full set of strings regularly, as opposed to replacing each string as it breaks.

Crazy idea, I know...but it worked.



I do miss the 'ol rustiness of my strings though...gives them character.

 

[Jimmy Magee]

Originally posted by GrRrrrR
As far as tuning goes, I haven't found a better article than this one here by Mr. Jack Endino.

That's a good article...the poor guy's head must be wrecked though if his ear is that sensitive, I mean any even-tempered stuff (i.e. the piano) must annoy him...

 

[ann post]

Originally posted by Ian
SHUT UP SHUT UP THE LOT O YEH AAAAAH

Em, just read a different thread...

BTW - Did I send you aurel crap?

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Originally posted by michaelknight
the poor guy's head must be wrecked though if his ear is that sensitive

That's exactly what I though... man, I'd like to have his ears (metaphorically), but at the same time it must be a bit of a curse.

 

[Goodbye]

Originally posted by captain anomie
Em, just read a different thread...

BTW - Did I send you aurel crap?

yiz are all mad i tell's yeh
I just do wot me cronic tuner says and be damned with the posh stuff... strings break, lightbulbs pop, the world's an imperfect place...


btw, yeah got th' aural crap tanks bud

 

[Juno]

Re: Re: Re: Guitar strings, and the breaking thereof...

Originally posted by Psychotic no 2
Yeah, but you should see what happens to my guitar if Mary so much as fucking looks at it.

Hmmm, I get the feeling the Mustang doesn't like me...dunno why...

 

[ann post]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Psychotic no 2
Yeah, but you should see what happens to my guitar if Mary so much as fucking looks at it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Hmmm, I get the feeling the Mustang doesn't like me...dunno why...


Can you train her to tune guitars? She be worth a mint.





.....que something about a polo mint....

 

[Alex]

For my experience most of the intonation troubles (for basses especially) are just due to lack of maintenance... if you have your guitar "serviced" once every 6 months or so by a professional who knows his stuff you'll never have problems. The downside is the cost: about €50 for the job + 40 for new strings (if it's a bass). About tuning, there's plenty of good cheap tuners around so I don't really see the problem.

Lastly, to answer GrrrRR's question, I think breaking strings depends on *many* things such as string's gauge, plectrum, "where" you pick (the closest to the bring the worst for strings), how hard, etc... I don't really thing the strap makes a difference coz everyone picks in a different way regardless of it.

My guitarrist has to buy a new set every week, I think he should probably *learn* to play without breaking them...

OK I'm finished

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

Is everyone who breaks "g" and "d" stings doing so on Gibson style bent headstock guitars? Those strings are supposed to take more pressure or something and that is why they break more. I always found playing style had a lot to do with breaking strings,I regularly broke 2 or 3 a set with theKABINBOY because I beat the shit out of the guitar. I found that a wraparound bridge was slightly better for some reason but preferred my other guitars so i just learned how to change strings quickly and made sure I was always prepared. Anyway I never found any better strings or much difference in pick size unless I used a relly light pick. And I don't break quite as many strings in Knifed but our set usually only lasts about 20 minutes.
So are you gonna hold back for the sake of a few strings or are you gonna rock like a fucker?
Fuck the strings and rock!!!!!!!!!!

 

[derek]

"Fuck the strings and rock!!!!!!!!!!"

If that's not the name of the next XknifedX release the end really is nigh...