bad strings, ball-0ends popping off on tune -up.

[big_teee]

JoeM. Sorry you misunderstood the message intended. My fault. China is great. We should all move there, where the quality can't be beat. Be sure to purchase some of the toys made for the little ones. Do buy the ones that have been caught time and time again contaminated with arsenic, lead, and mercury. Give them to the little ones in your life.

They're just Strings, if you don't like those try some different ones.
The Slinky's I think are still made in the US.
I did try soldering them, on some old strings I had that were taken off.
That works slick, and only takes a second a string.
It's not the End of the World!
T

[Chuck H]

Well... You knew I had to reply to THIS!

I'm not at all "well off" or "upper income". Far from it. It just happens that my living has been made in the presence of people who are. As to Boutique amps, I don't own them. I make them. I tease my customers that they own better amps than I do!!! My own amps are prototypes or even old Traynors and such that have served as prototypes for design concepts. I admit I sort of like it that way. A crappy looking amp or an old retrofitted amp that sounds great is a wonderful oxymoron. My Cuisinart was aquired when I bought into a commercial kitchen that lost me about $8000 bucks over the course of five months. It was the most fun I could have had LOSING $8000 bucks. Since I loved the work (16 hours a day though) I was sorry to kabosh the restaurant, but since I have NO savings I couldn't perpetuate the loss. I did get the Cuisinart though. So... Since I've covered how I manage these supposed luxuries...!

You've managed to judge a book by it's cover again. But we're all prone to work with what's in front of us based on what we've known. Without this proclivity experience is moot. Too bad it doesn't always apply.

Peace.

[J M Fahey]

As far ar string tensile properties lost by tin/lead soldering them, I don't think it's a problem for a musician.
The solder is applied on a non-vibrating part of the string, so it doesn't affect tuning or playability.
And it *definitely* will not "weaken it so now it will break"

[big_teee]

As far ar string tensile properties lost by tin/lead soldering them, I don't think it's a problem for a musician.
The solder is applied on a non-vibrating part of the string, so it doesn't affect tuning or playability.
And it *definitely* will not "weaken it so now it will break"

Also, the soldered area will be behind the bend where it breaks over the bridge.
The whole string is under tension, but the part being played between the bridge and nut has not been heated.
Long story short, IMO Soldering should work fine!
T

[rjb]

My String HORROR Stories

About 10 years ago, I strung up my dad's old Epiphone archtop with a set of "jazz gauge" strings, then left it on the workbench while I walked to the kitchen for a glass of water.
I heard an explosive KA-BANG in the workshop and, expecting to find the guitar in splinters, rushed back to find that one of the strings had broken!
The winding had not unwound; the string actually broke at the point where it wraps around the ball end!!
I emailed the company, and the rep had the audacity to say something to the effect that when you manufacture thousands of strings a day, one or two bad ones are likely to get past QA!!!
Oh yea, he also sent me a couple packages of their "Super Long Play" jazz strings for my trouble.

I will never forget that ordeal until my dying day.
The name of the company started with a D... D'Aquisto? D'Addario? Dean Something?
Just to be safe, I recommend a boycott of all string manufacturers whose name starts with the letter D.

More recently (maybe 7 or 8 years ago), I got a great deal on a used Gibson J-45.
On arriving home, I immediately replaced the funky old strings with some new medium gauge bronze round-wound strings.
One of the strings (maybe the G string, but I don't remember) would not play anywhere near in-tune up the neck.
Naturally, I thought I needed a new bone saddle, cut to intonate with my string set.
I went to my local repair guy, and after a brief examination, he replaced the "non-intonating" string with one from his stock.
Presto- now the guitar played perfectly in tune... or as well as can be expected from a flat top guitar.
Repair Guy explained that sometimes something goes wrong and strings are wound unevenly- the mass is not evenly distributed along the string- causing tuning problems and overtones that are out of tune with the fundamental.
I asked what I owed for the service, and Repair Guy said "No charge." He wouldn't even let me pay for the string.

A year or two later, he moved to Texas!
Boy, was I pissed!!
That guy will not see my business again!!!

[Chuck H]

The name of the company started with a D... D'Aquisto? D'Addario? Dean Something?

Just to be safe, I recommend a boycott of all string manufacturers whose name starts with the letter D.

Hey now!!! I worked with Dean Markley on a couple of projects. He's very proud of his strings. I don't think you would have any such trouble with his PR. Let's not lump D's in a blanket diss!!!

For that matter, what's wrong with the way your case was handled? Rep says, basically, "Yeah, sometimes a bad one gets through." And then they sent you some strings!!! I'm not seeing the problem with this. Are string companies supposed to check every string with every sort of bridge under every possible tension and playing condition prior to packaging?!? Can't speak for you, but I don't want to spend $50 for a set of strings.

[rjb]

...Let's not lump D's in a blanket diss!!!

For that matter, what's wrong with the way your case was handled?

NOTHING was wrong with the way my case was handled.
I just couldn't find the "tongue in cheek" smiley.

But, just for the record, both my "horror stories" were with DM strings.
My "ordeals" have not stopped me from buying DMs.

I did, however, file suit for mental anguish.
Where is that tongue-in-cheek smiley?

...Are string companies supposed to check every string with every sort of bridge under every possible tension and playing condition prior to packaging?!?

That's just silly. The strings would break from metal fatigue in the factory. Can you say destructive testing?
However, I would expect strings specifically designated as "jazz" strings to be compatible with floating archtop bridges.

[Chuck H]

I suppose a rolleyes emoticon would have worked. I know Dean, so I took you a bit seriously. Dean would probably send you a set of strings if you complained that they rusted when you dipped them in salt water! He's VERY easy going and accomodating. Still runs the business from the same office in Santa Clara Ca. that he started almost fourty years ago!!!

[Steve Conner]

I just restringed my guitar: the strings didn't explode on tuning up, and sounded great! I should sue Rotosound for lack of excitement.

I'm sure I have had the ball-ends come untwisted before, years ago, but I just put it down to bad luck and replaced the offending string.

Re soldering and temper, did you know that if you heat your high "E" string (or someone else's for that matter) with a cigarette lighter it will snap almost instantly? Ideal for putting an end to your lead guitarist's overlong solos.

Also Chuck, how dare you own a food processor.

[Alex R]

Rotosound strings never break.

[DrGonz78]

Never liked D'Addario strings since I was a kid in 1991 and found that they went dead too quickly. Then I went on to try Dean Markley for over a decade and loved them on my electric but not the acoustic strings. Always loved Martin strings on my acoustic and DR. Actually, DR are still my favs for acoustic but have been using Ernie Ball strings lately. Ernie's are cheap and work great for both acoustic and electric. For electric strings I eventually started using Elixir strings and those worked out great!!! Most electric strings that I have used would go dead after a month or two, as I was playing every single night with bands. The Elixir strings were the best as holding tone and tune. I would go three months and they still sounded great!! Never busted strings that often on the PRS but my old Ibanez guitar always busted strings after a while. Some guitars are prone to string breakage and that needs to be looked at before judging any string for failure.

My thoughts on strings is to not buy in bulk and never more than 3 sets at a time. Strings and Beyond has always been a great provider for me online.

[Chuck H]

Re soldering and temper, did you know that if you heat your high "E" string (or someone else's for that matter) with a cigarette lighter it will snap almost instantly?

That's because the steel is in flux. The string is thin and heats to that point almost instantly. But even when cooled the steel is softer and weaker "annealed" than it is hardened and tempered. I've made a few knives. The steel is always worked in an annealed state for shaping and then hardened because it would be impossible to work and tool otherwise. A couple of projects have been recycled steel. It depends on the specific alloy, but to re soften (anneal) austenitic steel you heat it to a medium red heat and cool it slowly. I don't see how soldering the wraps could cause a problem as long as the iron is a little cool (say 600*F) and the work is done quickly.

Also Chuck, how dare you own a food processor.

Most expensive food processor anyone ever owned

[rjb]

...Always loved Martin strings on my acoustic

Martin SP ("Sustained Playability") strings have higher tensile strength cores than others.
Before SPs, I averaged 3 broken G strings a night.

[J M Fahey]

Destroying a thin guitar string with a humble cigarette lighter flame does not mean that the string is bad. At all.
A simple butane flame can reach 1800 or 1900ºC.
This means nothing if you are heating, say, a metal spoon, because its thermal mass will absorb many calories and yet heat little, but a hair thin string has very low mass, its very thinness means the heat is not easily carried away, and some points can reach a very high temperature.
Not even close to 1800ºC of course, but anything above 400ºC will *destroy* its proper annealing or heat treatment , it will also destroy hardness gained by cold drawing (which aligns steel fibers).
Above 800ºC it will lose much of its tensile strength (it will be dull red by then) and being under tension, imagine the results.
I quoted by heart, but now I found this graph, look how performance degrades above 400ºC and is all but destroyed at 800ºC.
Soldering temperatures, about 270ºC, do not look dangerous at all, specially for steel which is under high strain (guitar string) so, in a nutshell, if you fear string unrolling , feel free to solder it and call it a day.

[rjb]

...in a nutshell, if you fear string unrolling , feel free to solder it and call it a day.

Nah, too easy.