Snapping E strings on 3 different LTD EC-256's! :-(

[Steve A.]

I like the latest ESP/LTD EC-256 guitars so much that I bought 5 of them***. On at least 3 of them I have a problem with the high E string snapping using 10's. My usual fix is to use wet-dry sandpaper (220, 400, then 600) to remove any burrs that might be causing the string to break but that isn't helping. These are cheap tune-o-matic bridges which I plan to eventually replace with a drop-in replacement once I figure out what to get.

I may have contributed to the problem with a trick I usually do with cheap T-O-M bridges: once I have the saddles intonated* properly I will "solidify" the bridge by filling in the gaps with white (carpenters) glue which IMO makes the cheap bridge sound better.

However, I can see how the string might be less likely to break if the saddle could wiggle around a little bit. [I will try removing the white glue from the high E saddle.] My other idea was to raise the stop bar so that the angle going over the saddles was not quite as sharp.

It should be noted that these LTD guitars made in Vietnam have incredible action and play like butter. With their jumbo frets and large neck radius I can easily bend the high strings 4 or 5 frets which could be contributing to the early demise of the E strings. And its not like they snap right away- it might not happen until after I have played them for several hours.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Steve Ahola

* I love those spell checkers! This one doesn't like the word "intonated" so it suggested intonation, intoxicated, detonated and opinionated, all of which sound a vicious attack of my lifestyle and character traits!

*** Not as crazy as that might seem because I got 3 of them w/ P90's and 2 of them w/ humbuckers... The EC-256P uses a really crappy stacked P90 but since they already have a deep rout they will accept any of the P-90 style pickups that you throw at them. Or a regular P-90 with a dummy coil underneath it. Usually less than $300 I consider both versions to be a hell of a good deal- except for all of the E strings I keep breaking!

[Paleo Pete]

I'll assume since you're concentrating on the saddles, that's where the strings are breaking. I can only think of a couple of things to try, you've already done my number one trick. So back up a bit and get a good magnifying glass. Take a good close look at those saddles. Might or might not help...then get serious with it. Get some good jewelers files. I found a set at hobby lobby similar to a pin vice, they seem to be pretty good in a handy holder that has several in the handle, and a drill chuck type thing in the business end. I think it was in the modeling section. Under 10 bucks I think.

Anyway go over the saddles (try just one first) with the right file, I think they have one with a tiny radius, and get it smooth as you can then go with sandpaper. I also use some stuff I used as a machinist called Cratex that is like a pencil eraser embedded with diamond dust. Try not to widen the saddle slots with the file if you can avoid it. That's why I don't use the triangular one. They have a teardrop shaped one, I think that was what I used but it's been a while, can't really remember and don't have them right here to look at.

Cratex - Abrasives

Cratex - You want the extra fine, grey green, I like the 1/2 inch round ones best. Sharpen it to a point with a knife or razor knife. It can't be beat for smoothing out saddles. I still have a couple from my machinist days that I use every time I have this problem. That's usually all I use.

The only other thing I can think of is try a different brand of strings. I've been using Dean Markleys for 30 years, the Blue Steel when I can get them, and have never had a problem with them, both acoustic and electric, but I used standard Bronze for acoustic until very recently when I switched back to gauge .011 electric strings because I do a lot of acoustic leads.

The only reason I can think of for strings to break in the same place every time is exactly what you've been trying to deal with, burrs on the saddles. It's possible but I doubt it would be the angle, I've seen some pretty severe angles work with no problems. Definitely possible though.

[big_teee]

I work on import LP types quite a bit.
I've had more problems with burs inside the stop tail piece.
The string usually breaks at the string ball.
I use a small tapered file to dress at the ball area.
The other issue that can attribute to string breaking is the string angle from the stop tail.
This steep angle would cause more stress on the string at the saddle.
I used to tighten the stop tail down tight.
Now I raise it up a little, either leave the screw loose or shim with washers..
Whether the stop tail screw is tight or loose, I can tell no difference in sustain.

[Steve A.]

I forgot to mention that I do use the teardrop-shaped needle file when I first notice the E-string breaking a lot. But after a few sessions with the file I use the wet-dry sandpaper because I have over-filed saddles before.

I like to keep the sandpaper handy whenever I break a string on a bridge on any of my guitars thinking that the act of snapping might have created a little burr. And with most of my other guitars after using the sandpaper a few times after snapping strings the premature breakage does not continue.

The other thing I didn't mention is that I've been playing finger-style (like Jeff Beck) for about 6 months and that puts a big strain on the strings when bending them 4 or 5 frets (something that I can't do with most guitars- these LTD 256's have magical powers! )

Thanks for the suggestions! Now if I can just remember what I did with my good set of needle files... the ones from Harbor Freight suck!

Steve

[Paleo Pete]

Yeah finger picking does create a lot more stress, I've been finger picking a lot since the late 70's. Got sick of dropping picks onstage and decided it was time to be able to keep playing and not worry about it instead of running back to the amp for another pick or digging into a pocket. Pick holders didn't exist...now I have one...Also started because I was learning a Dire Sraits song and Knopfler always finger picks, same as Jeff Beck, Johnny Winter and Toy Caldwell of Marshall Tucker. So I figured if he can do it I can too...

I agree about Harbor Freight, some of their stuff is ok but most is crapola. I got my set from Hobby Lobby before HF had a store anywhere near, they seem to do pretty well. Look into the Cratex though, it's great stuff, I use it almost exclusively now, and if I need sandpaper I use foam board fingernail files, they work well but a limited range of grits. Great for some things on guitars though...like the occasional fret end that always hangs on your fingers...

[Steve A.]

So far so good... its been 4 or 5 days and the .010 string would have already snapped by now before I raised the tailpiece. I left the bass side cranked all of the way down since I like to park my palm on the bridge. It might look funny but it works for me.

What was driving me crazy was how 3 of these LTD's were snapping the E strings despite me trying every trick in the book (or so I thought.) Obviously a real TOM bridge or a decent clone does not have that problem because so many guitarist keep the tailpiece as low as they can go. I will probably put on a better bridge once I figure out what will fit.

I had to play fingerstyle for about 6 months in 2007 when I was unable to hold a pick — nerves should come with a lifetime guarantee! — but I got about as far as faking it like you do when you drop your pick. It wasn't like I made a decision to play fingerstyle last year— it just happened because I was too lazy to look around my stash of $4 V-picks after I dropped the one I was using in a big pile of equipment and cables on my floor. I had been wanting to play finger-style since seeing a local blues musician sound like Albert King about 5 years ago. I had never seen anybody get that Albert King vibe so well. I asked him what gauge strings he was using and when he said .013's my jaw dropped- I can't even play .011's! But I learned that Albert King used an .009 for his top string which was tuned to a D (his tuning was CFCFAD lo to hi.)

I was just watching the 2010 YouTube with Jeff Beck doing his Rock'n'Roll Party tribute to Les Paul show. At the beginning of the video when he was playing rockabilly he was using a flat pick, sometimes throwing in an extra finger or two. But when Imelda May joined him it was mostly fingerstyle. He eventually brought out his strat and played some of his own songs using his incredible vibrato bar technique that puts all of the shredders to shame...

Yeah, I forgot about Toy Caldwell. I recorded a live show on KSAN in the early-mid 70's with Marshall Tucker opening for the Allman Brothers and Dickie Betts was raving about Toy's technique.

BTW it was a guitar salesman at the local music store who told me about filling in the gaps of a tune-a-matic bridge with white glue- that was before he left to go on tour with Greg Kihn and never returned to the store. He was using white glue because you can remove it later and it is very resonant (unlike epoxies and other glues.) I have not yet tried to remove some of the high-tech carpenters glue from Tite-Bond, but I think it could be chipped out after soaking the bridge in hot water (maybe even boiling water.)

Steve

P.S. Here's a recording I made of the local blues guitarist I was talking about, Junior Morrow. I was surprised that he was playing one of 2000 era Fender SS amps with digital effects but he had it set to the Deluxe Reverb model.

Okay I just uploaded all 3 songs I recorded that night to my Box webpage...

01. Junior Morrow - Just To Be With You 11-15-09:
https://app.box.com/s/gufjqc0cnqgfx80gguw7

02. Junior Morrow - Why I Sing The Blues 11-15-09:
https://app.box.com/s/doxrj14bk817d5u226ux

03. Junior Morrow - I'll Sing The Blues For You 11-15-09:
https://app.box.com/s/ne8wet5xcj4ocnnqi6vu

[Steve A.]

Well, it's been over a month since I raised the tailpiece and I have yet to break the high E string on any of my ESP/LTD EC-256 guitars. Darn- I ordered two 6 packs of .010's since I had been breaking at least 2 strings a week...

I'd keep my fingers crossed but I'm too busy playing guitar.

Steve

[tedmich]

5 new guitars? You sir are mentally ill (and apparently flush as well!)(

[Steve A.]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]28293[/ATTACH]
5 new guitars? You sir are mentally ill (and apparently flush as well!)

Actually 6 of them- one of them wasn't snapping E strings. Best playing guitars I have ever had right out of the box, made in Vietnam, on sale for $249-299 apiece. I first got 3 of P90 models one at a time from Hello Music to handle 3 different pickup arrangements:
- standard P90
- humcanceling P90 (they came with terrrible sounding P90 stacks but the good thing about that was that the routs were deep enough to handle practically anything without re-routing)
- standard P90 w/ Ilitch-style dummy coil

I hadn't been planning on buying any more EC-256's but then MF had a killer deal for the EC-256FM's which have humbuckers. I tried out one of them and it played as smoothly as the P-90's so I got a second one while they were still on sale. And then GC dangled another one in front of my nose and I jumped on it (to mix metaphors). I was just going to get 2 so that I could an old set of Seth Lovers in one of them and a set of DiMarzio EJ Customs in the other (the EJ Customs were designed for Elmore James, er, Eric Johnson and they are humbucking but with a very clear single coil sound.) I'm still deciding what pickups to put into humbuckered EC-256 #3.

Flush? No, just insane.

Steve Ahola