Why Do I Keep Breaking Guitar Strings?

​Guitar strings frequently breaking can be a massive universal frustration for a lot of guitar players! The good news is that it doesn’t necessarily have to do with just being unlucky or having excessively poor technique. In fact, in a lot of situations the issue has more to do with the guitar itself than the guitar player.

It is of course inevitable that guitar strings will break from time to time. They are not made to be irreplaceable and as we have previously covered, there are a number of obvious benefits for band new strings over old ones. Even if you are playing regularly however, it doesn’t mean that you should be expecting your strings to break regularly. In fact, if you're finding that your strings are breaking all the time it’s probably indicative that there is an issue that needs to be addressed. 

If this is a problem you’re dealing with, one of the most important points (that many guitar players don’t pay that much attention to) is to notice where the strings are breaking. This is certainly the main indicator of why they are actually breaking in the first place. It makes sense that a string will break at the point where it is under the most stress. This could potentially occur at any point the string comes into contact with either the guitar or the guitar player. Therefore, following this train of thought, if there are any issues accentuating these ‘stress points‘ it logically makes sense that this will result in more frequent string breaking!

To help us troubleshoot and isolate any issues, the guitar can be divided up into 4 main string breaking zones: 

1. The Bridge.
2. The Strumming Zone.
3. The Fretboard.
4. The Headstock. 

If our strings consistently seem to break around the bridge area, occasionally this could be due to a manufacturing fault with the actual ball of a string, but generally it will be from excessive friction against the bridge saddles. Any obvious issues here may need to be manually smoothed over to prevent further problems. 

If strings are breaking regularly around the strumming or picking zone (over the pickups/sound hole), it is usually indicative of an issue with technique. Perhaps this issue has to do with playing too aggressively or not using the right gauge pick to match a heavier playing style. 

Constantly breaking strings around the same place on the fretboard means we’ll need to check out our fret wire for damage. Minor inconstancies ​on our frets can be usually be level and polished out but unfortunately major issues will generally result in frets needing to be completely replaced. 

Lastly, if the string seems to always break around the headstock it will usually indicate an issue with either the guitar nut or the tuning pegs. This can be from general corrosive build up or issues caused by wear and tear. Additionally, bending or kinking strings in the wrong place when restringing can introduce unnecessary stress points that will potentially be a problem when it comes to frequently breaking strings. 

In all of these cases what we are really looking out for is excessively sharp, abrasive or worn edges and any other issues that could potentially cause more stress on our strings than is actually needed. Depending on where these issues are occurring, there are specialised guitar lubricants that can help minimise problems around the guitar nut or the bridge. Ultimately, regular issues in one of these specific zones is a clear indicator that the guitar needs to be checked out and serviced.

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