Strings Low g string snapped over Christmas holiday

[flyingroc]

I had put an Aquila red low g string on this ukulele and played it for a couple weeks before I went off on a Christmas holiday. Coming home last night, I saw that the string snapped!

From what I can tell, it snapped at a point close tot he tuning peg. I’ve heard that these red strings snap easily but I’m wondering if I did anything that made the string more likely to break?

Finally, any recommendation for a set of good low g strings?

 

[ploverwing]

Mimmo's video on how to properly install the strings. Maybe that will help?

There are a lot of threads that have low G recommendations: for wound, La Bella, Fremont Soloist, Pepe Romero, Oasis are all ones that I've tried. Fremont is my preferred. I don't like unwound low G fluoros, I hate how thick they are.

 

[merlin666]

I also found that wound low G strings can wear out quickly, after only few hours of play. I tried a d'addario single wound guitar string (which are available in many diameters) and it has lasted for many months now.

Though I was also lucky that my first Aquila red survived more than six years of heavy playing.

 

[bbkobabe]

I had exactly the same thing happen.

I'm sorry, but these Reds are just too fussy for me... no thanks...

And I'm just not a fan of wound strings in general because they wear so much more quickly than solid strings. I play a lot and wear them out fairly quickly... while the other three (or two) strings are still very playable.

Go with the Worth browns low g set... All the strings are solid, and they have a very pleasing color as well... My personal favorite!

 

[hands_on_lanzon]

Can you extend the string to see if it snapped right at the peg? Maybe check the peg for any sharp edges that might be causing a stress point?

Might be "a stretch" (love puns), but I've heard stories of mixing strings and putting a C on a G and creating too much tension.

When I leave for a while, I usually detune my ukes to relieve the tension. Might be something to consider in the future.

Just sharing thoughts. Best of luck!!

 

[hendulele]

Can you extend the string to see if it snapped right at the peg? Maybe check the peg for any sharp edges that might be causing a stress point?

If it snapped at the nut, you may want to either gently file or sand the nut at the break point or use a "lead" (graphite) pencil tip to lubricate the nut slot. The Reds are a bit testy, but the ones on my Martin 0XK are terrific! And no issues with their durability after several months with the current set (marking the first time Reds have lasted this long on any uke).

They're not for everyone, but when they work, they shine.

 

[flyingroc]

Thanks for all the input, I extended the broken string it seems to have snapped somewhere between the nut and the peg, possibly right at the peg, but definitely beyond the nut.

For now I think I’ll go with @bbkobabe and get the worth brown low g set.

 

[casualmusic]

I also found that wound low G strings can wear out quickly, after only few hours of play.

Yup.. I switched to unwound strings.

 

[Bill Sheehan]

Can you extend the string to see if it snapped right at the peg? Maybe check the peg for any sharp edges that might be causing a stress point?

Might be "a stretch" (love puns), but I've heard stories of mixing strings and putting a C on a G and creating too much tension.

When I leave for a while, I usually detune my ukes to relieve the tension. Might be something to consider in the future.

Just sharing thoughts. Best of luck!!

Hey Hands_on, I once knew a guy who loved puns about string tension. He taut me a few...

 

[hands_on_lanzon]

Hey Hands_on, I once knew a guy who loved puns about string tension. He taut me a few...

Sounds like he and I might be on the same wavelength. Some puns just don't resonate with me and almost wanna snap. (Too soon? )

 

[kissing]

Though the Aquila Reds are my preferred unwound low-G (they just feel nicer to me than other unwounds), they do occasionally snap.

If you prefer unwound, then Fremont and Worth's unwound low-G's are widely available and do the job.
If you don't mind wound, then any classical guitar D string will work. There are flatwound options too.

 

[mimmo]

We are putting a small vouchers in each envelope were there is a QR core that explain how to install the low G strings. However, if snapped somewhere between the nut and the peg this means that in that point was accumulated too much tension (i.e. the string stick in some way into the nut slot)
In the meantime here is the video:

 

[mimmo]

... one more thing:
as I am the manufacturer of these strings anything I say will most likely be taken as me just defending the product without admitting the problems (sometimes I don't want to be the one who invented them but just an external technician).
These strings have been extensively tested and have also had several evolutionary stages of improvement.

Sometimes a small trapped bubble can form in the middle of the string, but that during the extrusion of the string, the stretching phase causes the string that has these small bubbles inside to break. So there is a kind of natural selection. It happens one every 2,000 strings.

The problem of low G string breaking is due to the fact that the material is soft and also sticky: so it stick anyway into the nut and it suffer about sharp edges like gut strings.
This is completely different from fluorocarbon and wound strings, that are more slippery and hard. If the string is installed in the right way and has the nut slots/grooves that are well done (no sharp edges, no narrow slots/grooves), it will not break; the bread I have done to the string at the peg hole is indispensable. Even the stretching by hand (the string is stable in a couple of minutes)

But I realized that the information on how to install them has not been circulated, which is why I made the decision to put a leaflet inside each envelope hoping that people will read the instructions at least once. It's a pity that such a beautiful string is thought to be defective, on the other hand, a string that breaks leaves no one happy. Me too!
But please read the instructions: none of all those to whom I have replaced the strings and given the instructions have then happened to break them. Unfortunately, once the strings go to any distributor no one then takes the trouble to give the information. Most of them works only for money.
Sorry for the length of the post but I thought it was necessary.
Greetings from Italy (Mimmo)

Ps: a video with the instruction on how to install the red series 1st will be ready soon

 

[kypfer]

I've got Aquila "reds" on three of my ukuleles, low-G on my Kala concert and a 'generic' pineapple soprano and the banjolele-specific hi-G set on my John Grey banjolele.
The strings were fitted some while ago, all instruments are used fairly regularly and I've yet to experience a breakage on any of them
As with my banjos, guitars, mandolins etc., nut clearances and correct fitting to the tuner are always points of consideration.

 

[kissing]

... one more thing:
as I am the manufacturer of these strings anything I say will most likely be taken as me just defending the product without admitting the problems. Sometimes I don't want to be the one who invented them but just an external technician.
These strings have been extensively tested and have also had several evolutionary stages of improvement.
Sometimes a small trapped bubble can form in the middle of the string, but that during the extrusion of the string the stretching phase causes the string to break. So there is a kind of natural selection.

The problem of low G string breaking is due to the fact that the material is soft and also sticky:so it stick anyway into the nut and it suffer about sharp edges like gut strings.
This is completely different from fluorocarbon and wound strings, that are more slippery and hard. If the string is installed in the right way and has the nut slots/grooves that are well done, it will not break (the bread done to the string at the peg hole is indispensable)
Hence I have realized that video.

But the information on how to install them has not been circulated, which is why I made the decision to put a leaflet inside each envelope hoping that people will read the instructions at least once. It's a pity that such a beautiful rope is thought to be defective, on the other hand, a string that breaks leaves no one happy. Me too!
But please read the instructions: none of all those to whom I have replaced the strings and given the instructions have then happened to break them. Unfortunately, once the strings go to any distributor no one then takes the trouble to give the information. Most of them works only for money.
Sorry for the length of the post but I thought it was necessary.
Greetings from Italy (Mimmo)

I agree with you Mimmo and I am really glad that you take the time to provide your insights here every now and again.
I really do love the Aquila red strings. Their tactile feeling is unique, and their elasticity just feels better than fluorocarbons to me.

I don't think they snap on a very high level of frequency. In my own experience with installing them on hundreds of ukes, they are fine.

Certain instruments are a bit prone to snapping the string, such as sharp points. They can sometimes be remedied by smoothing out the potential area causing the snap.

Other strings snap too. It's not entirely unique to Aquila reds and as a whole they have a very high success rate.

I am rather fond of the Thunder Reds for bass ukuleles. They have a smooth feeling - great to slide over.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

The Reds are a bit testy, but the ones on my Martin 0XK are terrific! And no issues with their durability after several months with the current set (marking the first time Reds have lasted this long on any uke).

They're not for everyone, but when they work, they shine.

I think the above captures things well.

The OP didn’t say what he’d done. I sometimes wonder whether people understand that when fat (increased diameter) strings are fitted then the slots in the nut have to be checked for (sufficient) width and widened if there’s not a match. If that work doesn’t happen then strings might bind in the nut and if that happens then string tension between the nut and machine head rises …

 

[DuckyI]

It's just so great that the inventor and manufacturer of a product chimes in, what a privilege!

I have used these strings in the past and I never had any problem with them. Carefully prepared slots in the nut and tuner, graphite powder in the groove, careful tuning up, no pre-stretching - it's always worked for me.

 

[ploverwing]

Carefully prepared slots in the nut and tuner,

What do you do to prepare the tuner holes for the strings?

 

[ploverwing]

But I realized that the information on how to install them has not been circulated, which is why I made the decision to put a leaflet inside each envelope hoping that people will read the instructions at least once. It's a pity that such a beautiful string is thought to be defective, on the other hand, a string that breaks leaves no one happy. Me too!

Thank you for chiming in, Mimmo! I always learn something from you whenever you take the time to post, thank you for doing that. And thank you for starting to include instructions with the string packages, I think that's really great.

The problem of low G string breaking is due to the fact that the material is soft and also sticky: so it stick anyway into the nut and it suffer about sharp edges like gut strings.
This is completely different from fluorocarbon and wound strings, that are more slippery and hard.

That is very interesting. Thank you for pointing out this very specific difference.

It's just so great that the inventor and manufacturer of a product chimes in, what a privilege!

Exactly this!

I for one love the sound of the Reds on, at least, my aNueNue Moonbird soprano. I think they match each other perfectly, and I am delighted that these strings exist so that I can have such a beautiful sounding instrument sound even better.

 

[flyingroc]

We are putting a small vouchers in each envelope were there is a QR core that explain how to install the low G strings. However, if snapped somewhere between the nut and the peg this means that in that point was accumulated too much tension (i.e. the string stick in some way into the nut slot)
In the meantime here is the video:

Thanks! This might explain it. The slot on the nut has a groove meant of a high g string. On the new worth strings I put on it, the string is sitting on top of the nut, but with the Aquila red, it fit in the groove. But perhaps too tightly. Might have to figure a way to widen the groove for low g.