Jem7VWH string breakage - How long should a new set last wit

[YngVaiTriani]

I play my 7V everyday for several hours. I am practicing for my school's Xmas assembly where I will be performing For the Love of God.

For the past 2 weeks (even more before that with a different set of strings), with one set of strings I have been practicing FTLOG maybe 15 - 20 times in a day including ALL the whammy parts. Mind you there's not too many times where he raises the pitch using the bar. Most of the whammy stuff is those aggressive chops and some dive bombs here and there.

In roughly 2 weeks of this activity strings start to break.
Should this be or am I just playing the whammy too much?

Thanks

By the way, I'll have the video of JS Clone 2(jemsiter) and I playing our Xmas set on the net. Anyone interested?

(Edited by YngVaiTriani at 12:12 pm on Dec. 15, 2001)

[trouble311]

The strings are breaking after two weeks? *That's pretty normal, I would think, especially considering the whammy abuse you are putting em through....I change mine at least once a week, and never break strings....but I have a really light touch too....

[yurich]

offtopic,

what school do you guys go to?

[Courjan]

2 weeks?
FTLOG??
very normal as Troule311 stated.

There is one part, at the end of 'first chorus' (part that starts with G) where you pull the bar and slide up the neck. Not too long ago I broke 3 strings (B,D,A) at the same time during that pull and my strings were newer than 2 weeks. I assume your strings break at the bridge. With too much bar usage, this is inevitable. Just make sure you restring your axe 1 week before the show.

I use D'addario 0.09 s on by 77BFP. BTW

[chromeboy]

2 weeks is about what I get, I also use D'Addario XL120 .009. Also, I would suggest restringing the day before your show. Good Luck!

[YngVaiTriani]

Ah thanks very much guys.

Trouble311 - Once a week? OH! That's gotta cost quite a bit to replace eh? No point in replacing them once a week if they don't break man.

The only way I could replace them once a week is if I play 2 live shows a week.

The reason I ask is because my 555 with the Lo-TRS II did not break strings this much... maybe an upside to the TRS afterall.


Snakepit - Toronto eh? I'm from Mowat right on East end Lawrence ave. You?

[kennydoe]

First of all, the only time i'm sure to not break a string is the day that i change 'em. *I play pretty rough with both hands. *I always leave enough wound at the peg so i can get 2 lives out of each string (sometimes 3, if necessary). *Fortunately, I have a friend who works at D'Addario and i get the strings at cost. *No, I won't hook you up. *sorry.

Ya gotta remember that the strings are under a tremendous amount of pressure at the bridge and are constantly moving back and forth on the saddles. *It's not just about pulling the bar up. *If you're doing all sortsa string bending acrobatics (ala FTLOG), you're bound to be breaking them often. *I can't believe you're only breaking them every two weeks.

~Kenny

[yurich]

actually I go to the Woodlands here in Mississauga. No shred people here

[YngVaiTriani]

Yeah I leave 2 or 3 loops at the headstock to get some extra life out of the string.

Suprising to me that strings break every 2 weeks with hardcore playing. The TRS seemed to last a lot longer.. ... eugh.

Thanks guys.

Hmmm.... what if I never used the tremolo at all as if it were a fixed bridge. What would string breakage be like then? I would expect at least several months as my other players lasted that long. Would it make a different with a trem setter? I really really want one. No pitch change on other strings when bending.

(Edited by YngVaiTriani at 5:31 pm on Dec. 16, 2001)

[kennydoe]

YngVaiTriani on 11:57 am on Dec. 16, 2001

Hmmm.... what if I never used the tremolo at all as if it were a fixed bridge. What would string breakage be like then? I would expect at least several months as my other players lasted that long. Would it make a different with a trem setter? I really really want one. No pitch change on other strings when bending.

What the heck fun is that?!?!?!

just kidding. *If you mean really fixing the bridge in place so it doesn't move at all then, your stings probably won't break as often. *If you're just talking about pulling the bar out and leaving it in the case, then no - it probably won't make too much difference as the strings are still constantly shifting as you play.

Before I had my Jem, i had an RG550 and a Strat. *Each had its own purpose. *The RG was for when i was in the mood for doing fun little whammy things and the Strat was just for when i was in the mood for that stratty sound. *Rarely broke strings on the strat, but still changed them every week or two.

For what it's worth to you, if your strings last more than two weeks with a floyd rose trem, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!!!!

By the way, what brand/gauge string so you use? *I played on .011s back in the RG/strat days. *When i started with my Jem & UV, I went down to .010s. *I found that i break strings a LOT less often with the lower gauge strings. *I guess because there's less tension on the lighter strings.

~Kenny

[YngVaiTriani]

So if I just exclude the bar use in my playing it won't last much longer? That really suck compared to what i'm used to...

2 weeks is long time????? I am still baffled by that.



What about a tremsetter?

They keep the trem in place while strings are bent right? It still allows whammy work right?

It's that device that replaces one spring ni the back?

I use Daddario XL .09 - .42

I would use heavier but how would I go about adding extra springs on the block when the spring holder block is supposed to be in those screw holes?

[kennydoe]

YngVaiTriani on 12:54 pm on Dec. 17, 2001
So if I just exclude the bar use in my playing it won't last much longer? That really suck compared to what i'm used to...

2 weeks is long time????? I am still baffled by that.
What about a tremsetter?
They keep the trem in place while strings are bent right? It still allows whammy work right?

It's that device that replaces one spring ni the back?

I use Daddario XL .09 - .42

I would use heavier but how would I go about adding extra springs on the block when the spring holder block is supposed to be in those screw holes?

I know nothing about tremsetters, although you may be able to find info about them here in the tech forum or elsewhere on the 'net.

If you move up to .010s, you don't need an extra spring. *I even did my .011s with 3 springs. *It's unlikely that the springs will pop out if you take the cover off to put more springs in. *you can bend the tip of the spring back a little if it's really an issue.

Reread what i wrote about gauge...what i found is that lighter strings break less freqently than heavier. *

~K

[YngVaiTriani]

Lighter break less frequently???

HMMM


Well with 9's, the 3 springs are attached as an arrow formation to get the most tension out of them and the spring claw only has about 1 cm to go until it makes contact with the body.

[toshiro]

Sounds like you got some dud springs, I've got a set of 5 from Dimarzio that were like that.. Even with 9's three weren't enough.. Ended up with two weak ones, and a tight one in that guitar, works fine now, and I can use my usual 9-46's..

Two weeks for strings sounds dead on, when you use the trem a lot.. I change mine regularly in that time frame.. Strings aren't all that expensive, unless they're list price up there or something.. I change mine, not because they break, but because I hate the feel of old strings..

How deep a rout does the 555 have? All the TRS equiped guitars I've seen had shallow routs, and an that might have something to do with it.. Less pull up = less string wear and tear.

Personally, I would avoid the tremsetter like the plague.. It stiffens the bridge out way too much, using it becomes a hassle, IMO. Sure, it will keep double-stop bends in tune better, but the whole point of a LoPro Edge is the smooth, easy trem motion.. To me, at least..

[YngVaiTriani]

I don't get why people say the route is bad on a 555. It's identical to my 7V.

Even if it was bad I'm not even close to bottoming out.

I don't do a whole lot of pull ups anymore. Mostly chops, dives and the usual trem vibrato thing.

Doesn't Vai use tremsetters on his? I'd still kinda like one.

Thanks for the input.

Yeah maybe bad springs...