h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I swear that thing is evil. It eats high e strings just to mock me. I tried everything I can think of, wich isn't much admittedly, but still. It's driving me mad. I think I'm gonna try to learn playing a five string guitar, see how he likes that! I think this around the sixth (I've lost count really) string that has sprung since I put new strings on, the others are fine. The strings always break at the comb (is that what it's called in English? The part right at the bottom) so I used some sanding paper to make it smoother. It's as smooth as Shaft, but it still breaks. The guy at the guitar store told me there weren't any extra strong or thick strings, though someone else told me they exist. (btw, it's a classic/spanish guitar)

Does anyone have a suggestion what to do?

you need a thicker gauge of strings, what size are the ones your using it should say on packet

It's .71mm (.028")

get thicker ones mine is 1mm & I have no problems

Thanks, I hope this works. Just have to find a decent guitar store now.

the thicker they are the better they sound, but it makes it a bit harder to play as you need more finger pressure to hold the notes.The string at my shop go from 0.8 to 1.6mm.Going to get very drunk at a party now, if you need any help just give me a shout.I also play keyboard aswell.

There was a time when I was breaking high E strings every day. Turns out my guitar was tuned 1 1/2 steps high and I didn't have a tuner to tell me that.

yes make sure you're tuning it properly. get one of those electronic tuners.

All good suggestions, most probably the gauge of string if you've ruled out an uneven point on the neck or bridge that could be causing a weak spot.
Don't know how you're tuning now, but as long as you know how to keep the strings in tune with each other and you've a reasonable musical ear, I'd go with a tuning fork rather than an electronic tuner every time - cheaper and more portable. (The batteries ran out in my electronic tuner a long time ago and it sits on my windowsill neglected and not missed in the slightest.)

The tuning is all right. When I noticed I couldn't tune it on my own I bought an electric tuner right away, although they are quite expensive.

My farther used to put a small plastic sheath cut from the covering of electric cable on the strings where they crossed the bridge.

Alji the Magus

That'll dull your sound though...

Yes, if you make them too long.

Alji the Magus

Not meaning to be insulting in any way but how is your strumming technique? In my first year of playing I swear I kept Ernie Ball in full production with the amount of top strings I would break!

Well, I'm not the most gentle player in the world. I didn't take any lesson so there are probably things I can do to improve my strumming. But that can't be the real problem. I don't play all that often (about 30 mins. a day), and the last string lasted only a couple weeks. And the weird thing is that it keeps breaking when I'm not playing. This time it was broken when I came back from spending Christmass with my parents.

enter the twilight zone

Did the string get cold while you were away?

Alji the Magus

Possibly, I didn't leave the heating on when I left. Altough I don't think the temperature change could have been very large. The building I live in practically keeps itself heated. I almost never put the heating on, even if I'm there. I don't think it would be a big factor. And wouldn't the other strings have broken too?

Last attempt to think what's wrong - when you tuned using the electric tuner....could it of been a octave higher?

No, that would be pretty obvious I think. I often play along with recorded music and there isn't any difference in tone.