Thinking of changing my screen name to 'D' string.

I bust a lot of 'em.

I probably average 2 hours of playing a day, and for the last several days, 6-8 hours each. Sounds a little nuts, I know, but I have an awesome job and not many duties on the back shifts, and not many at home either. I can pretty much play all I want.

Been playing my Strat for the last 2 hours. Just popped one.

Tonight at work I played my Country Club for almost 4 hours. Popped two. Last night took the Strat to work, played maybe three hours and popped two.

I'm practically averaging a string/2 hours. Almost always the 'D'. I've got an untold number of 5 string sets all missing the same one.

These are the two guitars I play the most. The Strat has 9-42 Fender Super Bullets, and it's a .024".

Gretsch has 11-49 Gretsch Round wounds, it's a .028". Due to intonation adjustments, the 'D' and high 'E' saddles are the furthest forward. On the Strat, you can see that this places the greatest angle on the string as it comes up from the bottom of the trem block then across the hole in the base of the trem plate. But this explanation doesn't apply to the SyncroSonic bridge on my CC.

I do a lot of chording and sometimes probably hammer the strings pretty hard, but most likely, I think, not more than the average player. Just now, I was litely strumming on the Strat when I busted this one, although that wasn't the case for the whole 2 hours.

I use Dunlop Ultex pics, .73mm, which is in between a Fender Medium and Heavy. Wear the tip down and get a new one probably after 6-8 hours of playing.

They always bust the core wire, in the same spot. At or behind the saddle.

Don't know if it is just a technique issue with my playing, several crappy strings, rough edges at the point I described on the Strats bridge plate, the saddle on the Country Club (which I doubt, it's not metal, looks like black plastic or graphite).

I guess it's just me and my playing?

Any thoughts or similar experience?

Getting kinda old. Every time I pop one I seem to say "S.O.a B." a little louder than the last time.

And I'm running out of strings.

%$@# me!

Years ago, I had the same problem with the A string. I used to get yelled at by the rest of the band constantly because at too many a critical moment, I'd pop one. They all agreed that for me to be breaking the same string over and over on more than one guitar should tell me that clearly, it's me and not the guitars OR the choice of string set. So, I finally sat down and evaluated my technique. I deduced that it was in fact, simple brute force albeit, 'spirited' on my part. I adjusted my technique (including going to a lighter gauge pick) and have never broke a string since! As always, YMMV.

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You dig?

I once had the same problem. Always breaking the second and third string at the bridge. I was using Fender Super Bullets at the time.

It seemed that whenever I got together with people, I always broke a string or two about two hours into playing (which annoys the other players who have to wait while you put on a new string). I tried using a fine grit emery paper to smooth down the bridge saddle, putting a light coat of 3 in 1 oil on the bridge saddles, and the strings still kept on breaking. Finally I switched to D'Addario strings, and I haven't broken a string since. And I play four hours at a time, several session, still no broken strings. Only time I replace a string, is when I change out the whole set, from time to time.

Guess what I'm saying.......maybe try some other strings?

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne