High e string on my EJ200 has broken twice - should I be worried?

[MorningGlory]

So yeah, HNGD to me, got my new EJ200 last week on sale for $298 at a local store, the Epiphone hardshell case for $110, which true to its reputation, is a great case but smells very....unique. Anyhow, I love the guitar and have to say it plays beautifully. The action is low even without my getting a set-up, and it sounds good and bassy.

 

Unfortunately, the first day I had it, I broke the little e string but I thought that was inevitable anyways considering it was a floor model. So yay, I get to put fancy new .012 D'Addario Lights on. Which was good...until the e string broke again.

 

Maybe I just got unlucky, but lightning isn't supposed to strike in the same place twice right? Both times, it was when I was fiddling with alternate tunings; the other strings seemed to be fine with it. I believe I was going from C# to e when it broke both times, with the string breaking at the tuner. What should I do to prevent this from happening again?

[MorningGlory]

By the way, if I'm afraid of the consequences of reckless guitarring, be it switching tuning a lot, an aggressive attack in strumming, or having the guitar knocked around. Of course, I'll definitely be more careful in the future.

 

Does getting a heavier string gauge help improve durability? Should I look into elixirs or coated strings? What do you guys recommend, overall, for good acoustic strings?

[Bender 4 Life]

when it broke both times' date=' with the string breaking at the tuner. [/quote']

 

step 1 would be to check the hole in the tuner post for a sharp edge, just a little "touch up" with a round file ACROSS the edge might solve the problem.

Also, how are you verifying your tuning? If you're an octave high, the high-E will break every time.

[MorningGlory]

I know for the tuning it's in the right octave (piano, internet, own instinct), but yeah you're probably right about something on the tuner making it wonky. Do you have any tips as to how to spot it? I've looked it over and can't really see anything; I'm assuming it's a very subtle sharp edge anyhow. I've sanded the edge of the tuner very very gently with sandpaper since I don't think I have a file (outside of a nail clipper).

 

We'll see how it turns out when I get new strings though. Thanks for the help.

 

Also, I took these...the quality's probably not good enough for a detailed look, but maybe these will help too.

 

 

 

[Darren W]

step 1 would be to check the hole in the tuner post for a sharp edge' date=' just a little "touch up" with a round file ACROSS the edge might solve the problem.

Also, how are you verifying your tuning? If you're an octave high, the high-E will break every time.

[/quote']

 

 

It does look maybe a little sharp around the hole, and could do with a smooth.

 

Get a round file or take it to a local shop they'll have one handy

[MorningGlory]

Thanks. I used a file...but it was just a little too fat >:[ I used a Scotchbrite green pad to get at it a little better and it's visibly not as pointy, so I just need to wait for strings to arrive. But huge fail on my part, I rubbed off a good deal of the gold, revealing the silvery stuff beneath. But I'm guessing it's only cosmetic, and that the string will cover it when all is said and done, so it's okay. :blush:

[meanstreak1281734111]

$298 on a new EJ-200?? That's a great deal! It's under warranty so maybe you should have a word with the shop about getting a new tuning machine for the high e. Or maybe they knew it was sharp there so they discounted it?

[New To Strats1281734261]

I seriously doubt that the tuning machine is the culprit, unless there are too few winds of the string. To verify your suspicion that it's the tuning machine, swap it with the B string tuner and see what happens.

[TommyK]

Don't do nothin' to it. It's new, take it back.

 

Light strings, by their very nature are susceptible to breakage. However you should get some life out of them. run your finger across the opening of the tuner spindle. If you finger catches or gets scratched it's definitely got a sharp edge. If not..

 

Is the string breaking in the same place? Tuner spindle? Nut? Saddle? somewhere in between?

 

 

At the risk of stating the obvious:

 

My brother bought his son a guitar. He was breaking strings. Come to find out neither my brother, nor nephew knew the guitar is a transposing instrument. He was trying to tune it to the home piano. While a guitarist can play piano music, it is actually playing an octave below where the piano is. When a pianist is playing a middle C (1st c below treble clef), a guitarist plays (5th string, 3rd fret) the C below middle C. Bottom line he was tuning up one octave too high and bustin' strings right and left.