Scratch47 Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Gigged out Saturday evening. Nice little restaurant setting; a screened garden room overlooking Canyon Lake, temp in the 60s; 3/4 moon shining... Folks were enjoying their meals and drinks; I didn't hit too many bad chords, all was good in the world, and then it happened... The dreaded broken string in the middle of a tune. I had put some new Elixer lights on the J-45 that morning and played a bit at the house to warm up and get the strings stretched out nicely. Played four songs or so that evening and the danged high 'e' started stretching out right in the middle of a finger picking tune. I tried to quickly tune it back, but it kept stretching so I had to stop. After about four more turns on the peg, it just snapped leaving me in that ole awkward moment... Quickly changed to the G312 twelve string I had handy with some side comments to try to keep the flow and picked some songs I had planned for a second set. Changed string at break and went back to picking where I left off. Never was one to be able to quickly change a string... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 On the Allman Bros version of "One Way Out" I play the Dickie Betts part. His solos lead in and out of the drum break. One night on a gig I broke the high E string right at the end of the guitar solo leading into the drum part. With a "slightly" extended drum solo I came in with my part to lead out of the drum break and to the last verse. Actually, since my guitar part ends the drum solo, they had no choice but to wait for me, but it was still record book time. It's was all caught on tape, I should time it some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 That's why it's important for a working musician to have AT LEAST 2 guitars on stage..... I saw a young kid playing SRV stuff in BB King's nightclub in Memphis. Just him and a bass and drums, (like SRV). The bass player broke a string on his bass, (and it was the "D" string too!), and he not only didn't even slow down, he "adjusted" for tightening of the other three strings, kept playing as if nothing had happened, and when the song ended, he changed the string, tuned again before the SRV-Clone announced the next song! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Well I thought you handled it pretty well. You finished the track, had a spare guitar, threw in some jokes and changed at half time. When we play large venues like Hard Rock cafe we also have a backup but for the pubs I take just one guitar. I did break a string but luckily it was the last song, so it was ok. I think it a pub scenario i would just rather stop for 5 mins and change the string. I have spare ones, but ones that have been already played in a bit and cut, that allows for easy installation and usually they are already stretched a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 As a fingerpicker, I don't have many strings break. Think it's happened just once. However, no matter how often it happens or how long it takes to change it, I think that having a moving conversation with your audience during the change is of the utmost importance. Don't know how fast I could change a string. I know that I'm no Steve Goodmann who was very quick at it and who really had a cool way of entertaining the crowd while he changed---he sang a song about it. I guess one of the best things one can do is keep the audience interested and entertained while you do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57classic Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 In 1981 I was working stage crew for a BB King show. Part way through the first verse of "Thrill Is Gone" he breaks his E string. He didn't miss a beat. He restrung during the song and played a great, long solo. I've never seen anyone else do that and was surprised a roady didn't just hand him a back up Lucille. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 In 1981 I was working stage crew for a BB King show. Part way through the first verse of "Thrill Is Gone" he breaks his E string. He didn't miss a beat. He restrung during the song and played a great, long solo. I've never seen anyone else do that and was surprised a roady didn't just hand him a back up Lucille. Different times.... BB is "old school". Would never let something like a broken string put him off his game..... Did you ever hear the story of why he named his guitar "Lucille"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 It is WORST, when it is a slot head guitar....I feel your pain...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57classic Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Different times.... BB is "old school". Would never let something like a broken string put him off his game..... Did you ever hear the story of why he named his guitar "Lucille"? I have, is the story true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Way, way back in my pre-Gibson days, I played a Takamine Nashvil(l)e Series ENV360SC which had a remarkable propensity to break strings. During one 3hr gig in 2002, having fitted a new set of strings before I left, I broke EVERY string on the guitar, and the G twice. I kid you not. I became so adept at changing strings on the fly that it was ridiculous. I still call on my old routine in times of string breakage onstage...I can change a string, tune it to pitch, stretch it in, retune and be ready to go in under 1:30, whilst singing an acapella version of 'Nature Boy' or 'Mercedes Benz'. I almost enjoy it now...it only happens once every few months, but I like to be kept on my toes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDuff Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 A. Jinder that is pretty cool. B. http://haworthguitars.hubpages.com/hub/WorldRecord This guy got really into changing strings apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 A. Jinder that is pretty cool. B. http://haworthguitar...hub/WorldRecord This guy got really into changing strings apparently. No way. I must be some kind of imbecile. I diddle around and take forever and would rarely ever go to a gig without a spare guitar, and usually spares of spares. Fingerpicking doesn't break many, so strings die of very, very old age before they break. John Hammond Jnr. would be the biggest string breaker and 'stringer-up-while-telling-a-story' person I've ever seen. But he would get going and it looked like he would break everything! Guitar, harmonica, stage, PA. He got swingin'. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDuff Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I promise you're still about 100 times better than me. I have never broken a string live (only played a couple open mics) but I did cut my thumb pretty deep when changing a high E last time. I haven't heard of anyone else doing that but then again I am a little afraid if I bring it up in public a van will come out of nowhere and drag me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I have, is the story true? Well, I heard BB himself tell the story...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGsvAMRFivo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 B.B. King, Jinder, , , whoever changes string while keeping the bars rolling rules. It's pure artistry and tickets should say : Extra fee – chance of show within the show ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 B.B. King, Jinder, , , whoever changes string while keeping the bars rolling rules. It's pure artistry and tickets should say : Extra fee – chance of show within the show ! A few years ago, there was a piano concert given in my home. Before the concert, I had the piano tuned and "adjusted". The pianist beat the holy crap out of my piano, so much that some of the hammers quit working. He took a break, (there were maybe 50 people in my foyer watching the concert in my living room), and he and I went through the piano, got it working again, and he finished the concert without incident! I'm glad he was using my baby grand and not my antique piano..... that one would have been MUCH tougher to fix in a hurry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 A few years ago, there was a piano concert given in my home. . . . Yeash – some people are blessed with the ability to just move in an instantly fix things. They are true heroes and should be praised as such – fortunately that's what happens most of the time. I don't belong in that group of wizards, but the few times I managed to actually just move in and fix a thing made me double tall the rest of the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Yeash some people are blessed with the ability to just move in an instantly fix things. They are true heroes and should be praised as such fortunately that's what happens most of the time. I don't belong in that group of wizards, but the few times I managed to actually just move in and fix a thing made me double tall the rest of the day. Fortunately, when I worked in the music store in my youth, I had to do some minor repairs on pianos, so I wasn't a complete dummy when it came to fixing the piano. The pianist was pretty good himself, so we got it back in running order in about 10-15 minutes. The guy was incredible, but he played HARD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I'ts very rare that I can read about the string theory on a guitar forum.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 A couple minutes. Get the ball end secure. Then starting at the base of the post, wrap the string around the post three times. THEN thread the loose end through the post hole. I usually like to have the loose end emerge between the top and second wrap. Pull tight with a pliers. Tune to pitch. A capo can help wrangle the string into submission and holding still while you operate. I don't usually take string changing tools to a gig, but usually have a pliers in the car. If you don't have pliers, just wrap the string around your index finger a couple times, then pull. Stop pulling when it hurts, or your finger falls off. I wouldn't clip the loose end off until I got home to my 'proper' side cutters to do the job. I'd just wrap it into a loop for the rest of the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Having played in a journeyman streamlined Chuck Berry-esque rock band for alot of years I got to point I could change a string pretty quickly at the end of a tune while we made a little banter with the crowd. It always seemed to be the B string. While I break strings only rarely playing an acoustic I don't seem to be near as quick with changing them especially with a slothead. So I will keep on playing and at the end of the song usually give the guitar to one of my friends who always seemed to be there to swap out the string while I grab another. Since I don't really have setlists the fact that my second guitar may be in some open tuning poses no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I've known some women who could swap out a "G" string pretty quickly!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I've known some women who could swap out a "G" string pretty quickly!!! The problem in the Bay Area is that they "swap them out" for Jock Straps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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