A beautiful evening, so I filled my oil lantern and sat out with a guitar to enjoy the sunset. It's been a lovely day even though I just broke a b string. 😌
Replies
I saw Jorma Kaukonen at a small club, and he broke his C string 3 times and didn't have any more replacements. He just played without it.
aug 30, 2025, 11:24 pm • 1 0 • view
C string?
aug 31, 2025, 12:32 am • 1 0 • view
Typo. D string.
aug 31, 2025, 10:41 am • 2 0 • view
Ah, wow those are hard to break. I break a string maybe once a decade and typically high E if that. I have friends who are frequent visitors to Jorma's Fur Peace Ranch.
aug 31, 2025, 2:31 pm • 0 0 • view
Well now I'm just embarrassed. I was relying on my imperfect memory of what the strings are, instead of looking it up like a sane person. It was the second string, which Google tells me is the B string. I think he might have had his guitar tuned in an unusual manner, to break it three times.
aug 31, 2025, 8:21 pm • 1 0 • view
Ah yes, alternate tunings, makes sense although the pragmatist in me says if you're going to use alternate tunings, bring multiple guitars and dedicate them to the tunings. However Richard Thompson does an amazing job bouncing from one tuning to the other on a single guitar.
aug 31, 2025, 9:27 pm • 0 0 • view
I always try to arrange the sets so that if I'm doing songs in DADGAD or something I have a whole set of that, then retune both guitars in the break, and so always have my backup guitar in whatever tuning suits the set, unless I'm only changing one string!
sep 1, 2025, 3:50 am • 1 0 • view
Dadgad shouldn’t present any breakage issues because you’re tuning down and not over tightening, but yeah always better to have more time to fine tune. Also not subjecting the audience to the tuning is a good thing
sep 1, 2025, 4:00 am • 0 0 • view
That's more just a case of always having a spare ready in the case of a string break! I like to be prepared, always!
sep 1, 2025, 4:53 am • 0 0 • view
I have definitely broken strings when putting my guitar into alternate tunings before. It’s a big risk! (But I’ve also broken D strings before, when I was a young man and very excited and nervous to be in front a crowd and would play hard)
aug 31, 2025, 8:30 pm • 1 0 • view
I’ve definitely had to finish sets with a string missing before! Even though I always bring a spare guitar to gigs. That’s just the nature of live music!
aug 31, 2025, 12:40 pm • 0 0 • view
I LOVE this! As a drummer, some of my most memorable performances were outdoors; however, with neighbors abutting my property on all four sides, an evening practice outdoors on my drums may end with a police visit. Hopefully, you had a b string nearby. For me, it’s about broken sticks and drumheads!
aug 31, 2025, 11:12 am • 1 0 • view
Oh yes, I love playing outdoors best of all! But yes, one good thing about being a guitarist and not a drummer/trumpet player/etc is that I can practice quietly, whenever I please! :D
aug 31, 2025, 12:35 pm • 0 0 • view
Damn B strings!
aug 30, 2025, 11:55 pm • 1 0 • view
Yeah! Although this one was due for a change anyway. I do get plenty of mileage out of a set of strings.
aug 31, 2025, 12:40 pm • 1 0 • view
I enjoy beautiful evenings. I try to go out and sit in my pallet chair I made to decompress. My Bitch string broke too. The year isn’t over. How many more?
aug 31, 2025, 3:50 am • 1 0 • view
It’s always a good idea to get out if you can, and enjoy the beautiful planet! I don’t tend to break so many strings these days, so hopefully not too many more - but we’ll see what the rest of the year brings!
aug 31, 2025, 12:37 pm • 0 0 • view
..when you tune, do you push down on the tremolo until it is in the ballpark?
aug 31, 2025, 2:00 am • 1 0 • view
I don’t push on the tremolo when I tune, no! Not something I’ve heard of with a Bigbsy - but then I don’t know anybody around here that plays with one. So anything I do with it I figured out myself, including how to restring!
aug 31, 2025, 12:34 pm • 1 0 • view
. case scenario, just restrung ready to tune: ..once I've trimmed the extended leads from the machine heads I push down on the tremolo and wind the top three strings release bottom three, to a degree then back to the top, push... until it is closely tuned then release and fine tune
aug 31, 2025, 1:46 pm • 0 0 • view
manually takes forever and may stretch the lower strings
aug 31, 2025, 1:49 pm • 0 0 • view
Oh interesting. Do you manually stretch the strings by hand on a restring? I’m used to doing this (quite intensely!) to make sure everything holds tune on string bends and the like.
aug 31, 2025, 2:01 pm • 1 0 • view
It is best to begin with about four guitars at least three with a tremolo *yours is a hollowbody, yes? where it carries its acoustical value AND a tremolo very cool As I play they need tuning periodically Reference is paramount Different songs carry different tunings as Artists themselves...
aug 31, 2025, 3:52 pm • 0 0 • view
..hadn't considered any prior stretching ..can say, when one string is broken Id rather change them all if they are old.
aug 31, 2025, 3:55 pm • 0 0 • view
I always stretch a new set of strings hard once I put them on and tune roughly to pitch. I saw guitar techs doing this backstage when I was young and took it as a lesson. If you give them a real good stretch then tune back up to pitch, you can be confident it will hold tune much better!
aug 31, 2025, 8:28 pm • 1 0 • view
And it happened on a bigsby. What a pain in the ass
aug 31, 2025, 2:13 am • 2 0 • view
Haha, yes! They’re my favourite trem in terms of usability - so nice and subtle, such a smooth feel. But they are a pain for breakages and the like.
aug 31, 2025, 12:32 pm • 1 0 • view
I have a 68 Guild Starfire with an original Bigsby that works fantastically. Later I got one of the Chinese Epiphones with an imported "licensed" Bigby, and it does not work very well. I think the bearings just aren't as good. I put a regular trapeze on that one and I like the guitar much better.
aug 31, 2025, 5:06 pm • 0 0 • view
I’ve never owned a Guild, but I was in a band for some years with a guitarist who played one. It always sounded very good to me. I’m sorry to say my experience with Epiphone hasn’t been great, issues with poor components. I owned two, sold one and the other would cost more to fix than it’s worth.
aug 31, 2025, 8:26 pm • 1 0 • view
Beautiful guitar
aug 31, 2025, 6:20 am • 1 0 • view
Thank you very much, I do love this big Gretsch a lot!
aug 31, 2025, 12:36 pm • 0 0 • view
Man, how I wish I could play! 😎
aug 31, 2025, 2:11 am • 1 0 • view
I always tell everybody - it’s never too late to learn!
aug 31, 2025, 12:38 pm • 0 0 • view
Usually when I break one it’s the high E. I usually get at least four extra high Es when I order strings.
aug 31, 2025, 12:14 am • 1 0 • view
I do the same! Especially when I was a young man, first gigging, and was excited and nervous to be in front of crowds. I could break 3 high e strings a night some gigs! Much better these days, though. A little experience brings a bit more control.
aug 31, 2025, 12:39 pm • 0 0 • view
For a second, I thought you were David Gilmour 😂
aug 31, 2025, 12:29 am • 2 0 • view
Haha, if only!! :D
aug 31, 2025, 12:35 pm • 1 0 • view
Nice Gretsch
aug 31, 2025, 12:32 am • 2 0 • view
Thank you Jim! It’s such a lovely guitar, nice and resonant and very pleasant to play.
aug 31, 2025, 12:35 pm • 1 0 • view
Nice!
aug 30, 2025, 10:49 am • 0 0 • view
It’s ok….you can always fix it.
aug 31, 2025, 2:19 am • 1 0 • view
You’re absolutely right! I always keep plenty of spares.
aug 31, 2025, 12:38 pm • 1 0 • view
👍🏻🎸
aug 31, 2025, 2:15 pm • 0 0 • view