Elixir NanoWebs

Squonk

Just my rotten luck

Put on Elixir's bronze medium (13's) for the first time expecting 3-5 months use out of them. And the freaking D string snaps after just one month.

Always used the phosphor bronze D'Addario lights (12's) before and have never really had a string break.

I will be checking the saddle because it seems to have broken there.

Any recommendations for a replacement saddles. Tusq vs Bone etc.

I bought the Takamine about 10 years ago and have never replaced any of the original parts.

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote: Just my rotten luck

Put on Elixir's bronze medium (13's) for the first time expecting 3-5 months use out of them. And the freaking D string snaps after just one month.

Always used the phospher bronze D'Addario lights (12's) before and have never really had a string break.

I will be checking the saddle because it seems to have broken there.

Any recommendations for a replacement saddles. Tusq vs Bone etc.

I bought the Takamine about 10 years ago and have never replaced any of the original parts.

If you're going to have the saddle changed then consider getting a whole set up done - truss rod, nut tuning etc. Ask how much extra it would cost.

There was a discussion on the forum about the respective merits of tusq V bone. Note that by "tusq" we mean "tusq" not "any old plastic".

I'd recommend Andy McGibbon's or Mando Silva at Music Connection. Both workshops will do a good job, and will be able to advise you on the setup. They also both stock tusq. You can order bone blanks from Stewmac.

aja

I have gone through three packs and each time the G string breaks at the saddle during initial tuning, at the saddle, on two different guitars.

So now I just use D'addario phosphor bronze 12's...

Bob-Dubery

aja wrote: I have gone through three packs and each time the G string breaks at the saddle during initial tuning, at the saddle, on two different guitars.

I had a problem with the G on elixirs a while back. 2 packs running the G snapped early on. This was on the Morgan. I took it to Andy's and they said that the problem was the strings, not a sharp edge on the bridge or saddle. They'd lost the agency by then but gave me replacements and said they'd take it up with the agents. That was about 2 years ago and I haven't had a problem since.

Interestingly they said to me that the first wound string in the set is usually the most vulnerable as it has the thinnest core but carries more weight (and thus has to deal with more energy) than the plain strings because of the windings.

Squonk

thanks Bob

A setup does sound like a good idea, as I have a bit of buzz on the 12 fret as well.

Maybe I will change the saddle anyway, even if the Elixirs were a bit dodgy. Thanks for the Info AJA ?

AlanRatcliffe

If the guitar has an undersaddle pickup, go for Tusq rather than bone. The even consistency makes for better string balance.

aja

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: If the guitar has an undersaddle pickup, go for Tusq rather than bone. The even consistency makes for better string balance.

Would you upgrade a bone to a tusq saddle, for example with a guitar that comes with bone already installed, even if there are no apparent problems with the bone saddle?

AlanRatcliffe

Not usually if the guitar sounded good already. Bone does vary from piece to piece, but I've noticed in recent years it's become a lot more consistent than it used to be (maybe modern farming methods have homogenised cow bone? ?). I used to use Tusq or Micarta as a matter of course with pickups as the tone is almost always good and it often saved time to change it out rather than try use the original and possibly get problems with it.

For myself I might listen to the difference between the two out of the guitar (by dropping them on plate glass and listening to how they ring as they bounce - one of my idiosyncrasies) and try decide if changing will help or hinder the tone. Otherwise the only real way to tell is to try it and see - after all, you can easily and quickly go back if you don't like what you hear.

Bob-Dubery

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: For myself I might listen to the difference between the two out of the guitar (by dropping them on plate glass and listening to how they ring as they bounce - one of my idiosyncrasies)

Andy McGibbon used that method in his GFSA workshop evening to demonstrate
a) the difference between Tusq and generic plastic
b) That tusq is much closer to bone than it is to generic plastic

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