What To Do When This Happens?

[Bearded Fish]

Say, you're playing a gig, on a Strat naturally, set up to Fender spec, and you're in a middle of song and 'ping', a string goes. All remaining strings go sharp due to the floating trem. What do you do? (i) Carry on regardless of tuning; (ii) Carry on but attempt to retune the strings; (iii) Carry on but try to bend (or use the tremolo) to get the pitches back to what they should be (I'd like to see someone try!); (iv) Carry on but change the string while you're playing (or get someone else to); (v) Carry on but turn yourself down (or off!) so it's not as obvious that you're way out; (vi) Carry on but stop to change guitar/string while the rest of the band jams/continues with the tune; (vii) Stop the whole band and replay the tune later (or straight after you've fixed it/changed guitar); (viii) Stop (the whole band) and don't bother doing that song again; (ix) Get in tantrum, smash your guitar, storm out of the venue never to be seen again; (x) Something else? Your views and experiences please... :)

[Fripperton]

I always have a spare guitar onstage so I let the band carry on for the few seconds it takes to switch instruments. I almost never break strings but if I do I'm pretty quick at making the change.

[moonpie]

Spose said it :yay If I break a string, I finish the song with what's left.
Sometimes people don't even know I've broken one.
As far as string pinging, I make sure to keep graphite in the nut on my Strats.
If you know which string pinged, push down behind the nut and it should ping back.

[Mark4625]

Never stop the song. That is the worst thing you can do it looks really amateur. Remember we are there to entertain the audience.
This is the main reason why you need two guitars to gig with.
For some inspirational guitar switching mid song, check out the SRV Box Set DVD where Stevie breaks a string during Little Sister. A quick nod to his guitar tech and the replacement guitar is placed on his existing strap, the lead plugged in and Stevie carries on as if nothing has happened. The audience actually applaude the guitar change.........Magic.

[photoweborama]

There is a little device called a Rock Steady. it's just a little thing that flips out puts the trem about in the right place. You can then finish the song.

Here is the stuff I wrote on it.

But I agree with everyone else as far as a backup strat. I like my Tremolo and you have to cover yourself with a backup to survive if your going to gig with a floating trem Strat.

So... if you have only one Strat this is your perfect excuse to get another one.

[Cogs]

Nah, if you break a string in the first few bars, get out ASAP & do the song later. Always have a backup guitar, too.

[OneL]

Ditch the trem strat and get a good hardtail!

[moonpie]

Yeah, I forgot to mention that I have my Strats set up with five springs and the tailpiece parallel to the face of the guitar. My main Strat is a Hardtail.

[moonpie]

Nah, if you break a string in the first few bars, get out ASAP & do the song later. Always have a backup guitar, too.

in the first few bars????????

Dude, let off the gas.....you gotta go the whole race......


I once did a bend that started in 1987 and stretched to 2009.....I'm waiting to hear when the space dudes pick it up on the downside.
They'll use it as proof of "intel agent" life......
boy are they in for a shock.

Suppose alliens, or bigfoot for that matter , took me as a specimen of humanity. I've got to ponder this....might have to get out my knife and do some whittlin'.....

[Bearded Fish]

moonpie, I think you may have left us all behind there!

[moonpie]

leave me alone......
I'm whittlin' and ponderin'.....

[OneL]

....Suppose alliens, or bigfoot for that matter , took me as a specimen of humanity.....

God help us all! :rofl

[curtisstetka]

SRV's guitar swap on that DVD is amazing. It really is incredible.

Of course, the way that dude played, I can imagine that he and his tech got a lot of practice at that manuever.

To answer the original question, I'd think that you must continue the song if at all possible. I think 95% of the audience wouldn't notice a string breaking. A good 90% might notice that the notes sound a little funny but have no idea that you're out of tune. 100% of the audience will notice if you stop the song.

[photoweborama]

That reminds me. When I worked on that 66 Fender Mustang.. The intonation was so far off he would play the next fret and bend the string to play the right note.. It totally blew him away after I set the intonation and he could actually play the right note on the right fret...

[chuckocaster]

i'm pickin up what you're layin down pie!

as to the query. half the audience is too fuckin drunk to know you're out of tune, and the other half is too stupid. the only people that would really know are the musicians in the band and the one or two in the audience.

and if your band mates shoot you a dirty look, tell them to pull their heads out of their asses cause shit happens. finish the song and then change guitars. or if there is a place to, stop playing while the other guitarist covers as much as he can and switch then.

this is why they always say to bring a back up guitar. hell i bring 3 :hee. but honestly i haven't broken a guitar string in 6 years. where's it beaking at? i'm sure either we can help you fix it or a good local tech could.

[grito]

I used to follow the bass with a little one string redition of the rest of the song, then grab the spare...