guitar setup and maintnance

[triston taylor]

i got a ibanez rg, and the high e string keeps breaking. i think it is the nut. should i take it to a tech, or try to fix it myself?
also, i didnt see a forum for setup questions. so here one is!

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Where is the string breaking? Is it the bridge area?

 

[idssdi]

If you’re absolutwly sure it is the nut I would say bring it to a tech. I’ve had this problem too and the guy in the guitar shop said that there is a sharp thing in the saddle or somethimg whih ia peetty easy to fix by usidng some sandpaper.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Id take it.. and ask to oversea the adjustment. Most fixes are easy pnce you see how easy it is. He also could answer other questions. Usually techs are very helpful.

 

[Ed Seith]

If it’s breaking consistently at a contact point – bridge or nut – it’s a setup issue and if you’re not comfortable take it to your local shop for a repair. It should not be expensive.

 

[triston taylor]

at the post.

 

[Ed Seith]

“At the post” – you mean the tuning peg/post?
Hmm… Honestly, unless there’s a burr or something on the post, that may be a player issue. I broke a lot of strings in my early days that were just a matter of not having my technique down. I don’t know how long you’ve been playing, but that period was several years for me.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

How old is the guitar? With any metal, it’s prone to wear and tear and sometimes there are little nicks in the metal that your string can rub against and cause the snapping. I would still suggest taking it to a tech to have it looked at because regardless of what it is, it’s probably going to require some skills to get it fixed.

 

[Noah Berends]

Making sure the string can slide easily at any contact point with the guitar is also important. Whenever I change strings, I rub the whole surface of the string around the nut with a pencil, so it slides around the nut more easily. Same goes around the little anchors on the headstock if present. If the string can’t slide easily over these contact points it might catch. It’s a minor thing but it may help. Putting lubricant (in this case pencil graphite) around the nut can also help tuning stability if you don’t have a Floyd. But as said before, probably best to take it to an experienced technician and they’ll for sure give you a diagnosis and often a fix for a very reasonable price.