Today I am going to explain how often guitar strings break.
I have broken many strings over my career so I know how much use they can handle. The only way to prevent strings from breaking is to change them regularly. With that said, let’s talk about how common it is for strings to break.
How Often Guitar Strings Break (Rule of Thumb)
Electric guitar strings should last 8 months or more if they are played with light to moderate intensity. And acoustic guitar strings can last a few years without breaking, since acoustic players typically don’t use as many techniques that shorten string life, like frequent string bends.
As you can see, how long your strings will last does depend on the type of guitar you play, so let’s dig into that in a bit more detail, for each of the two main guitar styles (i.e. electric and acoustic).
How Often Electric Guitar Strings Break
For light to moderate intensity playing, steel electric guitar strings should last eight months or more before breaking. Though they are thin, steel guitar strings are quite resilient and are designed to handle a lot of use without breaking.
If you play with a lot of intensity, you can expect a shorter string life. In this case they may break within six months, if not sooner. For example, an intense rock guitarist can expect a shorter string life than a mellow folk guitarist.
Even though they can last over a year, you’ll want to change your strings more frequently to keep your guitar sounding its best.
There are a few factors that influence string life. The brand, string gauges (thicknesses), quality of your guitar, and how you care for your strings are all relevant to string longevity.
How Often Acoustic Guitar Strings Break
Under normal circumstances, acoustic guitar strings should last a few years before breaking. Most acoustic players tend to avoid bending and other techniques that shorten string life. However, if you pick or strum with a lot of force, this will put more wear on your strings and will likely cause them to break sooner.
If you do a lot of heavy strumming, some players like to use a thinner (lighter) pick for that.
Though acoustic guitar strings can last a very long time, if you play frequently, I would recommend changing them regularly. That way your tone and intonation will not suffer.
And at the end of the day, all the factors that influence electric guitar string longevity are also relevant when it comes to acoustic guitar.
Is it Common for Guitar Strings to Break?
Guitar strings should not break very often; even if you play fairly intense music.
As a beginner, I remember breaking strings often. I attribute this mainly to having a cheap guitar. I also did not have a good sense of when my strings needed changing.
Now that I am more experienced, I rarely break strings and I almost never break them at crucial times such as during a performance or recording session.
Professional string brands put a lot of research and care into producing durable strings. A great sounding string would not be worth buying if it broke easily. Some companies even produce coated strings which are supposed to last longer.
If you are frequently breaking strings you may have an issue with your instrument or your playing technique.
Why You Keep Breaking Guitar Strings (Repeatedly)
If you are repeatedly breaking strings, it is likely that there is an issue with one or more of your bridge saddles.
A saddle is the piece that holds a string in place on the body of the guitar. It is also possible that there is an issue with your nut, the slotted piece between the fretboard and headstock.
In either case, there may be a sharp area or other irregularity which is causing the string to break prematurely.
Take note of where the string is breaking. Does it always break at the bridge? Determining this will give you a clue as to what is causing the string to break.
Typically, a part of your guitar will have to be smoothed out with a file or replaced. I recommend having this done by a professional.
How Long it Takes for Guitar Strings to Break
As I mentioned above, a standard set of steel guitar strings should last 8 months or more assuming you play with light to moderate intensity.
And it’s worth mentioning that if you play blues, rock, or metal, or do a lot of bending, you can expect to break a string within 6 months.
Acoustic strings tend to last longer, and should be able to go a few years without breaking if you are playing lightly or occasionally. And classical nylon strings should last about the same amount of time.
In fact, I have an old Fender acoustic guitar that has had the same set of strings for over 10 years now, and they still haven’t broken. To be fair, I only play that guitar on-and-off, but still. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this though, you’ll want to replace your strings far more frequently than once a decade.
And that brings me to my next point…
How Often You Should Change Guitar Strings
If you play everyday, I would start by changing your strings every two months and adjust from there if necessary. If you play less often, then reduce the frequency accordingly. For example, if you only play 3 days a week, you could try replacing your strings every 4-5 months.
The quality of you guitar (especially the bridge), brand and gauge of strings, and how well you care for your strings are all factors that affect string life.
And you should always try to change your strings BEFORE they are expected to break, or as soon as you notice your sound beginning to suffer.
So, if your strings are becoming noticeably worn or you notice a dullness in the sound, start changing them earlier. On the other hand, if at the two month point, your strings are still in good shape, keep them on longer.
Every guitarist is different so you have to find a string changing routine that works for you.
