String breakage

[jeffhigh]

Hi Guys, looking for some advice.

I've got a player who is breaking a lot of strings (D and G) on his Cole Clark acoustic while playing gigs with a duo.
They are always breaking at the saddle.

I have smoothed the saddle, the break angle is not excessive.
12-53 d'Addarios both coated and plain

He thinks there is a problem with the guitar, I am inclined to think he is just playing a lot harder in the duo situation.

Any suggestions, is going to mediums worth exploring?

[Tod Gilding]

Just a thought Jeff ,could it be possible that the string has cut into the soundboard and is being cut by the metal on the under saddle Transducer, er , I mean under saddle house brick.

[nnickusa]

Um, wow. that's some serious gear. Is that waht they all look like inside?

Yikes

[jeffhigh]

No, just breaking on top of the saddle.

[Kim]

Jeff, if you've smoothed the saddle and he's still breaking the same strings then its probably him being heavy handed as you suggest. Maybe he's just not hearing himself in the duo situation and needs a better monitor. To prove that point you could try flossing the saddle in situ right in front of the guy so he can see for himself that the strings have an evenly supported run over the bridge.

Cheers

Kim

[Steve.Toscano]

d'Addarios

Not the best quality strings. Maybe a combination of crappy strings and his hard playing style.

[Nick]

What a terrible looking pickup system!
It's certainly a head scratcher after you've smoothed the saddle, especially as it's the thicker D & G (I could understand the B or high E).
Would the guy entertain fitting a wider saddle? What I'm thinking is that the string is sitting on the contact point of the 1/8th saddle then immediately leaving the saddle so there is only that small point of contact, under 'normal' circumstances this would be acceptable. If he is a heavy hitter then the top of the saddle is effectively acting as a stress riser, almost a knife edge. A wider saddle will allow you to radius behind the break point so the string 'rolls' off the saddle increasing the contact area and spreading the load over 2-3mm of the string (ala Ervin Somogyi) and doesn't create that single stress point, it's how I've been approaching my saddles now.
Just a thought to consider.

[hepikohetaniwha]

Since it's the strings in the middle that are breaking, I wonder if the radius on the saddle is too small for his right hand style. Perhaps flattening the radius would help to spread the load, so to speak, over all six strings. ..or will that mean he starts breaking all six?

[Tod Gilding]

Um, wow. that's some serious gear. Is that waht they all look like inside?

Yikes

Here's The Maton Nick

[nnickusa]

Just as ugly, the Maton.....Can't imagine it'll add to the stability of the top in the long term....

[simso]

Here's The Maton Nick

Looks like a maton mini

[simso]

Just as ugly, the Maton.....Can't imagine it'll add to the stability of the top in the long term....

There actually pretty stable, especially when you consider your bonding a 5mm lump of rosewood to the top surface, the electronics on the other hand can be very fiddly, individual little magnets with individual caps screwed up under a plate