I have three guitars with Bigsbys. The two Gretschs have ToM style bridges and the Danelectro has a roller bridge. Whenever I use the Dano at a gig, I break a wound string, the core snapping at or around the bridge on the A or D. I've checked the saddles for burrs (can't see how this could be a thing for rollers, but it's what I'd do for any other bridge). Is this a normal issue for roller bridges? I use the Bigsby sparingly and lightly. When I got my first Gretsch, I wanted to swap out the ToM for a roller, because the idea of dragging strings through ToM saddles gave me the willies, but the local tech guy (a Gretsch nut) was so passionately anti-roller bridges that he talked me out of it (and himself out of a set up!) He did a moment's work on the saddles, and I've followed his instructions re graphiting them fairly often and have never had any sort of problem with either tuning or breaking on either Gretsch.

Obviously it could just be bad luck and/or my heavy handed "technique" or lack thereof, but switching string brands hasn't made an improvement. I'm using .11's, so they should be fairly sturdy. It being a Bigsby makes it particularly tricky to change in a gig situation, so I've kinda lost any enthusiasm for playing the Dano live.

One weird thing, which may be my own ignorance of roller bridges, but on the Dano, I was kinda surprised at how much the saddles themselves move when the Bigsby is deployed. I'd imagined the saddles stayed in position, with the roller absorbing all the movement. Is that normal for all roller bridges? Could it be the source of the problem?

What's your break angle off the rollers looking like? My old bandmate would routinely break strings on guitar (and bass!). I could play his guitar for two days and never break a string, so I chalked it up to technique. The main offender was a G&L with tremolo bridge.

Krev wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2024 10:13 am G&L with tremolo bridge.

Digression but anyone remember this Electrical Audio deep cut?

I never gave those guitars that much thought but wrote this band back in the day and asked them what the hell… apparently that’s a G&L Comanche and he wangs the shit out of it on that record.

I had a les paul that I was breaking strings on and mid-tour took it into a shop. The tech there put a roller bridge on, and overnight I stopped breaking strings, go figure. I also didn't really notice a discernable loss in sustain - unless I think about it being on the guitar, it's not part of any sort of my mind with that one.
Technique is a big thing and may always be part of the culprit, buuut all other things being equal

Are the strings splayed out to the sides?
how are the rollers moving, and how so compared to your other guitars? (ie: could they use lubrication)

TylerDeadPine wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2024 2:53 pm I had a les paul that I was breaking strings on and mid-tour took it into a shop. The tech there put a roller bridge on, and overnight I stopped breaking strings, go figure. I also didn't really notice a discernable loss in sustain - unless I think about it being on the guitar, it's not part of any sort of my mind with that one.
Technique is a big thing and may always be part of the culprit, buuut all other things being equal

Are the strings splayed out to the sides?
how are the rollers moving, and how so compared to your other guitars? (ie: could they use lubrication)

I had a similar experience with mine, I swapped it for a no-name roller bridge and I haven't broken a string since. It sounds the same, plays the same. I would second (very) occasionally lubing the rollers.

Yep, will try cleaning and lubing as a next step. The amount of travel from the saddle seems wrong, almost like the saddles working like a JM/floating bridge. If the rollers roll, there's no/way less force on the saddles to shift.

And yeah, I'm sure my hammering away is part of it, but it's the same technique I use on the other Bigsbys, with way way fewer breakages.

Dudley wrote: Wed Nov 27, 2024 8:18 am Yep, will try cleaning and lubing as a next step. The amount of travel from the saddle seems wrong, almost like the saddles working like a JM/floating bridge. If the rollers roll, there's no/way less force on the saddles to shift.

And yeah, I'm sure my hammering away is part of it, but it's the same technique I use on the other Bigsbys, with way way fewer breakages.

Is it possible there's a different shape to the bottom of the roller as well? Feels like a different bridge might just sort your problem out if that doesn't work.

Cleaning and lubing has (unsurprisingly) made a huge difference. Boy, did it need cleaning. Feel pretty dumb for not automatically cleaning it when I realised there was any sort of problem. All the "saddle travel" has pretty much disappeared, bar a smidgen on the high E. Presumably the movement was the string grabbing the roller, it sticking enough to allow lateral force and then moving the whole saddle, effectively against the screw thread?

For all the tech, accessories, upgrades etc, it's amazing how much improvement an old toothbrush and a bit of pencil lead has made to my stuff over the years.

Result : )