Bass Wire Strings Breaking!

[Abigail Kent]

So, I was practicing on my L&H 85CG when all of a sudden, one of my wire bass strings (6th octave D) actually broke right where the higher disc hits the string. The string is the original string that was put on my harp when I bought it, but that was less than a year ago! I had a similar occurance with my lever harp, where the lowest wire bass string (6th octave C) broke while I was practicing on it. However, I knew this string was probably over 10 years old (I just recieved it from a previous owner), and I realized I should replace all the bass strings. But this has never happened to me before with any other harp and I have never heard any of my harp friends talk about anything like this! Has anyone else had this happen to them?

[Tacye]

I have had two base wires break on me, both while I was playing, and one was a string that was presumably fairly new as the harp was. Unpleasant, isn’t it!

Oh and a couple on lever harps, but they didn’t make nearly such a bang and haven’t stuck in my memory so much.

[emma-graham]

I have had several bass wires break on me at various points in my harping life. It does happen. I usually have them all replaced when I have my harps serviced but I have also changed them all myself. My worst moment for a wire breaking was at a wedding just as the registrar asked everyone to stand for the entrance of the bride. The groom went white when he heard the bang – I think he thought the harp was exploding!

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