Problem with my Hallmark

[cincinnatiharry]

My wife bought me a wonderful used Hallmark Custom 60 for my birthday last year.

I love it. Hands down, my favorite guitar.

It's a lefty, but it is strung as a right handed guitar.



I am having a problem with my High E string .009... I have strung it with 2 strings so far and they have BOTH unraveled at the ball.

When the string goes on I notice after playing a few minutes the High E goes flat, sometimes a whole step. This never stops. I keep tuning up, and it keeps going flat... eventually the whole thing unravels.

This does not happen with any other strings.

I have tried 2 different brands.

Is it something in the bridge? Do I need to go to higher gauge?

[Greg_L]

Holy crap mine did that too one time. Just once though. I thought I had a bunk string. It's been through dozens of string changes since with no problems. That is curious though.

[BRRanger]

I use Ernie Ball Super Slinky's (the flourescent red package) and have never had them unravel at the ball end. Have you tried those?
Scott

[SanchoPansen]

Nice guitar, love the matching headstock!
This is a quite common problem with Mosrite style tremolos (even with Bigsbys).
Try to buy 'enforced' strings. E.g. GHS offers them. You could also solder the ends to prevent them from unraveling.

[Bob Shade]

We use the GHS reinforced ball end strings. They will not break even with heavy vibrato use. The ball end area is a weak point with some brands of strings.

Bob

[Hydra19]

this has happened to me on my Hallmark when I first played it but I really went to see how much range the tremolo had and caused it on my own. I only have Mosrites now and whilst that never happened again, if I do break a string on a Mosrite, it'll be an E and it'll be at the ball end, I notice this happens if I detune the guitar to mess with the truss rod, and then when tuning back up the high E will snap.

What I do is make sure all the other strings are up to tune so that high E has no extra pressure from the neck on it, and I find this works but the more you do this, the more likely it is that E will snap.

I have also been recommended to tin the strings with solder on the balls so that it doesn't happen but I didn't need them in the end.

[Greg_L]

I use Ernie Ball Super Slinky's (the flourescent red package) and have never had them unravel at the ball end. Have you tried those?
Scott

I use Regular Slinkys - the flourescent green pack. My one unraveled high E string was with those.

[MarkyKobane]

I started using the new NY XL's from D'addario a year ago.
I have not broken a single string since then, and I am a 300 lb. Johnny Ramone Jr.
I also use 11's. I used to break a ton of strings, mostly on other guitars before I sold my soul to Hallmark.
The NY XL's are a bit pricey, but they are still a dollar less then the M-Steels from Ernie Ball, and don't feel rusty a month later like the M-steels did. The NY XL's also have higher output. Even unplugged they seem louder than other strings. They made a cool video to show the strength and durability too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41VGr7cCmYQ

Oh yeah, and they stay in tune from the second you put em on! No Tugging nessesary!

[remmert]

This used to happen on my Strat - would keep tuning up and it would keep slipping back down until eventually the string would break. This video resolved the issue, maybe it will work for you too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJSSQ9S7Ag

[cincinnatiharry]

Thanks Bob, I will buy the reinforced GHS strings and let you know how I get on.