Doubt About Emp Strings

[J.Grim]

Hi guys,
I have a doubt here that's is really bugging me. I've been using EMP strings on my basses for 10 year and I really love them. A few months back I have recommended them to a friend of mine and he ended up trying them.
Well, after 1 month his B string just broke at the nut! The nut is ok, so I thought it could be a bad string or something, so we put a new B string on the bass. A month later the string broke again, same string, same breakage point: the nut..
The nut did not appear to be bad, but it was remade, filed and polished all the sharp edges that could be causing the problem. It's a Gibson style bass with tilted headstock, so we tried to wind the string less times on the tuner to reduce the angle and stress at the nut. Yesterday, he called me saying that the string broke again this time at different spot..
This is really bugging me.. I really can't find a reason for this to happen. The strings were from different batchs so probably they are not the problem. The string is .130 and tuned to B, so no abnormal stress. The nut and the bridge are fine, no sharp edges or whatever. He does not bend the string alot and he said he never broke a string before this..

In 10 years I've never broke a EMP string, nor had any problems with them. In 20 years of playing I've broke 3 strings, all of them were used and abused and almost rotten .
This were new strings that broke within 1 month of playing (and not extensively played or abused)

Any of you guys had a similar problem? I really can't find a reason for this to happen.

 

[Hardy]

I played them too, never had such problems.

 

[DiMarco]

This has nothing to do with the strings being EMP. Something else is wrong.

 

[Hardy]

Maybe the nut is sharp edged?

 

[J.Grim]

This has nothing to do with the strings being EMP. Something else is wrong.

Yes, the EMPs are basically excluded as the problem since we've tried 3 different strings from different batches. But maybe someone could have experienced a similar situation with these strings. I've never had a problem with them so I really don't know...
It's a very "curious" situation since there seems to be no reason for this to happen...

Maybe the nut is sharp edged?

Nop.. That would be most common problem, but like I said on the post, the nut and the bridge are fine, they were filed and polished, so no rough or sharp edges. Besides, this time it did not break on the nut.

 

[DiMarco]

Do his basses fall flat on their face from time to time? That would cause it.

 

[jester]

I haven't used EMPs much, mainly because I hated their rough feel and early dying of the bass strings, so I can't provide any feedback. It is indeed a mystery though, probably related to the angled headstock in my opinion. But that shouldn't happen normally. Perhaps the low B has a thin core. I wonder if the strings are hex or round core.

 

[J.Grim]

I wonder if the strings are hex or round core.

I believe they are hexagonal core.

 

[jester]

I believe they are hexagonal core.

That should make them a bit more sturdy, but even if they were rounds, that does not justify them snapping like this, so consistently. Truly a mystery to me.

 

[Florin]

I play pretty hard, I remember I was breaking D'addarios 20 years ago, but never broke other string. Never. I played EMP a lot.

 

[Hector]

When replacing the string, does he start the wind from the top of the tuning post down, or from the bottom up? This could impact the angle that the string "breaks" over the nut (no pun intended) and also the strain the string is under.