If you broke a string.....

[Norris]

I've broken a few in my youth. I don't know if the quality of strings has improved over the years or I take more care cleaning them at the end of the gig, but I haven't broken one in decades. 

E would be most inconvenient as it can't be covered by any other (on 4 string)

[chris_b]

Firstly, if I broke a string I'd be amazed. It would be the first one ever!

Depending on the band I could easily lose the G or B strings and get to the end.

Again depending on the band I could loose 4 strings and root note it to the end if I had to.

[Spoombung]

I broke a D string mid set recently and it totally threw me. I was on fretless and had to switch to fretted. It sounded bloody awful.

[BigRedX]

I've managed to break every single string including low B at one point or another.

Admittedly the low B was on a set that was several years old and back in the 90s when getting decent 36" scale B strings that were any good was a lot harder than it is nowadays.

I always take a spare bass (and spare strings) when I'm gigging. I've not broken many strings actually at a gig (IIRC 3 in almost 40 years) but ever since I broke a string at one of my very first gigs on bass and didn't have either a spare bass or a replacement string, I've been prepared.

[uk_lefty]

Not having the A or D on my four strings would mess with my head completely.

Only ever broke rubbish very cheap strings in my teens when trying to learn to play slap style. Hasn't happened since but even if I only want to play one bass in the gig there's always another either in stage or in the car, don't want to ruin a gig by mucking up trying to play three stringed.

[tonyquipment]

I need all of them because  play runs and octaves 

 

any missing string will do me in haha 

 

thinking about out it tho probably the E or the A string. I could probably live without the 4th or the 3rd. 

Edited December 6, 2017 by tonyquipment
Cos I’m a dumbass.

[cheddatom]

I play 6 strings and I've broken every string, admittedly bashing it rather too hard playing heavy music after a few drinks. I've never broken a string jamming funk or jazz

[Roger2611]

I don't think I have ever broken a string either, I had the A string pop out of it's nut slot on Friday's gig, it felt really weird for the rest of the song, popped back into place fine and didn't come out again, just one of them things I guess!

Like others have said losing the A or D would probably give me most issues

[ivansc]

Think I have mentioned this before, but back when I was playing a Rick with a pick I would break at least one string every gig, often two or even three.

I don't break strings any more now that I play with my fingers & am back on a P Bass though.

I used to have a photo of me picking the A string so hard it was pulled right across over both the D and the G string prior to me letting it go.... Ouch!

Unfortunately my girlfriend at the time (another bass player) begged the only copy of the photo and lost it when her first marriage broke up.

 

[Spike Vincent]

The E string, because that's the only one I use

And yes, I have bust one on stage

[dmccombe7]

A string for me

 

[Marvin]

I string my bass with 4 E's...just in case one does brake. All bases/situations covered there.

[pfretrock]

How to break a string, at 1:52.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ8AcEYTEFY

 

[Vinny]

I find it's only a a problem if they break below the 5th fret.

[EliasMooseblaster]

Another vote for the A or the D, and sadly I speak from experience - losing a D in the middle of a jazz gig was not an experience I'd care to repeat! Fortunately most of the stuff I play with Cherry White doesn't tie me down to a specific riff, so I could adapt most of the basslines in theory - but missing one of the strings in the middle is much more confusing!