I recently changed all the strings on both guitars, hoping that'd buy me a reprieve from the breakage. No such luck. I don't think I've changed my playing style/habits in the past several months -- the last big change I can think of would've been when I first started getting acrylic put on three of my nails. When I did that, all of a sudden I could hit the strings a whole lot harder -- louder, more stressfull on the muscles along my metacarpals, and yeah, harder on the strings. But that was a while ago, longer ago than the recent rash of broken strings.
Maybe I'm just noticing it more because I had gigs every weekend in May, a little busier than usual, but even so, a broken string every time I play with HCB (http://www.homespunceilidh.com) is an increase even on a per-gig basis.
(I do hit pretty hard, I know. I was pretty loud on just my natural nails; with the acrylic I frequently feel one of the top three strings jump far enough to slap the palm of my left hand on a violent strum. Which is always a nervous-making feeling right after I've replaced a string. Someday I need to sit down in a good room with a good microphone and figure out at what point I stop getting louder and just change the sound. I think I'm already spending part of my time in that range. Someday I should also replace my pickguard...)
Re: broken strings
Maybe I'm just noticing it more because I had gigs every weekend in May, a little busier than usual, but even so, a broken string every time I play with HCB (http://www.homespunceilidh.com) is an increase even on a per-gig basis.
(I do hit pretty hard, I know. I was pretty loud on just my natural nails; with the acrylic I frequently feel one of the top three strings jump far enough to slap the palm of my left hand on a violent strum. Which is always a nervous-making feeling right after I've replaced a string. Someday I need to sit down in a good room with a good microphone and figure out at what point I stop getting louder and just change the sound. I think I'm already spending part of my time in that range. Someday I should also replace my pickguard...)