magie wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:46 pm
to clarify the "floppy ends" issue . The confusion is probably raised by the pics which show the different guitars in different states ... let me try to explain:
Before I used floppy ends at the roller - result string breakage for all guitars, regardless of large angle at the block or not.
Now I try floppy ends at the block.
Pic No 4 and 5 show the same block of a guitar where I changed all strings a week ago.
Pic No 1 shows my M10 where I changed 5A and 4D two days ago because of string break.
Pic No 2 shows a guitar, where I changed 4D 2 months ago using the floppy end at the roller. The other strings are older than a year.
Pic No 3 is a further guitar not re-stringed yet. Strings are very old (about 2 years .. not surprised about the breakage at all)
I have long-time experience only with Aranjuez, Savarez and Paulino Bernabe strings.
With Savarez I did not have any problems. Aranjuez is a nightmare with respect to breakage. PB was the first time I experienced breaking.
Yesterday I had the 6E broken very close to, or at the bridge (Augustine Blue if you wonder), and I used the good end (not sparsely wound end). The knots on the bridge was intact. Thus, I have a vested interest in your issue!
Here is my theory on the nature of bass strings broke when you open the case

. I know it has been mentioned in earlier post about break angle and especially "kink" as a result of a poor restringing job (with all due resect to the OP).
I think especially with bass strings D, A and E, care should be taken to make those loops and tuck the strings at the bottom of the bridge
to avoid excessive kinks. Once a bass string is looped and undone to make a perfect knot (I did that, kind of a perfectionist

), weak point(s) would have developed right there so that a bass string will break prematurely (shorter than the expected life)!
I don't know for sure if using the bad ends at the bridge will aggravate the problem of shorter life span, but the lengths of those bass strings are long enough to restring, so why not cut off the bad ends to remove any doubt?
My 2 cents!