Mikeler's Multis

Lukhas · Apr 25, 2013

mikeler said:
Just as a matter of course or do you have a reason?

I fact you're the first person I heard about who does not pre-stretch multis. Really. Multi tries mostly to mimic gut attributes. We already know what happens when you don't pre-stretch gut, and "pure" multis like TGV or X1 Biphase tend to act the same. They are very soft and drop tension quickly after the stringing, and maintain tension well until breakage. Of course it ain't gut. And since it's also very soft, one may dislike the likely-to-happen trampoline effect. It also allows to string at lower tensions without having a very soft bed after some hours: the string holds its initial tension better, and isn't a wooden plate just after the stringing either. One should look if the string wasn't pre-stretched in the fabric beforehand though.

On the other hand, s-gut (with a core) and multis with cores (Prince Premier Attack, Technifibre XR3) shouldn't be pre-stretched due to the presence of a core. It kills the string, and the core already helps the tension maintenance off the bat, so it is kinda useless. Now, guys like Federer pre-stretches ALU Rough of all poly strings, so it isn't like nobody ever does it. Now, he clearly hasn't the same issues about stringing as the rec level players too... :lol:

[/2 cents]

mikeler · Apr 25, 2013

Lukhas said:
I fact you're the first person I heard about who does not pre-stretch multis. Really. Multi tries mostly to mimic gut attributes. We already know what happens when you don't pre-stretch gut, and "pure" multis like TGV or X1 Biphase tend to act the same. They are very soft and drop tension quickly after the stringing, and maintain tension well until breakage. Of course it ain't gut. And since it's also very soft, one may dislike the likely-to-happen trampoline effect. It also allows to string at lower tensions without having a very soft bed after some hours: the string holds its initial tension better, and isn't a wooden plate just after the stringing either. One should look if the string wasn't pre-stretched in the fabric beforehand though.

On the other hand, s-gut (with a core) and multis with cores (Prince Premier Attack, Technifibre XR3) shouldn't be pre-stretched due to the presence of a core. It kills the string, and the core already helps the tension maintenance off the bat, so it is kinda useless. Now, guys like Federer pre-stretches ALU Rough of all poly strings, so it isn't like nobody ever does it. Now, he clearly hasn't the same issues about stringing as the rec level players too... :lol:

[/2 cents]

2 cents appreciated.

ced · Apr 25, 2013

mikeler said:
Just as a matter of course or do you have a reason?

Just always have ..... I tend to string at lower tensions (46-50 lbs) and feel tension is maintained better if I pre-stretch .... if I don't pre at 48 then the tension loss is noticeable pretty quick ..... also gets the curl out.

All this may just be in my head, but as I only string for myself I find it works for me.

Lukhas · Apr 25, 2013

Pro's Pro Hex Multi is starting to noticeably drop in tension. Although it still is quite playable due to the spin potential it has, and since my racquet isn't very powerful, I still grab the lines. I think I played between 2 and 4 times a week, roughly 1.5 hours or a bit more per session ever since I first mentioned it in this thread. Good string really, cheap price. Although I expected a bit better tension maintenance for it, it's good for the price it costs.

mikeler · Apr 26, 2013

Lukhas said:
Pro's Pro Hex Multi is starting to noticeably drop in tension. Although it still is quite playable due to the spin potential it has, and since my racquet isn't very powerful, I still grab the lines. I think I played between 2 and 4 times a week, roughly 1.5 hours or a bit more per session ever since I first mentioned it in this thread. Good string really, cheap price. Although I expected a bit better tension maintenance for it, it's good for the price it costs.

Thinking about trying Hexy crosses with B5E at some point.

Ramon · Apr 26, 2013

I've been using RIP Control mains with Hexy Fiber crosses lately, and I'm getting to like it enough to consider using it as my main combination. Natural gut is great but it's so expensive and the quality is inconsistent. The problem I have with other quality multis is they break too easily on shanks. RIP Control 16 is about as tough as multis get, and the Hexy crosses soften it up and give it better touch. Spin seems to be better than natural gut. The feel is muted but I'm getting used to it.

Lukhas · Apr 26, 2013

mikeler said:
Thinking about trying Hexy crosses with B5E at some point.

It didn't spin enough? :twisted:

mrmike · Apr 27, 2013

Ramon said:
I've been using RIP Control mains with Hexy Fiber crosses lately, and I'm getting to like it enough to consider using it as my main combination. Natural gut is great but it's so expensive and the quality is inconsistent. The problem I have with other quality multis is they break too easily on shanks. RIP Control 16 is about as tough as multis get, and the Hexy crosses soften it up and give it better touch. Spin seems to be better than natural gut. The feel is muted but I'm getting used to it.

Have you ever tried a full bed of RIP 17? That seems to soften it up and gives pretty decent spin. I have a full bed of Hexy 16 on one of my frames right now and it is pretty good also, but I'm thinking the gauge looks a little thicker than 16 to me. I like the dead comfortable feel of both of these strings.

Ramon · Apr 27, 2013

mrmike said:
Have you ever tried a full bed of RIP 17? That seems to soften it up and gives pretty decent spin. I have a full bed of Hexy 16 on one of my frames right now and it is pretty good also, but I'm thinking the gauge looks a little thicker than 16 to me. I like the dead comfortable feel of both of these strings.

I always use 16g multi because every 17g synthetic string I've tried is too fragile for my game. On top of that, I heard that 17g RIP Control is not very durable. I like certain multis in a full bed, but they break too easily on a shank. I prefer a more lively and better feeling string than 16g RIP Control in a full bed, and putting a soft multi in the crosses seems to help while I still get the durability and spin of RIP Control.

mikeler · Apr 27, 2013

Lukhas said:
It didn't spin enough? :twisted:

There is no such thing as too much spin!

ls206 · Apr 28, 2013

I had a set of intellitour lying around so strung it up at 24/23kg played a set of singles and a set of doubles today.

The strings do everything well. Maybe my thoughts are influenced by the look of the mains but they felt like RIP control with some added finesse and ball pocketing.

Lots of kick on serve, enough spin to hit those short angles from the baseline and I was hitting drop shots with great success - not a shot I usually play.

One area I feel rip control falls short is at the net, the intellitour performs better here but I still think MCS is the best that I've tried so far.

Durability of the intellitour I imagine won't be so good, there's already some notching on the mains.

I have a set on micronite and DNA to test before I buy a reel of multi.

mikeler · Apr 29, 2013

ls206 said:
I had a set of intellitour lying around so strung it up at 24/23kg played a set of singles and a set of doubles today.

The strings do everything well. Maybe my thoughts are influenced by the look of the mains but they felt like RIP control with some added finesse and ball pocketing.

Lots of kick on serve, enough spin to hit those short angles from the baseline and I was hitting drop shots with great success - not a shot I usually play.

One area I feel rip control falls short is at the net, the intellitour performs better here but I still think MCS is the best that I've tried so far.

Durability of the intellitour I imagine won't be so good, there's already some notching on the mains.

I have a set on micronite and DNA to test before I buy a reel of multi.

Keep in mind that Intellitour is RIP Control mains with what some people say is Isospeed crosses. My guess is Micronite and DNA will be more to your liking but everyone is different.

ls206 · Apr 29, 2013

I'll have to take a closer look when I'm home but I remember the mains being a little different from RIP control and having a ALU Rough kind of texture.
Both mains and crosses had a load of recoil memory and crosses were surprisingly stiff given how easily they ghosted.

Don't get me wrong, I really like RIP and intellitour and I would probably pick them over MCS (because they're so good from the baseline) but I'm looking forward to testing Micronite and DNA.

mikeler · Apr 29, 2013

ls206 said:
I'll have to take a closer look when I'm home but I remember the mains being a little different from RIP control and having a ALU Rough kind of texture.
Both mains and crosses had a load of recoil memory and crosses were surprisingly stiff given how easily they ghosted.

Don't get me wrong, I really like RIP and intellitour and I would probably pick them over MCS (because they're so good from the baseline) but I'm looking forward to testing Micronite and DNA.

I remember the mains being a different color but the same texture as RIP Control.

coolblue123 · Apr 29, 2013

Ramon said:
I've been using RIP Control mains with Hexy Fiber crosses lately, and I'm getting to like it enough to consider using it as my main combination. Natural gut is great but it's so expensive and the quality is inconsistent. The problem I have with other quality multis is they break too easily on shanks. RIP Control 16 is about as tough as multis get, and the Hexy crosses soften it up and give it better touch. Spin seems to be better than natural gut. The feel is muted but I'm getting used to it.

I am the reversed, hexy mains and RIP Control crosses (both 17g). Found full bed of hexy has too much power and a full bed of RIP has too low powered. Combined together and found my 'smores,' of tennis combos... Great spin too.

I am debating on getting some BB Pulse. It's rebranded Power Fiber II. Heard it's a crispy string and I am all about the crunch.

mikeler · Apr 29, 2013

coolblue123 said:
I am the reversed, hexy mains and RIP Control crosses (both 17g). Found full bed of hexy has too much power and a full bed of RIP has too low powered. Combined together and found my 'smores,' of tennis combos... Great spin too.

I am debating on getting some BB Pulse. It's rebranded Power Fiber II. Heard it's a crispy string and I am all about the crunch.

Not a fan of Pulse or Power Fiber. Check out post #1 for my reviews of them.

pvaudio · Apr 29, 2013

Lukhas said:
I fact you're the first person I heard about who does not pre-stretch multis. Really. Multi tries mostly to mimic gut attributes. We already know what happens when you don't pre-stretch gut, and "pure" multis like TGV or X1 Biphase tend to act the same. They are very soft and drop tension quickly after the stringing, and maintain tension well until breakage. Of course it ain't gut. And since it's also very soft, one may dislike the likely-to-happen trampoline effect. It also allows to string at lower tensions without having a very soft bed after some hours: the string holds its initial tension better, and isn't a wooden plate just after the stringing either. One should look if the string wasn't pre-stretched in the fabric beforehand though.

On the other hand, s-gut (with a core) and multis with cores (Prince Premier Attack, Technifibre XR3) shouldn't be pre-stretched due to the presence of a core. It kills the string, and the core already helps the tension maintenance off the bat, so it is kinda useless. Now, guys like Federer pre-stretches ALU Rough of all poly strings, so it isn't like nobody ever does it. Now, he clearly hasn't the same issues about stringing as the rec level players too... :lol:

[/2 cents]

I have never prestretched a multi because it doesn't serve the same purpose as it does with gut. A true pre stretch is done by hand in order to remove coil memory. The button on an electronic machine does not mimic this, nor does it try to. It's simply an overshoot.

pvaudio · Apr 29, 2013

mikeler said:
I remember the mains being a different color but the same texture as RIP Control.

Mike, have you tried Rip PerfectControl?

coolblue123 · Apr 29, 2013

mikeler said:
Not a fan of Pulse or Power Fiber. Check out post #1 for my reviews of them.

Read it, but what about at $6.50 a set?

mikeler · Apr 29, 2013

I bought a reel of B5E from TW today since Mr. PV is being so stingy with his "black gold".

So the Yonex Super 850 Pro 16 and Maxim Touch 16 reviews are on hold probably until the end of the year.

mikeler · Apr 29, 2013

pvaudio said:
Mike, have you tried Rip PerfectControl?

You crack me up. No I have not tried it...yet. What about you? When are you hitting with the Monogut?

pvaudio · Apr 29, 2013

mikeler said:
You crack me up. No I have not tried it...yet. What about you? When are you hitting with the Monogut?

Wait, did I send you some of that? I can't remember :-?

The monogut should be strung up some time this week, my Nvy is getting jealous of the B5E's durability and might let go any second. Heh, okay, no more jokes.

mikeler · Apr 29, 2013

pvaudio said:
Wait, did I send you some of that? I can't remember :-?

The monogut should be strung up some time this week, my Nvy is getting jealous of the B5E's durability and might let go any second. Heh, okay, no more jokes.

I've still never broken B5E. My guess is the NVY goes first.

mrmike · Apr 29, 2013

mikeler said:
I've still never broken B5E. My guess is the NVY goes first.

Ok, my brain hurts - what is NVY? For some reason I can't come up with this one. It's on the tip of my tongue

Muppet · Apr 29, 2013

mrmike said:
Ok, my brain hurts - what is NVY? For some reason I can't come up with this one. It's on the tip of my tongue

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_NVY_16_String/descpageACBAB-BNV16.html

mrmike · Apr 30, 2013

Muppet said:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_NVY_16_String/descpageACBAB-BNV16.html

Thanks, ok now I feel stupid

Never heard of this string.

mikeler · Apr 30, 2013

NVY is incredibly soft. Feels like a multi in hand.

Slitch · Apr 30, 2013

To bad its so expensive in europe. It costs more than 15 dollars which is way too much for syn gut.

ragingbull1980 · Apr 30, 2013

suggestions out of these 3 strings for cross

Mikeler or any multi users. I would like to try a multi as a cross to my Yonex tour spin to see how I like it. I use a BB 11 MP 18/20 with YTS 16L @ 50M/47C. Out of the strings below what would be the smoothest transition and also have the most control? I'm also curious about what tension I should string the cross at because I usually go 3 pounds lower but was thinking i probably shouldn't do that with a soft multi??? Anyhow, the 3 mulit's I have at this time are:

PPA 16
MCS 16
GTBlast 16

Thanks in advance

mikeler · May 1, 2013

ragingbull1980 said:
Mikeler or any multi users. I would like to try a multi as a cross to my Yonex tour spin to see how I like it. I use a BB 11 MP 18/20 with YTS 16L @ 50M/47C. Out of the strings below what would be the smoothest transition and also have the most control? I'm also curious about what tension I should string the cross at because I usually go 3 pounds lower but was thinking i probably shouldn't do that with a soft multi??? Anyhow, the 3 mulit's I have at this time are:

PPA 16
MCS 16
GTBlast 16

Thanks in advance

Thunder Blast is stiffest, so it will be the easiest transition. It also happens to be my favorite multi cross that I've tried to date. MCS is softest so it will change the feel the most. Never tried PPA as a cross. I typically string the multi higher than the poly but I've done them both at the same tension and don't notice much difference.

djNEiGht · May 1, 2013

I just did my 1st performance string job (been learning to string with only syn gut).

Beast.X.Triumph 1.30 55#

I know mikeler has a poly thread but I would like to contribute to the multi side of my set up.

My previous multi (in hybrid) set up was TourBite/NXT Tour 53# and after it settled in was a very nice set up. The sweet spot seemed to have gotten larger (more so wider) and the poly gave me nice control and spin. Crosses got chewed up quickly. I played with it almost till breakage. It seemed to loose it's pop and was struggling to get it past the service line right before I cut it out. The feedback was very nice. With the added power of the multi in the cross, I was able to swing out and not launch balls. My GE was subsiding and would only flare up when playing 3 sets or more. I have since reduced and relocated my lead and it has helped me stay fresh.

Since learning to string using syn gut, I've gotten less spin out of the bed. With the Beast/Triumph set up I am hoping to have this fit somewhere in the middle between Syn Gut and Shaped Poly/Multi.

I'll drop in an update on how the Triumph plays as a cross since I've played with Beast XP in a full bed before.

mikeler · May 2, 2013

djNEiGht said:
I just did my 1st performance string job (been learning to string with only syn gut).

Beast.X.Triumph 1.30 55#

I know mikeler has a poly thread but I would like to contribute to the multi side of my set up.

My previous multi (in hybrid) set up was TourBite/NXT Tour 53# and after it settled in was a very nice set up. The sweet spot seemed to have gotten larger (more so wider) and the poly gave me nice control and spin. Crosses got chewed up quickly. I played with it almost till breakage. It seemed to loose it's pop and was struggling to get it past the service line right before I cut it out. The feedback was very nice. With the added power of the multi in the cross, I was able to swing out and not launch balls. My GE was subsiding and would only flare up when playing 3 sets or more. I have since reduced and relocated my lead and it has helped me stay fresh.

Since learning to string using syn gut, I've gotten less spin out of the bed. With the Beast/Triumph set up I am hoping to have this fit somewhere in the middle between Syn Gut and Shaped Poly/Multi.

I'll drop in an update on how the Triumph plays as a cross since I've played with Beast XP in a full bed before.

Did the Triumph fuzz up and get hairy or just get notched?

WillColey · May 4, 2013

Ive been playing with Pro's Pro Vendetta mains, and Hi-tec multifibre crosses at around 55lbs, super cheap set up i know... but im loving the crosses because they are so soft, only trouble is that im breaking them after about 2 hours because i play with alot of spin, should i use softer mains? or do i need a stiffer cross? or should i change the tensions of the mains/crosses for better longevity? I dont mind breaking so often because of the price, but if there are any tips to make them last an hour or two more it would be much appreciated.

mikeler · May 4, 2013

WillColey said:
Ive been playing with Pro's Pro Vendetta mains, and Hi-tec multifibre crosses at around 55lbs, super cheap set up i know... but im loving the crosses because they are so soft, only trouble is that im breaking them after about 2 hours because i play with alot of spin, should i use softer mains? or do i need a stiffer cross? or should i change the tensions of the mains/crosses for better longevity? I dont mind breaking so often because of the price, but if there are any tips to make them last an hour or two more it would be much appreciated.

Mantis Comfort and Hi-Tec just won't last long for a lot of players.

WillColey · May 5, 2013

mikeler said:
Mantis Comfort and Hi-Tec just won't last long for a lot of players.

What could I use instead to get a similar feel?

mikeler · May 5, 2013

WillColey said:
What could I use instead to get a similar feel?

Those are very unique feeling strings. I really like Genesis Thunder Blast as a cross. My next string job, I'll try the newer white Thunder Blast as a cross.

ls206 · May 5, 2013

I hit with micronite for a bit today.. I ended up switching to intellitour.
I didn't feel confident hitting out with the micronite, I think I've been spoiled by the bite of RIP control and missed the spin. I was expecting a muted feel but the strings felt hollow and made a pinging noise.

Maybe the strings needed to bed in. I'll preserve.

mikeler · May 6, 2013

ls206 said:
I hit with micronite for a bit today.. I ended up switching to intellitour.
I didn't feel confident hitting out with the micronite, I think I've been spoiled by the bite of RIP control and missed the spin. I was expecting a muted feel but the strings felt hollow and made a pinging noise.

Maybe the strings needed to bed in. I'll preserve.

Micronite does not have the spin of RIP Control that is for sure.

mikeler · May 7, 2013

Strung up B5E/White Thunder Blast at 52/56 last night. It felt stellar just bouncing balls off it. Unfortunately, I missed one of the string ports on a middle main and put it through an O-port instead. Not really a big deal since strings move like crazy in the Exo anyways but still annoying.

It came off the stringer with RacquetTune (RT) at 53. I decided to put in the Wilson Shock Shield dampener and redo the RT test just to see if I could get tension loss estimates without undoing the dampener because it is a pain. With the Exo stock dampener, I could always get RT readings but they were lower. With the Shock Shield, RT registers a goose egg every time. I guess that proves the dampener works!

Lukhas · May 8, 2013

Found a second-hand reel of Prince PA at 60€ minus 5-6 stringings port in. Now I hesitate because I never tried it. But for the price... The reel goes at more than 180€ on the French web. To be honest, I wanted to try Technifibre XR3 first, but now that I see this and the overall reviews, I'm seriously hesitating. Although the announce was there ever since February, may be outdated. What do you guys think?

mikeler · May 8, 2013

Lukhas said:
Found a second-hand reel of Prince PA at 60€ minus 5-6 stringings port in. Now I hesitate because I never tried it. But for the price... The reel goes at more than 180€ on the French web. To be honest, I wanted to try Technifibre XR3 first, but now that I see this and the overall reviews, I'm seriously hesitating. Although the announce was there ever since February, may be outdated. What do you guys think?

Considering the full price of a reel, sounds like you are getting a steal. Why not buy it and then resell it for the same price if you don't like it?

Had a good hit last night with B5E/White Genesis Thunderblast. Thinking about buying a reel of the Genesis and then ceasing string testing for awhile.

TRU PRO Official · May 8, 2013

mikeler said:
Considering the full price of a reel, sounds like you are getting a steal. Why not buy it and then resell it for the same price if you don't like it?

Had a good hit last night with B5E/White Genesis Thunderblast. Thinking about buying a reel of the Genesis and then ceasing string testing for awhile.

Lol, Mikeler stops testing strings!

mikeler · May 9, 2013

TierOneSportsOfficial said:
Lol, Mikeler stops testing strings!

TW is now sending me a set of Monogut ZX to playtest. Just feeding the addiction.

mmk · May 9, 2013

mikeler said:
TW is now sending me a set of Monogut ZX to playtest. Just feeding the addiction.

Have you ever wondered how many sales you've generated for them?

mikeler · May 9, 2013

mmk said:
Have you ever wondered how many sales you've generated for them?

Not really. I've wondered how much in sales I've generated for the top couple of companies on the list though. Dunlop DNA used to always be in stock at the local store I visit. A week after I reviewed it, they were out of stock and have been ever since!

maxrenn · May 9, 2013

mikeler said:
Not really. I've wondered how much in sales I've generated for the top couple of companies on the list though. Dunlop DNA used to always be in stock at the local store I visit. A week after I reviewed it, they were out of stock and have been ever since!

I bought SP Micronite based on you're reviews and it is a very nice string so thanks for that!

ls206 · May 10, 2013

^ Do you get a pinging noise with Micronite?
I'm using a dampener but still get a ping on contact... in terms of buying a reel it's a deal breaker for me :-/

mikeler · May 10, 2013

ls206 said:
^ Do you get a pinging noise with Micronite?
I'm using a dampener but still get a ping on contact... in terms of buying a reel it's a deal breaker for me :-/

I never got a pinging noise from Micronite or any other soft multi.

mmk · May 10, 2013

So I tried 17g Dunlop DNA last night. I had strung it at 57 lbs in a Dunlop 200G XL (hotmelt) 16X18 a couple nights earlier. I've tried and not liked Rip Control 16g and MCS, but since I'm trying to get over GE, I've decided to give multis another chance, as well as other strings like Ashaway Monogut ZX.

I liked DNA a lot more than the Rip or MCS, it didn't feel totally dead. One big downside was that DNA started moving from the first ball I hit during short court warmup, there were times during the match that mains were touching after a point. As much as the mains moved, they were difficult to put back in place, the mains really stuck to the crosses. If I stuck with DNA I'd have to consider getting a String Thing.

Right now I'm more inclined to go with Monogut ZX. ZX is more like polyester, it snaps back in place, at least it has during the 6 hours I've used it, and I like the feel of ZX better than DNA. The DNA might be a bit easier on my elbow, so I'll give it a few more matches. I've still got a package of PPA and Head FiberGel to try out.

mikeler · May 10, 2013

mmk said:
So I tried 17g Dunlop DNA last night. I had strung it at 57 lbs in a Dunlop 200G XL (hotmelt) 16X18 a couple nights earlier. I've tried and not liked Rip Control 16g and MCS, but since I'm trying to get over GE, I've decided to give multis another chance, as well as other strings like Ashaway Monogut ZX.

I liked DNA a lot more than the Rip or MCS, it didn't feel totally dead. One big downside was that DNA started moving from the first ball I hit during short court warmup, there were times during the match that mains were touching after a point. As much as the mains moved, they were difficult to put back in place, the mains really stuck to the crosses. If I stuck with DNA I'd have to consider getting a String Thing.

Right now I'm more inclined to go with Monogut ZX. ZX is more like polyester, it snaps back in place, at least it has during the 6 hours I've used it, and I like the feel of ZX better than DNA. The DNA might be a bit easier on my elbow, so I'll give it a few more matches. I've still got a package of PPA and Head FiberGel to try out.

Interesting. The 16g DNA did not move much in the Exos until about a set before they broke. I'll have my first hit with Monogut tomorrow.

Mikeler's Multis

Legend

Moderator

Professional

Legend

Moderator

Legend

Legend

Semi-Pro

Legend

Moderator

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Legend

Legend

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Moderator

Legend

Moderator

Semi-Pro

Legend

Semi-Pro

Moderator

Rookie

Semi-Pro

Moderator

Legend

Moderator

New User

Moderator

New User

Moderator

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Moderator

Legend

Moderator

Rookie

Moderator

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Legend

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Hall of Fame

Moderator

Similar threads