Old String Question for the experienced

[dak95_00]

I was bored this evening after string a handful of racquets the last few days and decided to string one of my own. I haven't been playing or doing much lately.

Anyways, I had an old set of strings that came w/ my Ektelon Model D and I'd never used & I've since sold that machine and bought another like it.....That's another story.

I strung my POG 90 with PDP Dura-Chrome. The set says, "Package contains 22' & 11' of L15 Gauge Gut String."

I didn't know how to string with these two lengths and just made it work since I knew I only needed 33' of string. Any thoughts from the experienced classic stringers? It has a green ribbon to it that makes it look like it was made for a POG. I've only string w/ gut now a few times. I wasn't too concerned with quality of job since it was my racquet but midway through I was questioning why I didn't ask before I started.

[coachrick]

The POG 90 might have been a little tougher than something like the Red Head or the PDP Open(for which the string was 'designed', I believe). The idea behind the string pattern was to string all the mains and a half-dozen or so of the bottom crosses with the 22' section, finishing the crosses with the 11' piece. This necessarily put a 'tie-off' in the middle of the crosses...not something most stringers want to try. With the PG 90 pattern, you would have a long end of the mains looping down to the appropriate cross and string up to the top tie-off. Then, start the rest of the crosses in the 'middle' and finish the crosses per normal. Getting the proper tension on that 'middle' cross was the trick.

The reason for the 22' lengths was simple ease of production. It was easier to QC a shorter length of nat gut and 22/11 worked on the early 'conventional' sized rackets.

There was at least one string supplier(70s into the 80s) who shipped their NYLON strings in 22' coils...Winn, I believe. The idea was the 22' coil could be cut to mate with two other 22' coils for two 'full' sets.

These youngsters have it SOOOOO easy these days .

[coachrick]

As I'm picturing the PG 90, I might have tried to string 10 mains with the 11' section and tried a finesse by stringing the two outer mains on one side, top cross and the other two outside mains which would put you back at the top of the face to then finish the crosses like a normal job with the longer piece. Have to hope the football game you have on at the time isn't too interesting .

I believe the gut was actually made by American Eagle who also made a similar looking 'Rough' Gut favored by Roscoe Tanner.

[Steve Huff]

You should be able to string the POG 90 with 33' of string. It has a 14 x 18 pattern doesn't it? Give yourself 6' on the short side with the long string. You might have to be a little creative. If you have enough left over with the short side, string the top cross and tie off. If you want to be safe, just start stringing the crosses down from there and tie off to the previous cross. Or, after the last main on the long side, bring the string down to about the 7th cross and string back toward the top. Then, use the short side and do a starting knot where you left off and string toward the bottom.

Coachrick has a good memory. I have a set of Winn string here and it, indeed, is 22 x 11.

[coachrick]

Originally Posted by Steve Huff

You should be able to string the POG 90 with 33' of string. It has a 14 x 18 pattern doesn't it?
Coachrick has a good memory. I have a set of Winn string here and it, indeed, is 22 x 11.

The PG 90 can be strung with a bit less than 30'. I had two highly ranked players using those and they would always be sent sets of string from the sponsors. I had a LOT of 10 foot pieces of string left over with those! It was sure a treat stringing those for the two young ladies. I finished 6 on Christmas Eve one year and dropped them off at their house before they were finished with their errands that day!(One of the girls was headed to Oz the day after Christmas). I reckon that's one reason the girls were clients for over 10 years . Got my biggest ever 'tip' from that family...200 sets of string that wholesaled for ~$6 each. That Japanese string manufacturer was VERY smitten with the tall pretty blonde ranked #2 in the US Juniors at the time.

[dak95_00]

Originally Posted by coachrick

This necessarily put a 'tie-off' in the middle of the crosses...not something most stringers want to try. With the PG 90 pattern, you would have a long end of the mains looping down to the appropriate cross and string up to the top tie-off. Then, start the rest of the crosses in the 'middle' and finish the crosses per normal. Getting the proper tension on that 'middle' cross was the trick.

This is what I did^^^. I just thought it looked funky but worked. I'll take it out and hit. I've never played with gut strings before. While I was stringing I was thinking to myself, "I should've just sold this set on **** to someone would've really like to have a retro set for an old racquet. Oh well. This is an old racquet too." and back to stringing. I also thought about posting a pic but didn't want to take grief for having knots at the 6th cross from the top on both sides. At least it's symmetrical!

[dak95_00]

I can't even imagine stringing gut in a woodie with shared holes. That would've been just awful w/ those tight patterns.

[coachrick]

Originally Posted by dak95_00

This is what I did^^^. I just thought it looked funky but worked. I'll take it out and hit. I've never played with gut strings before. While I was stringing I was thinking to myself, "I should've just sold this set on **** to someone would've really like to have a retro set for an old racquet. Oh well. This is an old racquet too." and back to stringing. I also thought about posting a pic but didn't want to take grief for having knots at the 6th cross from the top on both sides. At least it's symmetrical!

Originally Posted by dak95_00

I can't even imagine stringing gut in a woodie with shared holes. That would've been just awful w/ those tight patterns.

Well, you put it in a color-appropriate classic frame...good on ya for taking the chance . I might have tried it in one of my Yonex 'Greenies'...the aluminum 8500 from the 70s. Finding an extra tie-off hole in the right spot is pretty tricky.

And, yeah, nat gut was a bear in the tight patterned, shared holes rackets of the old days. We would usually 'burn out' and/or awl out some of the holes in a wood frame before stringing with gut...even tougher were the Arthur Ashe Comp series sticks. Those had foam in the core and the holes would 'close up' as they were being strung, making shared holes with a soft string a real pain!

[Steve Huff]

And that DuraChrome gut was about the most textured natural gut I've ever seen. PDP sent me some of it when I was using the PDP Open. The throat piece wouldn't stay in place, so they'd send me a new one and include a set or 2 of the Durachrome gut.