PV Audio's Playtest Thread

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by Up&comer

Overheads are the only shot I can think of that are almost entirely dependent confidence. You can hit forehands and backhands and get back into a rhythm. Not overheads. You just have one or you don't.

For sure. You butcher your first 2 or 3 and it usually goes downhill from there.

[Up&comer]

Originally Posted by mikeler

For sure. You butcher your first 2 or 3 and it usually goes downhill from there.

Yep. It's like a golf swing. You know exactly what you have to do- keep your head still, watch to contact, and keep your body turned so your shoulder is facing the net. But it's so darn hard to do unless you drill for endless hours (Which I have ).

[mixedmedia]

Originally Posted by MambaT

4lbs = the difference between love and hate

So you think he should have gone up/down 4 pounds on the setup? Right now I'm stringing WT/Scorp at 54/50 (probably will try 53/49). What would that mean for me if I decide to try Strom Metal too

Or were you referring to a different previously mentioned setup?

[MambaT]

I just think that with what he described, 42/38 might have been too low. Full poly in the low 40s is ideal. With gut in the mains, I would bump that up a little.

You have a full set. Try it where you normally string your other setup and if that seems tight, try it down 3-4 lbs.

I string full O-Power at 44, but when I play it in crosses with gut mains I string it at 54/50. 52/48 is too soft. 54/50 is just right. But full bed O-Power that high I hate.

[mixedmedia]

Many thanks, MambaT! I'll follow your advice. (I hope PV will too, so it can get a fair evaluation.)

[levy1]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Drop down to 49/46, gut/Scorpion. I find that in the lower tensions, WT gets too lively.

OK but I am a little confused at your statement. Are you saying 49/46 is not a low tension in your opinion?

[levy1]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Before I delve into the categories, a little background on this natty since many of you may not be familiar with it. This is the bumf from the e.Bay seller's page, so I didn't write this:



This is the description for the Whisper Touch string. I also have their string in 1.25 gauge, but have not used it.

The natural guts that I carry for stringing are the following:
Babolat Tonic 15L
Babolat VS Team 17g
Global Gut 17g
Klip Legend 17g
Pacific Prime 17g

I have used VS, Klip and Global in the mains, and those three plus tonic in the crosses (all as hybrids). In the mains, VS is the best by a long shot. In the crosses, VS is the best simply because it does not fray as badly, but the feel is better than Global and Tonic which are tied.

Since I cannot link to the Bay page, I'll describe the string's appearance. They say that they use a polyurethane coating like on furniture which gives it a glossy appearance and helps with stringing. Now, as is evident from my username, I have a strong basis in audio and thus in loudspeaker building and have used polyurethane to finish speaker cabinets many a time. Therefore, I know its properties: dries hard, dries clear and yet is flammable. The string that you receive is so clear, and I mean so transparent, that I did not believe for one second that it was natural gut. It looked like a natural colored version of Pro Supex syn gut original: it was that transparent. So, I figured that if they're telling the truth, that I could literally light the string on fire, which should make the polyurethane coating go up in flames quickly and reveal the gut below which should expand immediately. So.....that's what I did! I cut a 1" section off of the string, took a Bic to it, and immediately the entire thing burst into flames and quadrupled in size. There was a definite smell of polyurethane/lacquer and of burning flesh: this stuff truly is natural gut despite the crystal clear appearance.

Onto the actual playtest:

Stringing: Scorpion, like all WC strings, is a breeze to string. No coil memory, easy to tie off, easy on the fingers. Since it was just in the mains, no problems whatsoever. Now comes the interesting part: the crosses. The gut, when woven, is about as hard to weave as a low coil memory poly. Therefore, I'd put its ease of stringing in between a stiff multi and a soft poly, but definitely easier to weave than any of the other Babolat or Klip guts let alone the rope, I mean, Global gut. What's interesting is that the string looks crystal clear while weaving, but the moment you pull tension on it, it literally transforms before your eyes into a cloudy string where you can see the individual sinews and takes on an appearance identical to VS. You really need to see this to understand it: it looks crystal clear, to the point that I stepped on it multiple times because i saw right through it while it was on the carpet while I was doing the mains, but when tensioned, the fibrous nature is immediately apparent. Tension: 56.5 / 58.5

Playability: This is, without question, the best playing string setup that I have ever used in my entire life. Nothing else even compares. Honestly, not even VS crosses compare. I am not putting it to either string, but rather the combination of a crispy yet soft poly main and a natural gut cross. It just so happens that both strings happen to be the best of their respective breeds. The power is EFFORTLESS. Wrist flick shots are dime a dozen. You can modulate the amount of power simply by how much force you put behind each shot, OR, you can accelerate your racquet more quickly for more spin. Oh, the spin. This setup generates spin levels on par with some of the top textured strings. Why that is, I don't know, but the harder you hit (assuming you have a topspin generating stroke), the more the ball dives into the court at the last second. It only goes long when you flatten it out for no reason. Feel at the net is incredible, but then again, just about all natty setups are great at the net. I took off the rubber band and felt no increase in feel, but that'd be pretty difficult since the touch possible with this setup is pretty much untouchable, no pun intended.

Durability: All good things must come to an end: PerforMAXX does not lie or hide anything back in their descriptions. The WhisperTouch is definitely meant for those with a moderate swing speed with a flatter trajectory on most balls. Scorpion is not textured, and yet, after an hour and fifteen minutes of serving drills, the crosses are frayed more than all of the previously mentioned setups combined. I expect that in a match, the crosses are going after about a set if you're lucky. I think that the 1.30 or 1.25 is more appropriate for a modern topspin stroke...and they say as such in their advertising. I wanted the ultimate in playability so I chose the thinnest gauge and paid the price. So, expect to see me using the 1.25 as my next playtest cross string.

Overall: 9.25/10





Well, the gut finally broke on me. Sorry, no pics as I dont' have a camera here. Either way, here's how it stacks up:

In the end:

WeissCANNON Scorpion 1.22 / PerforMAXX WhisperTouch 17L Natural Gut

Power: 8.5/10

Control: 9/10

Feel: 9.5/10

Spin: 8.75/10

Durability: 8/10

Tension Maintenance: 9.75/10

Total: 53.5/60

Final Total: 89/100

This one will certainly be hard to beat. The poly had long gone dead, but yet the gut just did its job and kept the feel to the point that it played like a low-feel poly setup. I honestly cannot see myself finding a better setup.

What is the tension setup for this?

[mixedmedia]

Originally Posted by levy1

OK but I am a little confused at your statement. Are you saying 49/46 is not a low tension in your opinion?

These days it might be considered mid, not low.

[pvaudio]

Performaxx Light Touch / ThunderStrings Storm 1.25





Stringing: This was about as middle of the road as it gets as far as stringing. Natural gut mains, and a medium stiff poly. Not buttery smooth like CoFocus or a Weisscannon offering, but not like Alien. In other words, just what you'd expect. No notching, knots were easy and it just looks nice. Strung 42/38.


Groundstrokes: As I've said before, this setup is unique. Not groundbreaking or earth shattering, but simply unique. With that said, it's speciality does not line up with my goals. The strings feel as though they simply absorb incoming pace and redirect it with the same amount regardless. This would work if you play defensively or a pushing oriented counter-punching game. Seeing as I do neither, it doesn't work for me. Not the spin I was expecting, and the lack of flat shot ability makes it hard to close off points.
Overall: 7.5/10

Serves: Unimpressed for the same reasons as above. There is simply just not enough solid power transfer. It makes every serve want to be super consistent. That's fine if you want to play that sort of game. Considering I serve to the corners and the body, that's not really useful for me. There isn't enough spin again to make it hard to return. It sits up on anything but the fastest of hard courts (extrapolation since 99% of recreational hard courts are slow).
Overall: 8/10

Volleys: Interesting here. You would expect to have a lot of feel and be able to place volleys as you please, but it doesn't really work that way. You end up making more errors at the net than you expect because again the stringbed sucks the ball into it, and you need to toss it into the court. That's not good for an offensive volley. Overheads are much the same.
Overall: 7/10

Durability: Nothing broken here and no notching. String movement and snap-back is excellent, and due to the low tension, I would say the gut will last a long time. However, the poly likely will run out of steam quickly. I can't say that without having it happen, but it's a common trend with low tension setups.
Overall: 8/10

What we have here is a very specific player's setup. If you play defense, you owe it to yourself to try this. If you are a pusher, you must put this in your racquet. If you counter-punch, fool around with the tension. If you play all-court, serve-volley or baselining, look elsewhere. This is not for the offensive player. Your shots will not penetrate with any troubling pace or action. Will they go in? Yes. Will that be relevant since your opponent can dictate the point until he makes an error? Not at all. So it's really up to your game, and because of that, I can't rate it poorly since it just didn't work for me. I'll give it a slightly higher rating as I can see players with other styles loving its characteristics.

Overall: 8.25/10

[mixedmedia]

Might you consider trying it at a higher tension, as suggested above?

[pvaudio]

Ray does indeed know what he's doing, so I believe I may

[mixedmedia]

Awesome. I too will take his suggestion once my set arrives.

[ethebull]

Truely amazed at your conclusions on a few hours of play, You are a string savant.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by ethebull

Truely amazed at your conclusions on a few hours of play, You are a string savant.

Yep, another great review.

[Bahama Scott]

PV, would you kindly provide a complete review for these two setups, like you did for the one above on LT and Thunderstrings all at 41? I have searched and searched and can only find snippets of info about each but they seems to continue to be your favorites but I cant find thorough reviews and comparisons.
Thanks in advance.

[Up&comer]

Originally Posted by levy1

What is the tension setup for this?

56.5/58.5.

[levy1]

Originally Posted by pvaudio

Drop down to 49/46, gut/Scorpion. I find that in the lower tensions, WT gets too lively.

Getting ready to string up your best setup. So to make sure I string the Scorpion in the mains at 46 and the gut in the crosses at 49? Do I have this right?

[blkkirk]

PV thank you again for all your play tests. I have tried many of them which has saved me time and money. Just starting to try performax LT. Started with LT in the mains(40) and MSV in the crosses at 37. Nice setup but am getting a lot of cross movement with the msv. I think I will up my tension on the cross next time. I strung it to 40/40.

I wanted to bring to your attention that the Cyclone 18g is much better than the 17g. I have heard this from others also. It is my favorite setup to date in a full bed or any hybrid that I have tried. I know you tried the 17g string at a much higher tension but notice you have been dropping your tension down. Might be worth a retry at the 18g and lower tension.

[thebeast73]

do you think dropping p'maxx gut mains with mosquito bite crosses to 25 pounds would be too low?

[mixedmedia]

I certainly wouldn't try it!