Francis27
Semi-Pro
Thanks
Would you suggest a full bed or hybrid? But if the string moves to much then ill do hybrid, string movement drives me crazy!
Mikeler's Multis
- Thread starter mikeler
- Start date
Thanks
Would you suggest a full bed or hybrid? But if the string moves to much then ill do hybrid, string movement drives me crazy!
mikeler
Moderator
Thanks
What Ramon said is correct. It stiffens up but not terribly so. This string is fairly rough and does not move very much. It really depends on what you want out of your string bed. If you want more spin and control, go with poly mains. If you want more power and feel, go full bed PPA.
Francis27
Semi-Pro
Thanks again im probably gonna try a durable, tension maintenance string that does not go dead fast probably gonna try lux 4g or SPPP
mikeler
Moderator
PPA has pretty good durability as a full job. Just be careful it may last a long time as a cross (never tried it) so consider cutting the poly out if you start getting past the 10 hour mark.
Francis27
Semi-Pro
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
What is the spinniest multi with great power and control ? Thanks
mikeler
Moderator
X-1 Biphase in the first 2 hours. FYI, I plan on retrying this string in the Exo Tour but this time I'll prestretch the string to hopefully solve the tension loss problems I experienced last time.
Lambsscroll
Hall of Fame
Mike, have you tried VS Touch (BT7) natural gut? The new coating is kinda ridiculous. It takes forever to start fraying. As a bonus the various textured polys I use in the cross don't seem to make deep notches.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
I already use that string. any others ?
newyorkstadium
Professional
Did you use a full bed for all your multi reviews? Same for the wilson natural gut review.
Some strings that I think you should look at:
WeissCANNON Explosiv! 1.30
nxt tour 17
Head FXP Power 16
Gamma TNT2 Rx 16
Gosen Nanosilver 17
Some strings that I think you should look at:
WeissCANNON Explosiv! 1.30
nxt tour 17
Head FXP Power 16
Gamma TNT2 Rx 16
Gosen Nanosilver 17
mikeler
Moderator
Never used it.
Look at post #1 of this thread for rankings of all the multis I've used and links to all the reviews.
All these reviews are full bed including wilson natural gut. I've tried Explosiv as a cross. I don't buy 17g multis so NXT Tour 17 is out. Head FXP Power is sold at my local shop so there is a chance I'll try that some day. Gamma TNT2 was so bad for me I really don't want to try out any other variations of it. Nanosilver looks more like a mono string. I've not been very happy with the Gosen multi or OG Micro Sheep in the past.
Hi Mikeler! A good friend of mine that's older than me still plays with wood rackets. He is a flat ball hitter and has been out of tennis for six months because of shoulder surgery. I was going to give him as a present some gut but I just ordered a racket and my budget is tight. So, I was thinking of getting him Mantis Comfort Synthetic whigh is very soft but as you said low powered (specially if compared to gut). What do you think? I plan on buying through Tennis Warehosue this time so please please dont suggest Genesis Thunderblast. Will Mantis Comfort Synthetic full bed be a good idea? I think he wont break them that fast as he does not hit with spin. Anyhow, I want to give him a very soft string for his wood racket so his shoulder won''t bother him.
Will Mantis Comfort Synthetic full bed be a good idea? I think he wont break them that fast as he does not hit with spin. Anyhow, I want to give him a very soft string for his wood racket so his shoulder won''t bother him.
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mikeler
Moderator
Hi Mikeler! A good friend of mine that's older than me still plays with wood rackets. He is a flat ball hitter and has been out of tennis for six months because of shoulder surgery. I was going to give him as a present some gut but I just ordered a racket and my budget is tight. So, I was thinking of getting him Mantis Comfort Synthetic whigh is very soft but as you said low powered (specially if compared to gut). What do you think? I plan on buying through Tennis Warehosue this time so please please dont suggest Genesis Thunderblast.
Having never used a wood racket, I have no idea how Mantis Comfort will play but the number one priority is arm health so you can't go wrong with that string. He may just have to play around with the tension to get the desired power level.
Thanks
Try them both. I use a full bed because my arm doesn't like poly. I've strung poly/multi hybrids for friends with it and gotten some good feedback. On my APDGT and Ki 5x the movement is minimal. Just make sure the crosses are the right tension. Some careless stringers don't get enough tension on the crosses because they rush through jobs.
PPA is durable for a multi, but I have broken it in under 4 hours twice due to a shank. If you don't shank it, it will last a long time.
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newyorkstadium
Professional
Would you consider the NXT tour 16? Did you like the esxplosiv as a cross? Again, would you consider reviewing it?
Thanks
mikeler
Moderator
I'd think the shank risk is a little less on the crosses. Most of my shanks have been up near the top of the hoop but I did catch a cross one time on a shank up there.
I may consider the NXT Tour 16 one day if I can get a deal on it. I'm not paying full retail. The setup with Explosiv in the crosses were not for me but that was probably due more to the poly mains I tried them with. I may try it out in the future. Here are the reviews with the Explosiv crosses:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=373884
mikeler
Moderator
I'm playtesting Gamma Professional 16 full job right now. My next playtests are probably going to be in the following order:
1. Ashaway Dynamite Tough 16, full job
2. Volkl Power Fiber II 16, full job
3. Isospeed Control Classic 16, full job
4. **** 16 multi, full job
5. X1 Biphase 16 (with prestretch), full job
6. Prince Premiere Attack 16, full job
7. Weiss Cannon B5E 17/Discho Microfibre 16
8. Weiss Cannon B5E 17/Genesis Thunder Blast 16
9. Weiss Cannon B5E 17/Babolat NvY 16
10. ???????????
How many hours do you have into it now?
mikeler
Moderator
I am at 7 sets of singles and 2 short sets of doubles after last night. I measured the tension loss before I played last night's match.
Crosses don't break too often for me. There are only a few that I remember breaking the cross first in a full bed.
I'm going to guess that that is about 6 hours? If you're anything like me, you're probably right about entering "could brake anytime now" zone...
mikeler
Moderator
They look ready to break. Playing both days this weekend.
mikeler
Moderator
Final tally on Gamma Pro is 8 sets of singles and 2 sets of doubles. Broke it at the end of the first set today. Had a chance to hit with Dynamite. Pretty good stuff, I just wish I had followed their tension recommendation to string even lower. I ignored it because I thought stringing at 45 or lower was just crazy. Oh well...
mikeler
Moderator
I forgot to mention that I tried out Volkl Power Fiber for 1 game. Dynamite and Power Fiber are the most firm multis I've used since I got the Exos. The Dynamite is VERY crisp for those who like that feeling. I'm impressed enough with Dynamite that I'll probably try MonoGut. Nice to see an American company putting out some good stuff.
I'll try and post a Gamma Pro review today or tomorrow. It will probably be just below Dunlop DNA on the list.
I'll try and post a Gamma Pro review today or tomorrow. It will probably be just below Dunlop DNA on the list.
mikeler
Moderator
I made a last minute audible and strung up the **** multi instead of the planned Isospeed Control Classic. The **** is super slick and was easy to string. It was surprisingly crisp and powerful just bouncing balls off it. Spin did not seem like anything special with the old ball bounce test. It had one of the clearest RacquetTune signals I can remember.
parasailing
Legend
Looking forward to your review on the **** multi. I think it's just too bad you and I never had a chance to try out LaserFibre Super Natural Pro Stock.
mikeler
Moderator
I put the Ashaway back in the bag after a set of dubs and a set of singles. The stiffness was causing some minor aches in my wrist. I alternated between power fiber 2 and **** the next set of singles. The **** looks like DM, just a little darker in color. It plays like DM too. The Power Fiber 2 is easily the best of the Volkl line that I have tried.
mrmike
Semi-Pro
I was thinking you may like the Power Fiber 2 especially in that soft Prince frame. When I cut it out of my C10 Pro and strung up DM at the same tension (60 lbs) shots were flying on me. Right now I am really liking the RIP 17 strung up in one of my frames right now. Just dead enough to dampen out some of the C10's pop, easy on the arm, and good spin.
mikeler
Moderator
mikeler
Moderator
Gamma Pro is a high priced hit
OK, here is my review in the TW format of the Gamma Professional 16. I got this one at 30% off, otherwise I would have not paid $20 for a multi.
Nothing to report on stringing, no problems.
Tension it is strung: 50 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Discho Microfibre 16 @ 50 pounds
Racket: Prince Exo3 Tour
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 18
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered multi
Feel: Outstanding
Tension maintenance: Final tension loss reading was 12.5% on RacquetTune
Price: $19.95/set, does not look like reels are offered on TW
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: This string just does everything pretty well.
Serve/Return of Serve: First serve was good and second serve seemed to keep me at neutral.
Strokes: It was pretty good on both wings especially slices. My 2 hander did not seem to have many winners with it but not a bunch of errors either. Average spin for a multi.
Volleys: Pretty good, overheads had good pop.
Touch shots: Really good.
Softness: The string feels very soft to me, no arm issues
Tension: Seemed close to ideal.
Durability: I played 8 sets of singles with it and 2 sets of doubles. That is good durability in the Exo Tour. The strings were just starting to get notched about an hour before it broke. The crosses get beat up pretty good but they held up.
Movement: String movement was average for a multi meaning they move a decent amount.
Conclusion: At $20/pack, I'll only buy a string if it allows me to beat all of my opponent and have them begging for mercy. This string did not turn me into Superman. It's good but the price versus performance is not worth it for my wallet. Now if you can find a good deal on it or you know somebody on the boards who posts a lot on this thread with connections, then maybe it is a pretty good deal.
OK, here is my review in the TW format of the Gamma Professional 16. I got this one at 30% off, otherwise I would have not paid $20 for a multi.
Nothing to report on stringing, no problems.
Tension it is strung: 50 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Discho Microfibre 16 @ 50 pounds
Racket: Prince Exo3 Tour
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 18
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered multi
Feel: Outstanding
Tension maintenance: Final tension loss reading was 12.5% on RacquetTune
Price: $19.95/set, does not look like reels are offered on TW
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: This string just does everything pretty well.
Serve/Return of Serve: First serve was good and second serve seemed to keep me at neutral.
Strokes: It was pretty good on both wings especially slices. My 2 hander did not seem to have many winners with it but not a bunch of errors either. Average spin for a multi.
Volleys: Pretty good, overheads had good pop.
Touch shots: Really good.
Softness: The string feels very soft to me, no arm issues
Tension: Seemed close to ideal.
Durability: I played 8 sets of singles with it and 2 sets of doubles. That is good durability in the Exo Tour. The strings were just starting to get notched about an hour before it broke. The crosses get beat up pretty good but they held up.
Movement: String movement was average for a multi meaning they move a decent amount.
Conclusion: At $20/pack, I'll only buy a string if it allows me to beat all of my opponent and have them begging for mercy. This string did not turn me into Superman. It's good but the price versus performance is not worth it for my wallet. Now if you can find a good deal on it or you know somebody on the boards who posts a lot on this thread with connections, then maybe it is a pretty good deal.
OK, here is my review in the TW format of the Gamma Professional 16. I got this one at 30% off, otherwise I would have not paid $20 for a multi.
Nothing to report on stringing, no problems.
Tension it is strung: 50 pounds on a lockout machine full bed
Your regular string set up: Discho Microfibre 16 @ 50 pounds
Racket: Prince Exo3 Tour
String pattern of your racquet: 16 x 18
Power (or lack there of): Medium powered multi
Feel: Outstanding
Tension maintenance: Final tension loss reading was 12.5% on RacquetTune
Price: $19.95/set, does not look like reels are offered on TW
Overall comments and feedback: See below
General: This string just does everything pretty well.
Serve/Return of Serve: First serve was good and second serve seemed to keep me at neutral.
Strokes: It was pretty good on both wings especially slices. My 2 hander did not seem to have many winners with it but not a bunch of errors either. Average spin for a multi.
Volleys: Pretty good, overheads had good pop.
Touch shots: Really good.
Softness: The string feels very soft to me, no arm issues
Tension: Seemed close to ideal.
Durability: I played 8 sets of singles with it and 2 sets of doubles. That is good durability in the Exo Tour. The strings were just starting to get notched about an hour before it broke. The crosses get beat up pretty good but they held up.
Movement: String movement was average for a multi meaning they move a decent amount.
Conclusion: At $20/pack, I'll only buy a string if it allows me to beat all of my opponent and have them begging for mercy. This string did not turn me into Superman. It's good but the price versus performance is not worth it for my wallet. Now if you can find a good deal on it or you know somebody on the boards who posts a lot on this thread with connections, then maybe it is a pretty good deal.
Yay! This is my favorite review so far!
Gamma Professional FTW!
X one Biphase
Mikeler ,looking forward to your playtest /review on x1 biphase ,just strung a
set of 17ga in my pb10mid with a very long 60 sec prestretch ,it took all the
elasticity out of the string ( it stretched out over 10-12 inches) and then laid
on the ground dead like . We will see if that cures the tension loss or kills the
great feel .
Mikeler ,looking forward to your playtest /review on x1 biphase ,just strung a
set of 17ga in my pb10mid with a very long 60 sec prestretch ,it took all the
elasticity out of the string ( it stretched out over 10-12 inches) and then laid
on the ground dead like . We will see if that cures the tension loss or kills the
great feel .
mikeler
Moderator
Definitely report back. I know somebody else on here tried prestretching and said it still lost a lot of tension. What I'm really curious about is if the "launching" aspect of X1 is really due to tension loss or if there is something else going on with the string as it ages.
parasailing
Legend
Gamma Professional is just so overrated unless you can get it for $10, I wouldn't even use that string. Top 3 for me is still X1, Kirschbaum Multifiber Touch, and Xcel Power.
mikeler
Moderator
So did you have problems with X1 and loss of control over time? The Kirschbaum was a little stiff (you probably would say crisp) for my liking. Xcel Power is still on the "to try" list.
parasailing
Legend
It is but there are so many other great strings out there that people don't know about and that this forum helps educate them on.
For me, Gamma Professional has always been a cut above all the other multis. Worth the retail price? Eh... that's hard to justify. But if just a straight string comparison where money is not part of the equation, I'm choosing GPro every time.
That said, there are some other really good multis in the $12 or $13 range. Live Wire Xp is actually one of them, as is Tier One Triumph.
mikeler
Moderator
mikeler
Moderator
Yes, I told them I'd test out another set when I'm 100% healthy (which is almost never the last few years).
djNEiGht
Legend
Ha...when are we ever 100% healthy.
The "intro" price of their reel is tempting but if it's something that I don't like...well...
I noticed they have a reel and string set package available "*use the extra string set to test the string. If you are not completely satisfied with the tennis string, just return the unopened, unused REEL and receive a FULL REFUND!". That might just be the smart thing to do as one's own experience is the best way to go.
The "intro" price of their reel is tempting but if it's something that I don't like...well...
I noticed they have a reel and string set package available "*use the extra string set to test the string. If you are not completely satisfied with the tennis string, just return the unopened, unused REEL and receive a FULL REFUND!". That might just be the smart thing to do as one's own experience is the best way to go.
djNEiGht
Legend
My ears are perked. I'm a fan Live Wire XP. (hhhmm...reel price is looking pretty good here too)
Yes, I can. To be honest (and I almost hate to say it), but if you are even the slightest bit budget conscious, then I think Live Wire XP is the way to go.
The two strings feel extremely similar and play so similarly that it's hard to justify GPro over LWXP for most people. I'm not saying there is no difference. There is, GPro is still the ultimate in feel in my opinion. There's just something about it that no other strings has. X-1 is "nice", NXT is "nice", all those top-tier multis are "nice" but for me, that's all they are. Nice.
They are soft and comfortable to be sure, but they feel spongy or springy or mushy or some combination of all 3 that I can't quite articulate.
GPro is AMAZINGLY soft, but doesn't give me that spongey or springy sensation, which is why I feel it's such a unique multi.
I'm also no stranger to natural gut (Pacific, Klip, Babolat -- I've tried them all). Natural gut is wonderful and there is nothing quite like it.
But when it comes to multis pretending to be natural gut, GPro is HANDS DOWN the closest one. It's the ONLY one that feels very similar to natural gut to me. All the other multis are just "nice" soft/comfy multis, but any experienced player would never be fooled into thinking it's natural gut, not even close.
Live Wire XP is just a "notch" below GPro on the playability scale. I'm going to say that if you aren't AT LEAST a solid 4.0, you might not even notice the difference between XP and GPro. Maybe you have to string XP a pound or two lower to get the same feel, but man, it's pretty darn close.
One thing I noticed is that GPro shows very little sign of wear before breaking. XP on the other hand, frays a lot, and it will play for quite a while in that frayed state. Some people say nut gut gets better as it frays. I don't know if that's the case with XP or not -- I didn't pay that much attention.
The take away is: if you are paying retail, I think XP is the better value. Sometimes you will find GPro on special if you buy in quantity. In that case, you can get the price of it down close to XP's price, in which case, I think GPro is still the slightly better string and definitely worth paying for.
Hope this helps.
If I am not mistaken, Live Wire XP is not available in reels. Don't confuse Live Wire XP with Live Wire Original. They are not the same, and XP is the far better string.
EDIT: Looks like there are some places that have it, but I'm not sure if they still make it in reels, so there might be a limited qty if reels available. I will look into this; I have a contact who will know for sure.
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mikeler
Moderator
Excellent comparison. That LiveWire XP is in my local store so there is no way it can go untested.
Welcome anytime mikeler, just drop us an email
Will do, thanks again for sending the first set.
So just a quick update for anyone who is interested. I had been trying GPro crossed with a cheapy string to see if I could get the same feel.
The combo I tried was GPro/Forten Sweet. Again, felt nice, but I only got 4 hours.
What's interesting though, is that tonight my GPro/Foren broke, so I grabbed the last racquet in my bag that didn't have broken strings, which happened to be one that I strung with full GPro at 60/58 (constant pull, 10% prestretch). I hadn't been using it as much, b/c it was too tight for me.
But MAN, I was almost lulled into thinking the GPro/Forten Sweet had as much feel as full GPro..... UNTIL I picked up the full GPro.
It's night and day. I'm reminded once again of why I love a full bed of GPro so much. The FEEL is just tremendous.
I will now be buying 50 packs of it. Yes, you read that right. 50 packs. That's how much I love it.
PS. I still had a half pack of GPro, so I decided to string it with Zo Power 18 mains and GPro 16 crosses at 50 (constant pull). I likely will not be hybriding GPro anymore after this, but I thought I'd give this one a go. Haven't tried it yet -- just strung it tonight. Will report back if it's any good (this is actually the first time I've ever used GPro as a cross, my general feeling being that it's such a great string that it's a waste to use it as a cross, but we'll see!)
The combo I tried was GPro/Forten Sweet. Again, felt nice, but I only got 4 hours.
What's interesting though, is that tonight my GPro/Foren broke, so I grabbed the last racquet in my bag that didn't have broken strings, which happened to be one that I strung with full GPro at 60/58 (constant pull, 10% prestretch). I hadn't been using it as much, b/c it was too tight for me.
But MAN, I was almost lulled into thinking the GPro/Forten Sweet had as much feel as full GPro..... UNTIL I picked up the full GPro.
It's night and day. I'm reminded once again of why I love a full bed of GPro so much. The FEEL is just tremendous.
I will now be buying 50 packs of it. Yes, you read that right. 50 packs. That's how much I love it.
PS. I still had a half pack of GPro, so I decided to string it with Zo Power 18 mains and GPro 16 crosses at 50 (constant pull). I likely will not be hybriding GPro anymore after this, but I thought I'd give this one a go. Haven't tried it yet -- just strung it tonight. Will report back if it's any good (this is actually the first time I've ever used GPro as a cross, my general feeling being that it's such a great string that it's a waste to use it as a cross, but we'll see!)
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