Best Natrual Gut Strings?

SJSA

SJSA

Professional
I never have played with natural gut strings before.
I know Babolat VS is the most popular in the market.
Any other natural gut strings do you want to recommend me for comfort and durability?
Thanks!
 
Most people here claim that Wilson gut is the old VS gut formula which was the most popular and most expensive.
 
Do a search, there have been polls, questions, everything. My personal favorite is Pacific Classic or Prime depending on the frame I'm playing with.
 
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I am no expert. In the last 17 months I have used full beds of

4 frames with Babolat 16g
1 frame with Wilson 16g
1 frame with Wilson 17g

I never quite believed other posters claiming Wilson as softer. After playing 100+ sessions with the aforementioned Wilson is much softer. I cannot prove it. But I can feel it.
 
Yup I tried both ToughGut and Prime and Prince is still better. It's just softer and more elastic than Prime though difference is probably about 10% so not as obvious compared to ToughGut which was just stiff.
 
Toughgut's the longest lasting I've ever used. I can't seem to break it. I could barely notch the damn thing.
 
So Wilson appears to play better then Babolat BT7, but which one lasts longer? At that price, durability would be a big issue for me.
 
it notch on me about 10hrs of playing time. still plays good keeps me winning on my matches 4.0 also holds tension very well. poly main/tough gut cross!
 
I have always just used whatever nat gut I could get my hands on cheap but aft using babolat vs I now see the advantages in sticking with that feels much better than pacific and klip IMO and lasts much longer too. When I did the sums it was actually cheaper from that standpoint. The initial cost is off putting... Look past this and you will be happier for it.
 
Do yourself a favor and try Babolat Tonic. Great gut at a good price and it lasts longer than any other gut I have tried. It was better before BT7 but it is still the best overall gut when you include price and durability.
 
Bigtime said:
I have had best success with Klip Legend. Currently using 15L. 9-12 months durability.

Tonic broke several times.
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I wanted to try Klip Legend but was given Borris Becker Hero. My first go-around with gut. Having a great time with it :) Getting another racquet strung up with Legend to compare
 
Bigtime said:
I have had best success with Klip Legend. Currently using 15L. 9-12 months durability.
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WOW! Can't imagine what your tension loss must have been over 9-12 months regardless of the brand, gauge, or string. Curious... do you recall liking the way it played better when you first got it strung or right before the strings broke? What was your original tension (and what racquet to you play)?
 
Pacific toughgut in the copper color which is hard to find, but to me it is by far the best.
 
AlfaAce said:
WOW! Can't imagine what your tension loss must have been over 9-12 months regardless of the brand, gauge, or string. Curious... do you recall liking the way it played better when you first got it strung or right before the strings broke? What was your original tension (and what racquet to you play)?
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Anyone that uses a string of any kind, any tension, any gauge and says it last them 9-12 months should please refrain from posting about strings here, and about string performance. Please spare us your input and non-relevant feedback. I'm sorry if that's harsh but we really need to start classifying here each posters level of play and frequency. I'm sorry but reading this is nauseating thinking someone may take this as quality info unless you are that players equal. I know I'm gonna get an earful but it's time we start classifying whose giving input here. I understand its an open forum but i still think quality or at least qualifying info should be top priority.
 
Since gut doesn't lose as much tension as other strings, and maintains a lot of resiliency over time if stored correctly, I don't see any reason a flat hitter shouldn't get months of time out of a gut string job, even if the player plays fairly often and hits hard. I've got 4 months on my gut/poly string jobs and the gut is barely frayed and playing great. I keep putting in stringsavers around the edges of the stringbed to make up for the poly tension loss. I play several times a week and hit harder and probably flatter than almost anyone on this board.
If you look at the classic racket forum, you will find instances where someone finds an old racket strung with gut that hadn't been played with for years and it hits just fine. In other cases, the strings don't respond well - it depends on how it is stored.

The gut is your friend. Take care of it.
 
NLBwell said:
Since gut doesn't lose as much tension as other strings, and maintains a lot of resiliency over time if stored correctly, I don't see any reason a flat hitter shouldn't get months of time out of a gut string job, even if the player plays fairly often and hits hard. I've got 4 months on my gut/poly string jobs and the gut is barely frayed and playing great. I keep putting in stringsavers around the edges of the stringbed to make up for the poly tension loss. I play several times a week and hit harder and probably flatter than almost anyone on this board.
If you look at the classic racket forum, you will find instances where someone finds an old racket strung with gut that hadn't been played with for years and it hits just fine. In other cases, the strings don't respond well - it depends on how it is stored.

The gut is your friend. Take care of it.
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If you qualify your statements with the above then the input can be taken correctly otherwise it's totally misleading. Even a flat hitter imparts spin and more than you may think. Gut well maintained can be good for extended periods but slow down on the year over year. If you are ok with that then performance, meaning match level importance, is not your priority and your level and goal of play should also be taken into consideration. If I was the flattest hitter in the world and I am playing tournament or even league tennis where performance is important and playing at a certain level and above then I am not using a string for those time frames. I am not talking about 3.0 mixed doubles league either !!
 
Crisp said:
I have always just used whatever nat gut I could get my hands on cheap but aft using babolat vs I now see the advantages in sticking with that feels much better than pacific and klip IMO and lasts much longer too. When I did the sums it was actually cheaper from that standpoint. The initial cost is off putting... Look past this and you will be happier for it.
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hmm. to me, bt7 is a serious let down on babolat NG.

it lost that "all mighty" feel..
 
grover said:
Do yourself a favor and try Babolat Tonic. Great gut at a good price and it lasts longer than any other gut I have tried. It was better before BT7 but it is still the best overall gut when you include price and durability.
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BT7 ruined ALL Babolat Natural Gut strings!
 
jim e said:
Not really, its human nature.
Is there a consensus on what the best automobile is?
All in the eyes of the beholder.
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agreed. I actually dont like babolat or wilson gut. I prefer pacific classic, i like how its slightly stiffer. vs/wilson is just too soft for me
 
vsbabolat said:
Yes it has. It's also one of the worst guts I have used.:evil:
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yeah, this has been non trivial problem for me last a year or so.

I keep lowering the tension and see if plays better.

I used to use 63-68 lbs on my 18x20 Prestige and now I'm trying 58 lbs with VS.

If this doesn't work, I go with wilson.
 
jim_e - OK thanks for letting me know you tried it, care to share what you thought of Prime Gut in comparison to some of the other gut strings on the market?

Should have been a bit more specific in my question :)
 
I have tried Pacific Prime 17 as well, next one up for me is VS Team 17, then Prince NG 17 and finally Wilson NG 17. I'd post a review, but I haven't broken Prime 17 yet. Damn thing is tough to break.
 
ProRadTour said:
jim_e - OK thanks for letting me know you tried it, care to share what you thought of Prime Gut in comparison to some of the other gut strings on the market?

Should have been a bit more specific in my question :)
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I will chime in as I have also tried Prime Gut and really wanted to like it given some of the positive reviews out there. However, it's not as soft or elastic as elastic as Wilson/Babolat/Prince natural gut but I would pick it over the new Babolat BT7 and Pacific Tough Gut.

Durability falls in line with all the natural gut brands which is about 8 to 10 hours in a full string bed for me.
 
ProRadTour said:
jim_e - OK thanks for letting me know you tried it, care to share what you thought of Prime Gut in comparison to some of the other gut strings on the market?

Should have been a bit more specific in my question :)
Click to expand...

First off, I typically use 16g. for durability, in most all my gut strings.So this is for 16g. string, and is just my opinions.
Pacific Prime has a little softer feel than the old non BT7 VS, as well as Wilson's nat. gut. As far as I am concerned Wilson nat. gut and the old VS hit the same for me.I do like the softer feel of the Prime by Pacific, as it has great feel, power and comfort.So it is very comparable to Wilsons, just a little softer feel which I like, but..
In my experience of stringing and hitting with nat. gut, I believe the quality control is best with Babolat VS, and Wilsons nat gut.Over the last few years I have only found one set of VS to have a blemish on it,(that prevented me from using it in a customers racquet), and none to date on the Wilsons.So far I have gone through a good # of sets of each of those.It tells me that their quality control is where it should be.

For some of my personel racquets, I have 2 strung with non bt7 VS gut (lucky I still have a # of those sets still in inventory),2 strung with Wilsons, and 2 with Pacific Prime.All the same racquets, balanced and weighted the same.
Switching between them all the only difference I can note is the softer feel of the Prime.I try and keep them all rotated around so they all get similar hit time and wearing.

Another person I hit with on a regular basis, also hits with all nat. gut, and his thoughts were the same as mine.
 
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