multi crosses to poly mains

[fgs]

it's roughly four years now that i have been enjoying the mantis comfort synthetic as a cross-string and having used it with a rather big number of mains. it is a soft string that behaves very neutral, is lowish on power and provides very good spin support and therefore for me and my playstyle also control. it plays "fresh" as i like to call it - it's not crispy in the sense of stiff, but it exposes a certain subtle liveliness i have thoroughly enjoyed. the only downturn was that i had to restring every two hours, which means after each usual hitting session, as the crosses broke. usually i recrossed the stick, as the mains had some notching but usually would take another session until breakage.

this led me to start looking for some synguts in the hope that i would be able to match durability with the poly mains. about these findings i have reported in my "syngut crosses" thread and i just have another two synguts to be going through, which will happen most probably during the next couple of weeks. the durability matching was good, what i was not able to find, was a syngut that would give me the touch of this particular multi. so, as i am not willing to accept this trade-off and would rather go on with having to string after basically every hitting session (this year i have used my machine already more than 100 times!), i started to test some other multis in the hope that i will find one which at least equals the qualities of the mantis comfort synthetic but eventually tops in terms of durability.

my "competitional" set-up consists of kirschbaum helix 1,20 mains strung at 21,5kg (approx. 45lbs) and the mantis comfort synthetic 1,30 crosses also strung at 21,5kg. the poly mains i have tested and reported about have been also strung with the mcs but also with the synguts and sometimes, when i purchased two sets of polys, i used to play them fullbed too, just for matters of comparison.

my sticks have been described in the "shaped/textured polys" thread, so i will not repeat this here. my rating system is also described in that thread (the updated version) and somewhere in that thread you can also find two links of me playing some practice points.

22,5/25 isospeed professional classic multi crosses to poly mains
22/25 pro's pro gutex ultra 1,25 multi crosses to poly mains
21/25 mantis comfort synthetic 1,30 multi crosses to poly mains
21/25 pro's pro gutex ultra 1,30 multi crosses to poly mains
21/25 pro's pro hot stuff 1,30 multi crosses to poly mains
19/25 head rip control 1,20 multi crosses to poly mains
19/25 isospeed energetic 1,30 multi crosses to poly mains

isospeed professional + multi crosses to poly mains
isospeed energetic 1,20 multi crosses to poly mains
pro's pro kingut 1,25 multi crosses to poly mains
pro's pro pioneer 1,30 multi crosses to poly mains
pro's pro clay court + 1,29 multi crosses to poly mains
pro's pro lethal weapon 1,30 multi crosses to poly mains
msv soft control 1,30 multi crosses to poly mains

 

[ArliHawk]

Genesis Thunderblast and Prince Premier Control are both good options.

 

[fgs]

mantis comfort synthetic 1,30

power/control: as initially described this string provides an excellent mix in this department but while it ran for a long time on a grade 5 i would have to downgrade it currently to 4,5
grade: 4,5/5

feel: it is smooth, it is lively to a certain extent, it accompanies you when you change your mind and play instead of a slice a dropper and whenever the mains supports it, you can play shortangled topspin-crosses anyway you please. but now it is only 4,5.
grade: 4,5/5

spin: this is obviously a feature i have not found any other string to top it, but i found some to equal it. it obviously lets the mains slide sufficiently to produce whicked spin. i've done it with the helix, i've done it with the solinco tour bite 1,20 and with a few other strings too.
grade: 5/5

comfort: superb. nothing more to say.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: this is my main issue, and with two hours playtime it only scores a 2. needles to say that in such a short time window tensionwise there is not much that can happen.
grade: 2/5

overall: 21/25

 

[fgs]

Genesis Thunderblast and Prince Premier Control are both good options.

thank you, they are both "in stock" and wait for their turn to kick the balls.

 

[fgs]

isospeed professional +

some years ago i played the professional "classic" and had fond memories, so i hoped that the "new" one would top the "classics" performance, but ....

power/control: i would not really call this one a powerfull string, but i would rather call it an inconsistent string. some shots sailed, some landed short and i was not really able to control the ball with the spin. and, as you will read further below, i was also not getting enough exposure to this string in order to be "tuning in" on it. therefore
grade 3/5

feel: it played smooth and comfy for it's part, but much too muted and i was not really able to tell from the feedback i got if i was hitting a lowbounching slice or just another sitter.
grade 3/5

spin: on some of the shots i was really getting a good kick, but then it was more of the "sitting" type than the "penetrating" type. i also found it difficult to control height with this string, and this is something i need in order to control the points.
grade 4/5

comfort: it plays nice and comfy, but this is not the primary feature i'm looking for.
grade 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: with 1 hour and 15mins of playtime, this is definitely not what i was looking for.
grade: 1/5

overall: 16/25

 

[fgs]

isospeed professional classic

while this one is also labelled as being 1,20, it comes way thicker and once strung you might find that it sports the same diameter as my trusted mcs, which "slims" down to at least some 1,25 from it's initial 1,30. also knowing that these isospeed strings have a higher settling loss within the first 24hrs after stringing, i have upped the tension on this one to 22kg on the crosses (same as with the previously described "professional+").

power/control: i feel this one to bring a tad more power to the court than the mcs but not at the expense of control. the trajectory is slightly lower than with the mcs but the professional classic produces a little bit more of a penetrating topspin. tuning in on this lower launch angle was easy as it was not such a big difference, which could best be observed on slices, a shot that has (or should have) less net clearance anyway. as the stringbed was grabbing the ball pretty nicely, there were no issues with directing or re-directing the shots to any part of the court.
grade: 5/5

feel: now this one is interesting as the strings do feel quite different. on slower shots like slices the stringbed with the professional classic feels somehow firmer, lower powered but with improved control. on high swingspeed shots the impact is slightly softer than with the mcs, but not less controlled. playing shortangled topspinshots comes as handy as with the mcs it's just that on droppers you have to "work" a tiny bit more. there is a balance in all this, therefore i would rate the professional classic on the same level as the mcs.
grade: 4,5/5

spin: as already described, there seems to be a slight advantage over the mcs in the sense that due to the slightly higher power of this string on fast swings it produces a slightly "heavier ball", a more penetrating type of topspin. this is not implying that the mcs would produce sitters, but at the end of the day i think the isospeed is producing a slightly faster shot on the same input.
grade: 5/5

comfort: soft and cosy at all times.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: this was a truly pleasant surprise - not only did the string last for roughly three hitting hours, it obviously is also notching the mains less during this time! i had no issues with the string in terms of tension maintenance during the three hours, and the recrossed stick also lasted about the same time, meaning that the lifetime of the mains was basically extended to six hitting hours (three sessions!). there is one observation to be made though: it takes quite a while until the string starts to fray and once it does it is bound to break within the next 10 minutes. as the string "falls apart" during these ten minutes, it basically is not really playable anymore, but these 10 minutes basically don't count anymore when you are looking at the almost 3 hours i manage to get out of it. and i have checked this with three sets of mains!
grade: 3/5

overall: 22,5/25

no, for the time being this in not my next go-to cross, but i'm seriously considering it and it has definitely qualified for the "final shoot-out". not only do i get a good price for this one, but it also increases the lifetime of the mains, which not only means less expense but also means less stringing and MORE PLAYING!

 

[fgs]

isospeed energetic 1,20

power/control: this string comes along with a good package of power but in order to compete with the "best" it is lacking in respect to control. this is not a rocketlauncher, but since it is not really grabbing the ball well, for my playstyle, control is rather difficult to achieve. when on the run i was missing long quite a lot and height/depth-control was rather difficult. shortangled topspinshots were landing pretty consistently in the doubles-alley.
grade: 3/5

feel: muted, much too muted for my taste. in the end i was able to play decent slices and i even managed some droppers, but this is the sort of string that does not really fit my bill.
grade: 3/5

spin: as already stated, the energetic does not really grab the ball and even with a slight reduction of the tension on the second halfset this issue has not improved.
grade: 3/5

comfort: very plush, too plush.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: as experienced with other isospeeds, this one almost did not produce any notching on the mains and lasted between 2,5 to 3 hitting hours, which basically also comes to reflect the different tensions employed - the higher tensioned lasted less obviously. i could not make out any tension issue during this time.
grade: 3/5

overall: 17/25

 

[fgs]

head rip control 1,20

power/control: power is on the lower side which is basically to my liking and this time the name of the string does describe correctly what you can expect on court, namely control. there really is a good blend of these, for my stroking mechanics and my stick set-up obviously but i still would not give it the highest grade. in spite of the string grabbing the ball quite well and imparting sufficient amounts of rpm's, i was playing too flat for my liking and in order to pressure the opponent. therefore i had a little bit of a harder time when compared to my "references" to open up the court with shortangled topspin shots, which either would land in the doubles-alley by a few centimeters or would clip the net.
grade: 4/5

feel: compared to the previously played energetic 1,20 this one would classify as "lively", but compared to the mcs or the isospeed professional (classic) it would still go as slightly muted. nevertheless it still lets you feel the impact quite well and gives you a rather direct feedback, performing on the "firmer" side.
grade: 4/4

spin: in this department the string performed quite well but due to the flatter trajectory as compared to the mcs or ipc it was not so very much pressuring the opponent.
grade: 4/5

comfort: no issues whatsoever.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: once the outer layer is gone the strings snap within 2-3 strokes. both sets bowed out slightly under 2 hitting hours which basically is not bad (i get the same from the mcs) and in this time span there have been no issues with tension loss.
grade: 2/5

overall: 19/25

basically a very solid performance but slightly coming short compared to my current "favourites" in almost all departments. pair this with no increase in durability and a price point above my "favourites" and the rip control 1.20 will just stay "in the records".

 

[CHOcobo]

I too have used poly/sgut and poly/multi for a while. The durability is somewhat good for me and the cross has never snapped. But next week I will try thunder blast in the mains and either sppp 123/sppp118 or bhs 17 in the cross for once.

You should put some feedback after you tried the thunder blast.

 

[fgs]

I too have used poly/sgut and poly/multi for a while. The durability is somewhat good for me and the cross has never snapped. But next week I will try thunder blast in the mains and either sppp 123/sppp118 or bhs 17 in the cross for once.

You should put some feedback after you tried the thunder blast.

the thunderblast is on my radar but i still have to be going through about 25 other multis i already have on stock before adding a few new ones to the purchase list.

 

[fgs]

pro's pro gutex ultra 1,30

as this one has two layers of "outer wrap" as opposed to the mantis comfort synthetic / pro's pro hitec multifibre i decided to go down in tension slightly, stringing it at 21,0kg.

power/control: even strung slightly lower than my current reference, this one gives a stringbed with slightly less power but on the other hand slightly more control. this one is also give me very good depth/height control and the directional control seems to be a tad better than with the mcs/htmf. when on the run i do have to "work" a little bit more in order to not produce a sitter, but overall, the blend is quite appropriate to my liking.
grade: 4,5/5

feel: it comes a little bit crisper than the mcs/htmf but in a pleasant way. you feel quite well connected to the ball and i had no issues at all with slices or droppers.
grade: 4,5/5

spin: best that there can be, right up with the mcs/htmf. due to the slightly higher stiffness the stringbed exposes with this one, you feel like you are "pancaking" the ball more and "full throttle"-strokes get a more penetrating kind of trajectory. nevertheless, shortangled crosscourt-shots are really easy to produce and the kickers get shoulderhigh with regularity.
grade: 5/5

comfort: i had no issues in this department and in spite of being a little bit stiffer than the mcs/htmf i can hardly imagine that this would be an issue even with more sensitive elbows or shoulders.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: i manage to get two clean hours of hitting without any drop in performance (but basically i'm looking for more!).
grade: 2/5

overall: 21/25

a rather "cheap" string that plays surprisingly well for me, is to a certain extent different than my "reference" but neither different enough nor longer lasting to make me "pull the trigger".

 

[fgs]

pro's pro kingut 1,25

this one has a rough structure and looks and feels very much like the dunlop pearl, which i also have in stock and will surely play within the next couple of months.

power/control: in spite of stretching even more than the mcs/htmf while stringing, the stringbedresponse is stiff and i dare say very low powered. i experimented with tensions ranging from 22kg to as low as 20,5kg but there was not much more power to be obtained. while control is very good at rallying, once i decided to go for an aggressive stroke i tended to "overhit" and control and precision were lacking. this string won't help you out when on the run either.
grade: 4/5

feel: this is beyond crisp in my opinion but i would not call it "harsh". i could play some really wicked slices (a shot you rarely get to "overhit") and shortangled crosscourt-topspins could quite well be placed. while "enjoyable" for an occasional hit, i would usually still be left for wanting more.
grade: 4/5

spin: basically very good in spite of the rough structure which (theoretically) should provide a high interstring friction figure.
grade: 4/5

comfort: i already mentioned that this one is beyond stiff. people with tender joints should stay away from this.
grade: 3/5

tension maintenance/durability: it held tension really fine but it only did it for roughly 1,5hrs of hitting, no matter what tension i strung it at. even at 20,5kg i was not able to get this one to pass the 1,5hrs mark, which is definitely too low for me.
grade: 2/5

overall: 17/25

while i did not find the new "reference" cross-string to match my needs, this test was really an enjoyable experience. i did have quite many in the past months that came closer to "a waste of time".

 

[COPEY]

Good thread, fgs. I use MCS as a cross for a few of my clients, and although it's not part of my regular setup, I did try it some time ago. Mostly I loved how it softened up an already comfortable poly (I used Mantis Power Poly at the time), but as you noted the lack of durability was a significant issue.

I wouldn't be surprised if you found Prince Premier Control to be a tad too harsh. The durability is good, but when you compare its feel to something like MCS or Isospeed Control, well...there's really no comparison in my opinion. I do like it, but in a full bed

Just curious - is Head Fibergel one of your 25 multis to try?

 

[fgs]

thank you copey.

i think the fibergel is out of production but the new multis from head are supposed to have a more durable coating and i'm particularly interested, for pricing reasons obviously, in the velocity mlt.

for the time being, the only multis that lasted longer than the mcs have been the isospeed professional classic and the control 1.30 i'm going through right now. all the others had about the same court time but would from the playing characteristics not be a substitute for the mcs. the gutex ultra and the professional classic nevertheless have "qualified" for the final shootout, unless something spectacular comes up as i will play through them.

 

[Muppet]

I played the Gutex Ultra 1.35 as crosses with Cyberflash 1.25 @47/52 in my signature racquet. I was very happy with it, but I decided to look for other strings due to the Cyberflash being such a solid hit (shock.) The Gutex Ultra was a nice soft and muted counterpoint to the crisp and metallic Cyberflash.

 

[fgs]

i played the gutex ultra in 1,30 and 1,25 (report not yet filed) and i really liked the performance of these strings. a little bit crispier than the mcs/htmf but with quite a lot of goodies in the pack for me.

 

[fgs]

isospeed energetic 1,30

it doesn't happen often that i like the thicker diameter more than the thinner diameter and i'm not talking only about durability.

power/control: there is slightly less power in this one as compared to the 1,20-version but then in this case it does come with a slight increase in control, in spite of the fact that i have gone down a little bit in tension, having played this at 21,5 respectively 21kg. shots on the run have more consistently landed in and depth and lateral precision have been better than with the thinner gauge. but not enough to compete with the best in my opinion.
grade: 4/5

feel: well ..., it is muted and stays too muted for my taste. altogether very good for "baselinebashing" but definitely coming short when it comes to touch shots.
grade: 3/5

spin: surprisingly better than the thinner gauge and more consistent. the surface is really slick on these isospeed offerings which on one hand does support the idea of allowing the mains to move with less friction and thus enhance "snap-back", but then i also have my own theory about this - having a thicker diameter in the crosses AND a slick surface (!), the "roughness" of the stringbed itself is increased, giving more pronounced "valleys and hills", which lead to a better grab on the ball. still not in the same league as "my personal bests", but coming close, real close.
grade: 4/5

comfort: absolutely no issues here.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: lasting about the same 2,5-3hrs as the thinner version which is understandable looking at the construction of the string. the outer layer obviously is of the same thickness, and once that is grinded through you are left over with just a couple of more shots to make until breakage.
grade: 3/5

overall: 19/25

as the energetics are quite similarly priced with isospeeds professional classic, and i prefer the more "livelier" performance of that particular string, the energetics are no real option for me in spite of a rather solid performance, specially in the 1,30mm-gauge.

 

[fgs]

pro's pro gutex ultra 1,25

power/control: for a very long time in regard to crosses i have been perfectly happy with the ratio of power and control i got from the mcs/htmf (mantis comfort synthetic/pro's pro hitec multifiber). it was reliable, giving me the right response to what i intended to do, allowing me to control height and length at will, accelerate or play angles. now i found one that takes things one (little!) step further.
grade: 5/5

feel: the 1,30 version was slightly firmer, the 1,25 is just giving me the feel i like and it extends from "baselinebashing" to droppers. it is lively and crisp and makes me really feel "well-connected" to my shots.
grade: 5/5

spin: in the same league as the very best, BUT giving the shots a more offensive touch due to slightly higher power. this cross (obviously does not produce but offers the platform for) is spinny. in another thread i commented about my "spin-indicator" being the percentage of shots my hitting partner is hitting late - and this one provided for quite a lot of them.
grade: 5/5

comfort: very good.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance/durability: tension drop has been no issue and durability is comparable to the 1,30 version or the mcs/htmf, that is roughly 2hrs.
grade: 2/5

overall: 22/25

now i have basically two crosses qualified for the final shoot-out: this one and the isospeed professional classic. this one will/would certainly replace the mcs/htmf as soon as my reel runs out, but there obviously are still another 25 candidates waiting in line, so i am not calling out "my new reference" so far. as it costs very little here in austria it will certainly be my "ad interim" reference, as i got (slightly) more fun while playing with this than with my longterm goto-cross.

but recent developments led me to think that i am eventually looking in the wrong direction in regard to my string search. i had a main that i thoroughly enjoyed (kirschbaum helix 1,20), and still do so, which lasts me around 3,5-4hrs and i was always restringing crosses after each session as they broke. so i set out to find a cross that would be lasting more. about my syngut-experiences i wrote in the other thread and i concluded that while most met the durability target, none came close enough in regard to the playability target. so, i set out to find a cross that eventually lasts longer and provides the same amount of fun as my trusted mcs/htmf. so far i have found two - the gutex ultra 1,25 and the isospeed professional classic, the latter one not only lasts a little bit longer but also notches the mains less. being considerably more expensive though, i will have to look at the figures, since at my consumption small figures can quickly turn to larger amounts. in this respect the search goes on, at least through the 21 strings waiting for action as well as the 4 already on the sticks.

but i recently played a main that i very much liked which only lasted 2 hours. that definitely does not sound good, but this main costs peanuts. i had some others which played at a very high level only to last 2 hours, but then those have been at least 4 times more expensive, therefore definitely being no option. a recrossing lasts only 5 minutes less than a fullbed, so there is not much time i would save by recrossing once or doing fresh stringjob each time. of course, this stands valid as long as i don't find a cross to last 3,5-4 hrs and also provides playing characterstics at a proper level. AND i have yet to play that main with the gutex ultra 1,25. i was just thinking out loud ...

 

[fgs]

pro's pro pioneer 1,30

power/control: looking at the construction of this string which sports a rather thick outer shell and a rather small core of thin multifilaments i decided to string lower than usual but to no avail. this is a rather stiff playing string which is very low powered. this brings me often into situations when i want to accelerate and end up overhitting, so the power/control ratio simply can't be "good". you can play a healthy pace with this one, probably also burning some more calories than usual, but i found it difficult to really create pressure with this one.
grade: 3/5

feel: not my cup of tea. too firm or better said too unresponsive.
grade: 3/5

spin: it has got a good amount of it, but due to lacking power it is more of the "sitter"-type than the "explode-through" type my game is basically based on. baseline-moonballers might possibly get happy with the pioneer, but i'm more of an offensive baseliner, so i need some more penetrating kinda stuff.
grade: 4/5

comfort: not to be played by players with any -itis. this one is a very firm offering for a multi (and i strung at 20kg!)
grade: 3/5

tension maintenance / durability: tension maintenance was good and not syngut like and durability came in with roughly 2hrs and 15mins, so not even this aspect could mark a bonus in my view.
grade: 2/5

overall: 15/25

 

[fgs]

pro's pro claycourt + 1,29

power / control: this one is from the stiffer variety which brings along less power and apparently better control. while from my point of view a tad better than the previously played offering, the "pioneer", there simply are still too many situations when i tend to switch to "overhitting" mode in my attempt to put the ball away.
grade: 3/5

feel: while slightly better than the pioneer, still "lightyears" away from the mcs/htmf or the gutexes for instance.
grade: 3/5

spin: quite consistent in this department but again not the type of spin i need for my game to put my opponent under pressure.
grade: 4/5

comfort: would not really recommend it for sensitive players.
grade: 3/5

tension maintenance / durability: it keeps tension well and adds a little bit in durability, but you have to keep things in perspective. while 2,5hrs compared to the 2hrs i get from the mcs/htmf for instance are nevertheless whopping 25% more, we are still talking only about +/- 30 minutes. this is definitely not enough to make me think about, moreso because within these 2,5hrs it notched the mains so heavily, that they definitely would have made it for just another 5mins.
grade: 2/5

overall: 15/25

 

[fgs]

pro's pro lethal weapon 1,30

for whatever reason it seems that the thicker gauge of kingut is called lethal weapon and comes instead of white in a very pale yellow. it stretches about the same when stringing but plays stiff once you take it to the courts.

power / control: low on power, as it's thinner sibling and very high on control, but then, for me at least, this gets me too often out of my comfort range and i tend to overhit in the attempt to put the ball away. it is a truly constant string when going for practice rallies, when you try to work on your consistency and the ability to play 20 consecutive shots with enough net clearance deep into your opponents court, but once you try to break out of this patterns and accelerate, you, at least i, run into trouble.
grade: 4/5

feel: it is fine, a little on the stiffer side, but just fine. crispy on the verge of harsh, i would not recommend it to tender joints.
grade: 3/5

spin: it spins quite well but then, due to lack of power, it is not really that penetrating spin i'm looking for and basically my game is build up around.
grade: 4/5

comfort: no issues for me, but, as already mentioned, rather stiff. and it makes me work quite hard.
grade: 3/5

tension maintenance / durability: no issues with tension drop and it lasted just slightly more than 2 hours.
grade: 2/5

overall: 16/25

hitting with the kingut and the lethal weapon was an interesting experience, i found some aspects that i really liked, but at about the same price point pro's pro is offering other strings that fill my bill much better. one more to go from pro's pro and then this journey comes to an end and i'll be playing other multis.

 

[Muppet]

fgs, in the kingut review you mentioned that you plan to test Dunlop Pearl in the near future. I'd just like to warn you to go easy on the tie-offs. The string is a little fragile there.

 

[fgs]

fgs, in the kingut review you mentioned that you plan to test Dunlop Pearl in the near future. I'd just like to warn you to go easy on the tie-offs. The string is a little fragile there.

thank you muppet. as a matter of fact i already have the pearl and it looks and feels exactly like the kingut, which also needed a more tender hand. if it will play the same we will see, but rarely do you hold in the hands two strings which look the same, feel the same but then play different.

 

[fgs]

pro's pro hot stuff 1,30

power / control: this string comes with a really good ration of power and control. while a little bit more powerful than either the mcs/htmf or the gutex ultra, it still sports a very high level of control. height and depth can be quite easily dialled in, shortangled topspinshots can be regularly made with enough authority to pressure your opponent and most of all, when you decide to accelerate and go for the winner, this string does come up with the goodies. yes, this time the name of the string does transport to on court action.
grade: 5/5

feel: it is slightly more muted than either the mcs/htmf or the gutex ultra. still connecting nicely to my shots but it has a more "indirect" response, there is some liveliness, crispiness which the other two provide and the gutex ultra moreso than the mcs/htmf.
grade: 4/5

spin: up there with it's siblings at the highest levels. it let's the stringbed grab the ball properly and also provides for that "explosive" action my game is build around, not the "sitter" type of spin i got lately from the lethal weapon. slices are also staying nice and low and the kickers do make it regularly shoulderhigh.
grade: 5/5

comfort: absolutely no issues here.
grade: 5/5

tension maintenance /durability: tension was kept fine for the duration of one hitting session. seems like most multis i like are just willing to take my treatment for just two hours.
grade: 2/5

overall: 21/25

this is the third offering from pro's pro that performs very much to my liking and obviously comes for quite little money. on the other hand i found the gutex ultra 1,25 to provide me with a tiny little bit of "more" in basically all the departments, so the hot stuff does not "qualify" for the shootout i intend to make when i have gone through all the stuff i already have and the ones that i still intend to buy. it misses by a very small margin though.

 

[fgs]

msv soft control 1,30

power / control: the soft control is a stiffer representativ of this species, the term "soft" might only be appropriate in regard to polys. taken from this perspective it does come with rather low power but scores quite good in terms of control. if your feet allow you to set up properly most of the time everything works out fine, but when on the run this string does not bail you out.
grade: 4/5

feel: it is sort of crispy but it definitely lacks some liveliness, which made it difficult for me to play droppers or other touch shots, while on shortangled topspinshots as well as on slices it behaves really well.
grade: 4/5

spin: it supports it quite well but not in the same league as the best in this department.
grade: 4/5

comfort: while i don't think that players with any joint problems would have any issues with this string, it still does not qualify for the highest mark in my opinion.
grade: 4/5

durability / tension maintenance: for the roughly 2,5hrs it lasted it kept tension very well.
grade: 2/5

overall: 18/25

the few hours i've spent on court with this string recalled memories from my gutex ultra 1,30 testing. i than decided to give the 1,25 version a try and basically found the substitute for my longtime reference the mcs/htmf. therefore i think that i will sometime give the 1,25 version of the msv soft control a go too, although i doubt it will top the gutex ultra 1,25 in playing performance and i'm certain it can't do so in regard to price.