Natural gut users. What stringing machine are you using?

[Sephiroth619]

I'm curious, for all of you natural gut users, what racquet stringing machine are you using? Crank/dropweight/electronic?

From my experience with natural gut, they stretch like no other. I can't imagine stringing natural gut correctly with a crank machine unless you simply added extra tension to compensate for the stretch. So then is the drop weight and the electronic (non-lockout) machine the only machine to string natural gut?

 

[Rabbit]

I use a Prince Neos. It does a wonderful job. With regard to stretching, I don't know about the rest of the world, but I don't pull tension then go get a cup of coffee on every pull. The tensioner has the string maybe 15 seconds and then it's clamped off.

 

[drakulie]

^^^same.

However, will have my Babolat Star 4 in about one week. woo-hoo!!!!!

 

[Il Mostro]

Silent Partner DG. Low speed setting with no pre-stretch dialed in. It is a nice, slow gentle pull. Light hand stretch before stringing just to relax the string a bit.

 

[jim e]

I use a SAM Pro Master machine, electronic constant pull machine(now distributed by xtremesportsmachines). I string a lot of gut, I have a racquet on the machine right now all set to string with nat. gut.I just give a light pre stretch by hand only, medium speed setting on machine. Years ago, I had an old drop weight, an automatic type drop weight, peddle operated Serrano machine, that did its job with the nat. gut on woodies back in the day, as I strung a lot of gut back then as well.

 

[tennisdad65]

klippermate.. never had a problem with natural gut on it

 

[Supracool94]

Gamma X-ST with Wise Tension Head, natural gut string jobs come out great!

 

[precision2b]

I have a Silent Partner DG and as already stated: Light hand stretch before stringing and no coffee breaks. I try to clamp each string in the same amount of time 10 to 15 second…

 

[Rabbit]

^^^same.

However, will have my Babolat Star 4 in about one week. woo-hoo!!!!!

Get out of here! Congrats! What's the scoop...where'd you find it...how much...how old....

Let me know, I've been fighting that bug for a couple of years now...


I've had my frames strung on a really, really expensive Babolat machine. I could tell no difference between those results and the Neos truthfully.

If there is any difference in any machine, it's clamps. Lower end drop weights only give you flying clamps which are terrible. Mid-level machines like mine have fixed clamps which are better (and very durable). Higher end machines have swivel clamps. I really think any difference in tension comes from using swivel clamps which allow two clamps on crosses. There is zero drawback since tension is maintained because you're continuously clamped.

 

[tennis.yellow.balls]

Pre-Stretching

What's the best way to pre-stretch natural gut? Thanks.

 

[sboo]

A lot of guys wrap the string around the stand/base of the stringing machine and then gently pull while holding both ends.

I just use the pre-stretch function on my wise tension head

 

[drakulie]

What's the best way to pre-stretch natural gut? Thanks.

here is a great video on the subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=praasXlb0Ls&feature=channel_page

 

[stanfordtennis alum]

i string on a ektelon model h

 

[tennis.yellow.balls]

here is a great video on the subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=praasXlb0Ls&feature=channel_page

Nice video. Thanks for sharing. Greatly appreciated.

 

[drakulie]

Get out of here! Congrats! What's the scoop...where'd you find it...how much...how old....

Let me know, I've been fighting that bug for a couple of years now...


I've had my frames strung on a really, really expensive Babolat machine. I could tell no difference between those results and the Neos truthfully.

If there is any difference in any machine, it's clamps. Lower end drop weights only give you flying clamps which are terrible. Mid-level machines like mine have fixed clamps which are better (and very durable). Higher end machines have swivel clamps. I really think any difference in tension comes from using swivel clamps which allow two clamps on crosses. There is zero drawback since tension is maintained because you're continuously clamped.

Thanks, Rabbit!

I agree the clamps are what make the biggest difference in the string job, and resulting string bed tension. Anyway, am really looking forward to having the stringer. Will posts pics when I get it.

Great talking to you today, BTW. Remember to have a Johnny Blue for me. Have a great one!

 

[rasajadad]

Alpha Revo 4000 with a Wise head.

 

[Supracool94]

On my gamma X-ST, if I string a racquet using the crank vs using the wise their is a noticeable difference in the tension.

 

[Bud]

Gamma X-2

 

[Rabbit]

Thanks, Rabbit!

I agree the clamps are what make the biggest difference in the string job, and resulting string bed tension. Anyway, am really looking forward to having the stringer. Will posts pics when I get it.

Great talking to you today, BTW. Remember to have a Johnny Blue for me. Have a great one!

Yep, the Gamma dropweight I had once upon a time came with 2 floating clamps. They produced a much softer stringbed at tension. There is too much drawback... The difference wound up being about an -8 pound translation to the Neos.

And I can't afford JW Blue....I may have to go the 1/2 pint of Jim Bean instead.....

 

[star 5 15]

I use a Babolat Star 5 and I do a light 10 sec prestretch by hand with a starting clamp. other end of the string in a closed door. Works really well.

 

[schenkelini]

Gamma X-2 i haven't had any problem with the clamps. In the 80's I owned an Ektelon model D? I think it was D. That was a long time ago. I wish I still had it.

 

[Lakers4Life]

Eagnas Flex 940, did my first gut job in almost 20 years.

 

[Superman1272]

Klippemate. A simple drop weight machine but does NG beautifully. I just take my time with each pull and it comes out uniformly each time. Just keeps with the same techniques and you should get the same results each time. Consistency is the key.

 

[2handsbothsides]

Klippermate, comments same as above. Used same machine for my personal racquets for about the last 20 years. No need to change.