This week I replaced the string clamps on my machine, a RAB Stringmaster 1000. I’ve always considered this a mid-range machine; RAB and Alpha appear to have some sort of relationship, and I think it’s the equivalent of the Axis Pro or maybe the Revo 4000. I installed a Wise 10 years ago, so this is the second upgrade.
First question was: would they fit my existing base clamps. I measured the pin of the RAB clamps with digital callipers, and they were bang on 12mm in diameter. The vendor had the Xpider as 11.97mm. I measure the Xpider as 11.80mm. This could be a number of things - incorrect information, incorrect reading from my callipers, or just user error on my part (I’m no engineer and rarely use the callipers). But in this instance, slightly smaller is obviously better than slightly bigger. The clamps fit albeit with a tiny bit more play than before.
And first impressions… it’s absolutely an upgrade. The clamps are sturdy at 391.4g, though slightly lighter than the RABs which came in at 408g. The movement to open and close is very smooth due to the inclusion of a cam roller. There’s some sort of coating on the teeth… I assume it’s diamond dusting, but may be mistaken. Whether it is or not, the clamps hold extremely well with very little pressure on the strings. Today I strung 1.25mm smooth poly, 1.27mm shaped poly and 1.30 natural gut, and didn’t have to alter the clamps for any of them. I was watching closely for any sign of slippage - and gut in particular it’s very obvious if it’s moving - but they stayed solid as a rock. One concern was that the slightly narrower pin may have led to greater drawback, but it was a non-issue. And if anything, they are less prone to minor twisting, which was a surprise.
These look like the same clamps @Arvin_C has with his Tourna 300-CS. I’m curious how they compare to the Babolat clamps you’ve worked with.
They were £50 each or £90 for the pair, plus £4 postage. Obligatory pictures below: for the ones comparing clamps, the Xpider is on the left and RAB on the right.
First question was: would they fit my existing base clamps. I measured the pin of the RAB clamps with digital callipers, and they were bang on 12mm in diameter. The vendor had the Xpider as 11.97mm. I measure the Xpider as 11.80mm. This could be a number of things - incorrect information, incorrect reading from my callipers, or just user error on my part (I’m no engineer and rarely use the callipers). But in this instance, slightly smaller is obviously better than slightly bigger. The clamps fit albeit with a tiny bit more play than before.
And first impressions… it’s absolutely an upgrade. The clamps are sturdy at 391.4g, though slightly lighter than the RABs which came in at 408g. The movement to open and close is very smooth due to the inclusion of a cam roller. There’s some sort of coating on the teeth… I assume it’s diamond dusting, but may be mistaken. Whether it is or not, the clamps hold extremely well with very little pressure on the strings. Today I strung 1.25mm smooth poly, 1.27mm shaped poly and 1.30 natural gut, and didn’t have to alter the clamps for any of them. I was watching closely for any sign of slippage - and gut in particular it’s very obvious if it’s moving - but they stayed solid as a rock. One concern was that the slightly narrower pin may have led to greater drawback, but it was a non-issue. And if anything, they are less prone to minor twisting, which was a surprise.
These look like the same clamps @Arvin_C has with his Tourna 300-CS. I’m curious how they compare to the Babolat clamps you’ve worked with.
They were £50 each or £90 for the pair, plus £4 postage. Obligatory pictures below: for the ones comparing clamps, the Xpider is on the left and RAB on the right.
Tourna Clamps_4
Tourna Clamps_1
Tourna Clamps_2
Tourna Clamps_5
Tourna Clamps_6
