Yonex Carbonex 8

[Rock Strongo]

No, I'm not talking about the badminton racquet here. Does anyone know anything about these (weight, flex and stuff)? I have one in medium weight and one in what they call L-M(lady-medium perhaps?) For those who haven't seen these before here are some pictures.

Medium weight one is in fantastic condition and plays great too, haven't played with the L-M one actually .

Beam width compared to a standard racquet

Fibreglass and graphite makes for a fantastic combination.

If anyone have played with these and could tell if there is a modern racquet similar to these I'd be more than happy to know.

 

[MAX PLY]

Nice frames in good condition. I think Wendy Turnbull used to play with the Carbonex in the late 70s or early 80s.

 

[anirut]

I have a green Carbonex 8. Not in a good shape though. The weight is just around 385 grams.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

I have a green Carbonex 8. Not in a good shape though. The weight is just around 385 grams.

I am envious, even if it is not in good shape! Around 1977-1978, when I was 13-14, the green Carbonex 8 was my dream racquet. I used to look at pictures of it at the local sports store. (They had no Yonexes in stock, but they had a catalog.)

I never got one, but a few years ago I found a mint unstrung Carbonex 7 (brown, with more fiberglass and less carbon) while poking around in little sports shops in the Bangkok back streets and, remembering the Carbonex 8, paid too much for it and strung it up for a hit. Mine's ~70 sq in, 26.75" long, 406 g strung, extremely flexy, and 4.5 pts HL. I haven't gotten around to measuring the swingweight, but I think I can say with some confidence that the OP won't find a current racquet that plays like either the CAB 7 or the CAB 8.

 

[Rock Strongo]

I have a green Carbonex 8. Not in a good shape though. The weight is just around 385 grams.

Green!? Never seen one of those. I guess there are a lot of Carbonex's in Thailand? If so, I feel like raiding the country for them:twisted:

 

[MAXXply]

"...poking around in little sports shops in the Bangkok back streets..."

Where are these little sports shops you mention in Bangkok's back streets??
I spent days in vain schlepping around BKK's Chinatown back lanes and neighbourhoods... I had high hopes of reaching my tennis racket Shangri-La, stumbling on mom-and-pop shops full of faded posters and unloved tennis gear...instead all I got was heat stroke and dysentry:shock:
BTW there's a Carbonex 8 on the Bay right now.

 

[Rock Strongo]

I think I can say with some confidence that the OP won't find a current racquet that plays like either the CAB 7 or the CAB 8.

That's too bad, If there would be any racquet that played similar it would be a match made in heaven. And like MAXXply said, there is a CAB 8 on the bay. It's green too, so if you want to live your dream, this is your chance!

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

I'm watching the green CAB 8! I suspect the several days left in the auction will be long enough for the temptation to build up enough to overcome the shipping price from Oz to the States.

Rock: The green dream of my long-lost youth was in the U.S., where I'm from. (I just lived/worked in Thailand for about 6 years in the 00's.) One of the adults who played in my home town had one. I never knew there were black & white ones until a couple of years ago when it occurred to me to look for one on auction. Maybe they were the Euro version?

MAXX: This is from a 6-yr-old memory of an afternoon in the Bangkok heat, but here goes... You know where the big multi-floor FBT store is? (It's the only good sports store I know of in BKK, and it's really good.) Walk out from the entrance (which is on a corner), turn left without crossing the street, and take off down the sidewalk. There will be a large sports facility on your left, so large it takes a while to walk past it. Once you finally do, turn immediately into the first little alley-like street on the left, and you'll walk past a bunch of Mom & Pop sports shops on your right. These mostly have soccer stuff, but at least one had a few new-ancient stock racquets that no one is likely to buy when they can go to Central and get something modern.

The prices weren't great; I paid 1700 baht for that CAB 7. (I was new to the racquet collection racket and didn't know better, and I was excited to see any Yonex from the 70's. I did know that it would lose value if I strung it up to hit with it, but I was weak and did it anyway.) In retrospect, I should have haggled some.

It still had the tag/catalog booklet on it, by the way, with all the Yonex frames of that time and a picture of a young, dark-haired Martina Navratilova with her wood Yonex. Also, amusingly, the cover has the misspelling "Carbnex 7" on both sides. I guess someone must have lost some face over that.

Anyway, if you're in BKK and decide to go looking, let me know. I'll fire up Google Earth and check my memory of where I found the place.

 

[schu47]

I don't know about the Carbonex8 or 7, but I have a Carbonex and Carbonex2, both very nice wood composites -- the first of the Carbonex line, I would assume. According to the '80s-tennis website, Martina Navratilova played briefly with the Carbonex2. Kuebler's book only lists the Carbonex, the 2, 7 and 8. No 3, 4, 5 or 6. And no manufacture date for any of the models. Anyone else know more about the history of the Carbonex line?

The Carbonex, the white one, also is called the yy 7800. It doesn't have any indication of materials, but it's probably a wood-fiberglass or wood-graphite mix. It's slightly headlight, flexy, and weighs 13.8 oz. strung. The Carbonex2, black, is more decidedly headlight, a wood-graphite mix, and weighs 12.8 oz. strung. They are wonderful, quality frames. Here's what they look like.

 

[MAXXply]

Anyway, if you're in BKK and decide to go looking, let me know. I'll fire up Google Earth and check my memory of where I found the place.

From your description I just checked out the FBT Complex - I'm kicking myself for missing that place on my last jaunt. It's definitely on my shopping list for next time. Serves me right for sticking to the CBD tourist ghettoes:-?

 

[Virginia]

schu47, I have the same Carbonex2 as you do, except mine is white with black accents. I also have a green version.

I'll post some photos shortly.

 

[schu47]

schu47, I have the same Carbonex2 as you do, except mine is white with black accents. I also have a green version.

I'll post some photos shortly.

Thanks, Virginia. Nice frames, both. I look foward to your photos, as always.

 

[anirut]

Anyone dropping by BKK anytime please let me know in advance. I may be able to drive you around town.

 

[Virginia]

Thanks, Virginia. Nice frames, both. I look foward to your photos, as always.

Here are my two Carbonex 2's - the white one has "Players Pro Special" on the side of the handle.

I hope I've remembered how to do this...

 

[schu47]

Here are my two Carbonex 2's - the white one has "Players Pro Special" on the side of the handle.

I hope I've remembered how to do this...

It worked for me -- beautiful photos, Virginia, and beautiful, quality racquets. I love the green. I didn't know there was a green Carbonex.

 

[Rock Strongo]

Pictures

The green one looks swell. I wish I had your collection of racquets. If you ever need a Carbonex 8 to add to your collection, I might be willing to part with one.

*Goes to dream about the green one*

BTW, how does the Carbonex 2 play?

 

[rolliges]

Found one of these gems in a local thrift store. All original condition.

Yonex Carbonex 8 by rolliges, on Flickr

Yonex Carbonex 8 by rolliges, on Flickr

 

[RUC]

I have one in medium weight and one in what they call L-M(lady-medium perhaps?)

Just FYI: Back in the days of wood you had light, light medium, medium and heavy frames.

LM stood for Light Medium

 

[Rock Strongo]

Just FYI: Back in the days of wood you had light, light medium, medium and heavy frames.

LM stood for Light Medium

Yeah, I figured that out a few years later. I was only 16 back then. Managed to give one a small crack after dropping in while serving... But the power. The freakish power. Rolliges, that's what you're gonna experience. Take a swipe at the ball. Just try it.

 

[rolliges]

Found one of these gems in a local thrift store. All original condition.

Yonex Carbonex 8 by rolliges, on Flickr

Yonex Carbonex 8 by rolliges, on Flickr

Weight: 384g (13.55 oz.)
Balance: 5.5pts HL

 

[rev200g]

Funny this racquet has come up as a topic of discussion. We just received one from our customer wanting to restring it. It is like a club in comparison to modern racquets!