I recently got very much into the hobby after a long break of 10 years or so. I haven’t had a chance to try out much yet, but I’ve got the YYE variety string tester and had the chance to install a G2 Diamond Blend on a throw as well.
So far, the diamond blend just absolutely kicks ■■■. It’s such an awesome string. I can actually hear it whip through the air when I do hooks and lacerations. I love it!
So I come with the question above, what strings do you recommend? What do you use personally. What if price were no option?
Thank you for all replies! You all are helping me get back into this awesome hobby!
Markmont strings are really good and all the blends I’ve tried definitely have that audible whip sounds you’ve been enjoying. Nite moves are super tight and technical. The markmonts are all poly but I also know Nylon strings whip really good too but they whip kind funny to me like not bad but just different and I couldn’t get used to playing them. For 1a
Fixie slick 6 generic and bulk poly for the loopers
None play better for me than G2 Diamond Blend. Someone asked about alternatives not too long ago: Zipline Recommendation
Unfortunately, just the one recommendation, but I am going to give it a try.
I have tried a bunch of Zipline strings. Nate Martsolf’s Signature Prestige is the only other one that really stands out to me. Very different feel to Diamond Blend — much softer and fuzzier.
Markmont Formulas are worth a try. Unique feels and they last well compared to other poly strings I have tried.
If I want a low cost poly string, I use One Drop bulk.
I’ve never bought g2 string but A&A, string werx, zipline, string lab and p44 also vines are pretty decent. I’m working through the last of my A&A and need to get more string werx soon. Still waiting for p44 restock to arrive but I got enough misc zipline and string labs stuff to work through for a long time.
There’s a bunch of other great brands and companies and people who make strong I’ve heard great things about foxtails and markmont and various others
I really like the HKMT Arata. Plays great and lasts long. But be aware it’s on the thinner side in case that’s not your thing. I also like the YYSL Type X. I had bought the sample pack, and liked Type X the best. The Plutonium was pretty good too. It felt nice and soft but I liked the Type X thickness better (slightly thinner). There are some really great color options too. The Ammo shocked me. It felt like a piece of yarn. It is crazy thick. I removed it after like a minute and never touched it again. I think the other 2 felt a bit on the slippery side if I am remembering correctly.
For bulk I like Kitty First Class fat. I tried Alphaline, and it was ok, but I didn’t love it. I do like the Zipline Slushy but that one is more pricey, not bulk. I love the color options.
All the ones I mentioned are poly. I’d recommend trying a bunch of smaller packs/sample packs. I’ve done that a bunch, and it’s always fun to try the different types. You might also find that you like some better for one yoyo and a different one for another.
Also, you might want to take my opinion with a grain of salt. I’m not a good player at this point, still need more experience. I just buy more sting than I actually need because I like to try new stuff and see what feels best. I also find that my taste has changed a little bit over time.
FoxTails Fades are my new go to. They look and play awesome and they last FOREVER. I’ve got one string going on 12 weeks now I’ve washed 3 times and still used to medal at Nats in Over 40 div:
So I came back to throwing 4-5 months ago after a 7-8year break and I’ve been on a mission to find the best string and I’ve tried at least 50 -60 different kinds. If you like diamond blend then I would highly recommend Zipline prestige and Zipline case study #50. A&A strings are great boutique nylons I’m quickly falling in love with and can’t wait to get more. As far as bulk strings go, my favorites are original throw string (OT string) and Zipline x Sochi alphaline. If you like fast and whippy markmont strings are #1 when it comes to polyester strings. I would suggest getting both sample packs from markmont so you can try em all and see what you like best. Other notable mentions are: Zipline smoothie, Zipline EP 20/20, and YYSL plutonium and nytro.
Markmont strings are the absolute best strings out there in my opinion, but don’t feel right for casual play to me. They’re very textured, and super fast, which makes them more fitting for really dialing in and focusing on performance. My personal preference is definitely dragon, but if you prefer a thicker string go with cumulus foam. Buy a 100pk of Markmont and you will never need to buy string again in your life lol.
Im a.total newbie so take this for what it’s worth…
I’ve tried Kitty and Sochi, have an A&A sub, and have purchased a variety from Zipline. So far, I like the Zipline stuff the best. The Smoothie strings feel relatively neutral to me and I have them on most of my yoyos now. They’re soft and hold their tension incredibly well. I also like the Skyline III - very bouncy and on the thicker side.
The A&A strings are nice too, I especially like the Formula V so far. The colors are great. My only issue is that the string tension near my finger has gotten loose on every string I’ve used. Super strange - I haven’t experienced that with any other yoyo string. In fact, I’m kind of curious if anyone has any thoughts on why that might be happening.
All the Zipline stuff I tried is really great, for bulk string I use MFD Vines. I don’t relly like Kitty string, it “burns” the fingers and the only one I might “like” a bit is Kitty XL.
Personally I love the new kitty XL formula, Original throw string, or alphaline. Part of the fun tho is trying out new strings and feeling the different formulas interacting with different kinds of tricks. Trying out different sample packs and figuring out which one feels best for your style is part of the journey (if you want it to be)
Dragons are thin like kitty regular maybe cumulous foam are thick like thicker than kitty fat it feels like but there are really good descriptions on the website you can checkout. They also get a little thicker after washing and the tightness gets a little relaxed
(if you want it to be)