String Review – base12 Alpha

Next to writing about the latest tennis news and events, I also occasionally play some tennis myself. And for the last couple of weeks, I have been testing a string from a German company called base12. The founders are two former college players, who came back to Germany and according to their website wanted to challenge the price point of tennis strings. The result is the base12 Alpha, a polyester string that is currently available in two gauges, 1.28mm (lime) and 1.25mm (black). After testing the strings in a couple of rackets, here are my thoughts.

Packaging, pricing and availability

The string is exclusively sold via base12’s own ecommerce platform, which according to them, is one of the main cost savers. Next to their two strings, Alpha lime and Alpha black, they sell a couple of typical accessories, such as dampeners or clothing. You can choose between a test set, single and a dozen sets or the 200m reel. Priced at 6,90€ a set or 69€ a reel, the string has a very attractive price point.

The sets came in a very nice packaging, a kind of Ziploc bag in matte black with their own branding, which you can surely reuse for strings or other things to carry. Of course, the packaging is still plastic, but at least in a re-usable way. 

First impressions and stringing

Straight from the mentioned packaging, the Alpha strings look like your usual polyester strings – not too stiff, not too soft and with interesting finishes. The lime version in 1.28mm has a more matte finish, while the 1.25mm version has a rather glossy finish. The change in diameter isn’t noticeable in the stiffness of the string, both seem medium stiff. Both versions were easy to string, slipping through the crosses and not being too harsh to handle.

I strung up a couple of my rackets including a Blade 98 16×19, Blade Pro 16×19, Head Speed Pro and Babolat Rafa Origin. I used mainly 23kgs, only one more for the Rafa, and experimented with the crosses a little bit lower to gain extra spin. And with this I went straight to the court.

Playing the Alpha – solid experience

The Alpha Lime was the first string I tested, with 1.28mm being slightly thicker than I would typically play. As a round string without special snapback coating, I did not expect a lot of spin from the Alpha, but it still gave a decent amount. The general response is rather muted, yet very predictable, as the string does not generate a ton of power on its own. Predictability is generally a good word for the base12 string, as it does not possess a particular standout quality, but rather wants to perform well all-around.

Especially in more powerful tennis rackets like the Origin, it gives a nice blend of control and power, while also not being too harsh on the arm. In more controlled frames, like the Speed Pro, you would want a tad more free power or spin to really hit the ball at your opponent without losing control. 

Here is where the 1.25mm version Alpha Black comes into play. It is advertised as more control and comfort, but to me it was more of everything including power and spin. It’s just more in my wheelhouse to play a thinner gauge, where you feel more connected to your shots and can get a bit more for free on your shots.

The black version is no spin or power monster either, but it helps your game more on defense or off-center shots, plus it adds nice spin to your shots. Overall, I preferred that version in all rackets but the Origin.

Comparable strings out there and conclusion

I think the string lives up to its idea of being a high-quality string, made in Germany with a balanced profile of control, comfort and spin. It does not overperform in any department, but really let’s your game and racket do the talking in a way, with support in all areas. The closest strings to this might be something like a Head Lynx, also a round quality string that tries to balance all qualities.

Given its price, the base12 Alpha might be a great choice for testing rackets, stringers who want a good base offer or just a price sensitive player. If you want to add a certain quality to your game, you might be better off with another string, but the Alpha is an excellent choice all-around. The lime version is a bit more muted, the black version is more connected and powerful – both have a good tension maintenance. Interestingly enough, the thicker lime version broke faster on me than the black version, so I would recommend testing both and choosing which one you like better.

Got a question on the string? Let me know in the comments!

Official site: https://base12.eu