Carbonex 20
Model CAB-20
Where to find it
Full carbon, full control: Carbonex 20
The all-graphite maturation
The Carbonex 20 marked Yonex's maturation from hybrid construction toward fully integrated carbon racquets. Released in 1990 with HM Graphite in both frame and shaft — no aluminium, no steel, no titanium overlay — the CAB-20 set a new benchmark for feel and consistency in an era when pure-graphite competition racquets were still a premium proposition. The transition from the CAB-8's aluminium head to the CAB-20's full HM Graphite monocoque was as significant in its moment as the move to nano-materials would be fifteen years later.
What long-term owners notice
Forum collectors who own multiple production runs of the CAB-20 note the feel 'is completely different from the older types' — later versions exhibit noticeably stiffer shaft profiles than earlier blue-finish models. The box-frame cross-section provided the Carbonex hallmark: torsional stability, a solid resonant impact sound, and precise shot placement that pure-graphite technology enabled in a way hybrid constructions couldn't match. The CAB-20 and CAB-21 'set the standards in the late 80s and early 90s for quality and power graphite racquets.'
No tracked price, genuine rarity
Clean CAB-20 examples with original cosmetics are a collector conversation piece at any gathering of serious Yonex historians. No secondary market price is tracked here because transactions are too rare to establish a market — but the frame commands respect wherever it surfaces. For collectors building a complete Yonex evolutionary timeline, the CAB-20 is the link between the hybrid CAB-8 era and the refinement achieved in the CAB-21 and CAB-35.
Full HM Graphite construction — both frame and shaft. Box-frame cross-section on shaft. Stiff flex. No titanium or nano-material designations (pre-1995 production). Even balance trending slightly head-heavy. Classic Yonex branding from the early 1990s. No hologram. Made in Japan.
No current tracked market. Value is a function of condition and authenticity verification. An essential piece for the complete Carbonex collection. Will always command attention from serious Yonex historians.
Prices last updated March 2026. All data based on tracked secondary market transactions.