Noel Kunz (Review and Video)
Phoenix Yoyo by GN Yoyo Co:
First Impressions:
Let me start by saying that I was excited to see the 3D rendering, so to see it in person was quite a treat. However, when I first opened the package and assembled it, I though to myself, "Wow this is a big yoyo." And it is. It is full sized, but it is also pretty wide as well. Compared to a Onedrop 54, it is a giant, but next to something like a YYJ Classic, it is about on par. In the hand it felt nice and organic, even with the Spectrum-like cuts in the rims. Felt really good. The response comes deep enough to add flowable or flow groove silicone, but it came with thinner silicone stickers. Had to use a thicker string but the fact that it has the options is a plus. This is one good looking yoyo.
Looks:
It has clearly taken some cues from other yoyos, and that is a good thing. The rim cuts to get a good amount of rim weight took notes from the Spectrum (which I know Paul is a fan of), and the rims are spread out, not unlike any of the delrin-rim Werrd series of yoyos. The nipple isn't long enough or sharp enough for any matador, but it looks just fine with the contours of the whole outer hub. I did find that Duncan FHZ caps were just a little too small to fit into the sides, and it got me to realize that there is no real IRG surface. I like having the option for an IRG, but that's just my personal opinion. This yoyo looks super sharp in its raw form, but I know it will look cool even in its anodized colors. Really though, it would be awesome to see a raw version be available.
On the Throw:
One word: HEAVY. Smooth, but heavy. When I received the yoyo, the paper with the specs didn't specify the weight, so I asked Paul and he told me 68-69 grams. Luckily this one is 6061 because they tested a 7075 version that was about 73 grams. That's already very heavy and the weight distribution with it being a big yoyo as well as having those undercut rims didn't help to make it feel or play any lighter. It was pretty difficult to get speed going and you could feel it eat at your fingers because of it. There was some good about that weight though. Spin times were plenty for even the longest combos and it played a lot like a Werrd InDecision in that the rims spread that weight out to still be pretty floaty even with the heft. That's a good thing. For 1A it is great for a smooth player, and the walls weren't too high to get in the way or cause any snags. This yoyo equipped with a V bearing is a good match up as well. Plenty of air can get into that gap to open up for suicides. I did however find that it was difficult to 5A with because it was just too heavy to pair with even my heaviest of counterweights.
Conclusion:
I wish more companies could have good first releases like this. You could see the passion that these guys put into it, especially having a lot of obstacles to deal with in the community and overcoming them to make a vision come to life. At $95 it is a fair price because it gives quality. It is smoother than many other yoyos out there and they were able to keep it sub $100 even for a small run. In fact, if you act fast, the pre-release price is 15% off on their page. While it is a little heavy for my taste, it really is a good, solid playing yoyo. It covers the stability and spin time for you, so all you need to do is worry about the tricks itself when going hardcore. I'd encourage any young player to give this a shot, especially for a first contest. It works well outdoors against the wind compared to many yoyos and it just does so many things right. For me, the room for improvement would be to shave some weight off, as the weight distribution design is already there and is proven to work. I also hope the packaging is as nice as this yoyo. Great job to the kids with a dream. Don't let the obstacles discourage you. Just keep moving forward, and I look forward to future releases from this company.
Austin Cook (Video Review)
Ryan Danielson (Video Review)
Joey Garcia (Review)
Ok, so I've been following the drama and bad press just like everyone else has, and honestly, I was not impressed. I never publicly criticized GN the way some have on various sites, and I have been hoping their projects would come through for them, unlike some... but that isn't to say I haven't been cringing and facepalming along with everyone.
Then along came the opportunity to actually test the prototype they have released for their first actual production model, the Phoenix. At first I wasn't sure about it, I had mainly signed up because I always like playing new yoyos, and I do like an undercut H shape on a yoyo. But with the continued criticism surrounding the yoyo, and the constant degrading of the specs, I wasn't too sure I was excited for this one.
That all changed a few weeks ago when I received the Phoenix in the mail. This is a great yoyo, you don't feel the weight, it is powerful and stable, yet it can be pretty nimble when you want it to be. I am almost reluctant to give this yoyo a description of "solid or floaty" because this is neither of those things. We all know why we are stepping away from the term "floaty" these days, but I do know that this doesn't play solid to me. But we can get into all that in a moment.
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First, the stats
Diameter: 59.46mm
Width: 45.5mm
Gap Width: 4.72mm
Weight: 68g
Response: CBC White Standard Pads
Axle: M4x10mm Nonmarring Set Screw
Bearing: 10 ball Buddha Whipple bearing
It was revealed early on that the some of the design and the entirety of the CAD modeling was done by Landon Balk over at 3yo3, while the machining was done at Foxland Precision (one of the primary machinists used in our community) You can really feel the quality of the design and machining on the raw metal, there are really almost no machine marks to be felt anywhere, and definitely no sharp edges. Kudos to GN for really sourcing their product well on this yoyo.
Of course we are all familiar with the early controversy with the comparison to a Cliff by GN themselves. That was actually a main criticism of the brand at first, come to think of it, and it really stuck in my mind to the point that when the Phoenix showed up at my door, the first thing I did was compare the two.
As you can see, the Phoenix could technically be said to have been inspired by the cliff, but the shapes are pretty different when you get down to the fine details of the yoyo. It is immediately obvious that it is much more rounded than the Cliff, whose outer rims are very angular, and the space between the two outer rims on the Phoenix is also much wider, to the point where you will pretty much never snag a middle knuckle like you could on a Cliff, if you weren't careful. The cups are definitely not even related to each other, especially considering that the Phoenix doesn't even have the inner rim. Finally, you can see that the shape of the bearing seat is also pretty different from standard, and seems more shallow than the bearing seat of the Cliff.
One thing I did notice immediately upon receiving the yoyo was that the response area is REALLY deep compared to what I'm used to.
The Phoenix shipped to me with White YYF pads in it, and the yoyo does actually respond fairly quickly using industry standard bulk string (Fat Kitty, Blueprint, sOmething Type 2) but it didn't bind as tightly as I like. With permission of Paul Zorrovich (Zorro on YoYoExpert.com) I poured some MonkeySnot into the response groove, and from there on, the Phoenix's binds were tight and quick, without catching the string mid trick. Whips, lacerations, and suicides were all wide open, as you'd expect from a modern yoyo, and it seems that flowable silicone was in mind when the response was designed, as I find it perfect.
As far as the size of the Phoenix, it is definitely an oversized throw. I had trouble fitting it in my Legyoyo holster at first, but once you get used to it, it's not bad at all. I actually find it REALLY comfortable to play. Like seriously, the rounded rims, and the large size make for a really comfortable yoyo.
The spin does have some power to it, and serious amounts of stability coming from its 68g of weight. However, I find that this is one of those yoyos that seems to make the grams disappear on the throw. I would have honestly guessed that this weighed somewhere in the high 65's or low 66's rather than 68-69g. It hops really easily, and doesn't seem to thunk down at the end of the string when you throw it. If you play quickly, or at competition speeds, I can see it hitting strings pretty hard, there is no denying what the scale tells you, I've had it swing down and bounce off of the mount I was attempting.
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All that being said, I can emphasize the unique feeling this thing has, but I don't think I'd be doing it justice. I REALLY enjoyed having this yoyo in my posession. It almost makes me sad to send it off to the next person, it was that fun to have. This is obviously all my opinion, but the design is good looking, the weight distribution is spot on, and the play is excellent.
BUT there is the thing about actually buying one. As of the time of writing, the price is supposed to be $100 for a raw, $110 for solid colors, $125 for splash, and $135 for "fancy splash"
I understand that these are speculated prices, but come on GN. Even with my high opinion of this yoyo, I won't be paying $100 for a raw one. This is made more worrying by the disclaimer that has been taken down, but still remains fresh in memory for quite a few of us. *Zorro, as seen below, has answered the question of the infamous disclaimer, and I'm pretty satisfied with his response. The price may not be as low as I like, but as long as you are getting an A grade, its not as large of an issue as the original review stated
The company itself has some growing pains to go through, and some bad history to move on from. The yoyo itself is great, and they should be very proud of it. I would be, and I would love to see them be able to get yoyos out for a reasonable price considering that they are a brand new start up. I'm very interested in the Wildfire they have showing on their page.
http://gnyoyoco.wix.com
It looks like a fast V shape that should promise to be quite fun.
The real question on my mind is, will the Phoenix actually be released? I can't say for sure, but I sure hope so.
Cyyclical.com (Review)
YoYoExpert maintains an extensive online forum site for the yo-yo community with a large number of topic boards. One of the more interesting boards is the Up and Coming Manufacturers sub-forum, and I enjoy reading through it on occasion to see what cool stuff is in the works. Case in point: back in August GN Yoyo announced their inaugural yo-yo, dubbed the Phoenix. It caught my eye as a throw that looked quite unique (at least to me), and I wanted to highlight it so that any of you that are interested could keep tabs on its development.
The Phoenix is going to be a BIG yo-yo. You can check out the specs below for the details, but let me state that it is wide in all directions. The design uses some undercutting in order to bring the weight down, but even so it comes in at 69g. This is going to be a meaty throw! Give the official thread a read over because there have already been some reviews on the prototype, and so far it sounds like good feedback. Here is a quote taken from one of the reviewers, Joey Garcia:
“All that being said, I can emphasize the unique feeling this thing has, but I don’t think I’d be doing it justice. I REALLY enjoyed having this yoyo in my posession. It almost makes me sad to send it off to the next person, it was that fun to have. This is obviously all my opinion, but the design is good looking, the weight distribution is spot on, and the play is excellent.”
If you are looking for a larger yo-yo that also has an eye-catching profile then the Phoenix from GN Yoyo is one to watch!