I just got the Good Life Gulch. This is my first Good Life, and overall, I have to say I’m impressed. The one I’m basing this review on is a used B-grade, but I’m honestly not sure why. (Maybe the anno? Read on). If that’s the case, then Good Life has some serious quality control.
It’s difficult to tell where the weight distribution really falls with this one. It’s not particularly rim, mid, or center-weighted. It feels thick everywhere, but perhaps thinnest in the “bubble” between the rim and wall (I would count most of the rims on this to be part of the catch zone as well).
Let’s get into the meat of the review.
Power:
(For reference, I generally dislike light, low-power yoyos. I may be more critical in this area than others). Given that it’s 66g, it’s not quite as powerful as you’d expect. (The weight partially comes from the fact it’s very slightly oversized). That said, this one still has plenty of spin to be forgiving on your shorter combos and enough to get you through your longer ones on a fairly clean attempt.
Stability:
Since it’s a bit on the wider side and isn’t ultra rim-weighted, it’s surprisingly stable. At higher RPMs, it’s very forgiving in this department; at lower spin, it’s fairly average.
Speed & Control-ability:
Not speedy, but definitely not slow. Due to the weight distribution, it feels rather balanced. While it’s on the heavier side, it isn’t burdened by that rim-weighted sluggishness. That means with just a bit of a nudge to get it going, it can really move quite decently.
It feels vaguely reminiscent of an Exit8 (bi-metal) in this category, in that it’s weighty but still has a good flow. It’s a “good heavy.”
Response:
Slightly snaggy with Sochi fat; slippery with YYE bulk poly. Hopefully they’ll break in a little and be perfect with Sochi. Not bad enough either way to warrant siliconing/replacing pads.
Finger spins:
The engravings do detract from what I think would otherwise be a good finger-spin yoyo. If I were to give a small critique here, I’d do away with the rectangular “Gulch” engraving and leave the more impressive sunrise/stream engraving on the other side (which I think looks cool). This would at least leave one good side for finger spins.
Smoothness:
9/10 smooth (tiny bit of nail vibe). Anno is decent as well, though not the best I’ve felt (not sure if this is because it’s B-grade or not).
Comfort:
I was guessing from pictures it would either be quite comfortable, or really uncomfortable. Thankfully, I can report that it’s the former.
Comparisons:
This shape is fairly unique to the limited number of yoyos I’ve been able to try (relative to most of you). I don’t have a Shutter, but I’d be curious how they compare. While the weights are close, it feels considerably faster than the YYFr Shortcut. Most similar I can make is to an Exit8, though they’re quite different still (see speed/control).
Overall, this thing is impressive for the money (esp. on the BST - thanks @Jdrabik; YYE also has a sale going on now), and probably my 2nd favorite monometal. It also sings beautifully.
I would be highly interested in a 7k Al version. If they could manage to shave off close to 1g while leaving the rims at current thickness, I feel they would have a serious contender for one of the best monometals on the market. It would…
- Make it a more standard weight (making it rather zippy at its size) while still feeling very solid
- Make the power worth writing home about (though some don’t like the yoyo to come back to their hand with a thump, which it currently doesn’t)
- Solve its slight identity crisis and turn this above-average yoyo into one of the greats
Edit: Might could’ve worded some of this a little better. Typed the majority of it while eating breakfast, hence, “a quick review.” Hopefully it’s good enough to help anyone looking for a solid monometal.