I am posting this for NJStringer today as per his request. He wanted to make sure his posting was up and didn’t want it to be delayed as he deals with a death in his family.
We’re here for you Stringer! Thanks for the review buddy!
G Squared Nessie Review by NJStringer
The Nessie comes as the second beastly installment from G-Squared following the incredible player the Albatross. Brett Grimes and Jacob Gross released the Albatross earlier in the year and the Albatross is nothing short of a pro-worthy throw. The Nessie continues G-Squared’s attention to detail, incredible grind finish with breath-taking colorways along with the continuation of a unique, stable and fun design.
The Nessie is offered in a wide array of colorways including Midnight Massacre (purple/black acid wash with blood red splash), Loch Ness (solid green), Dark Matter (silver with purple splash), Loch Ness Depths (blue and dark blue with silver splash), Nessie’s Cave (blue and green with black splash), Arkham (Purple/black acid wash with green splash), Bubblegum (pink/orange acid wash with silver splash), Gotham (blue/black acid wash with yellow splash), Inferno (gold/red acid wash), Loco Leprechaun (silver with orange and green splash), Riverbed (bronze with blue splash), Snozberries (orange/yellow acid wash with blue splash), Team Edition (blue/silver acid wash with yellow splash), Yellow and brown acid wash and a pink and orange with silver splash. So as you can see a great deal of thought was put into offering unique and numerous colorways. With Nessie the colors are nearly as varied as are the tales of the fabled, legendary cryptid of Loch Ness.
Update: Thanks to Jake and Brett for clarifying the colorways for me! And another thanks to Gyger7 for updating the posting once I made the changes to the information!
Nessie Specs:
H-Shape
66 grams
54mm diameter
43mm width
4.34 gap
C Size One Drop 10 ball bearing
Response System: flowable silicone
In the Box:
G-Squared Nessie
1 poly string
The Nessie I received came in the Midnight Massacre colorway and having few purple or red yoyos in my collection I immediately fell in love with the colorway. The mix of colors coupled with the beautiful finish make for a one of a kind throw and each one arrives in your hands a piece of artwork for your collection that is stunning when in motion.
Build:
The Nessie’s design is accompanied by a solid weight and feel in the hand. The large rims are rounded perfectly to allow for comfort without being so circular that they lack any style. The H-Shape is pleasant to hold and pairs with your hand making it feel as if it were made to be a part of the human anatomy. Now this may sound a bit extreme but anyone who has been throwing for a good amount of time has held a yoyo and thought
“This thing just doesn’t feel right” and the Nessie is definitely in the category of “Now this…this wants to be held and thrown.” From the generously weighted rims there is a single step down into the catch zone which is revealed as a gently curved, concave surface before hitting the wall and response groove. The finish is a lovely, grindable surface that “sings” when you run a finger over it. When I say this I mean that the finish is blasted in a finite manner and literally resonates as you run a finger over the yoyo. There are other yoyo’s that have a similar finish but only recently have I really begun to inspect how different blasting techniques are carried out and the resulting finish presented on a final product. The Nessie is a pleasure to hold in both design and finish. The inner cup sports an IGR and carries the same finish and colorway through the entirety of the yoyo. In the center of the cup the Nessie has a minor, decorative spike that some have referred to as a “nipple.” Overall this is an incredible build and the quality of both the materials and the finished design are something to be appreciated.
On a Throw:
Some of us, more than others, have a preference to playing metals that scream quality and I most assuredly fall into this league. Now this is not to say that I can’t appreciate other throws as I definitely can but stated more to differentiate between the quality of the Nessie on a throw and a lesser quality throw. The Nessie begs to be played. The rim weight, the distribution of weight and the overall finished product result in a throw that makes you wish for an endless supply of energy and time with which to invest in an infinite play session. The spin time, thanks to the well-weighted rims is remarkable and the weight distribution across the body translates into a brilliantly floaty yoyo that is beautiful to watch. I lent my Nessie to a buddy and just sat back and watched him take his normal fast style of play to an incredible fluid motion that screamed precision and held a balance between art and stunning play. The surface holds well to grinds and during my spectator moments as my buddy played my Nessie we learned that the finish is resilient as well when the fabled beast of a yoyo was scraped mercilessly across the pavement. Not a scratch was to be found but I don’t suggest just carelessly tossing your own Nessie around as I am sure that the finish will indeed have its limitations and is not impervious to harm. The balance and symmetry of the machining can be felt on a throw. The Nessie spins true even on a less than accurate throw making play not only fun but slightly forgiving which means more time playing. All in all the Nessie is a solid player!
Stock Bearing and Response:
The Nessie comes loaded with a One Drop Ten Ball bearing and flowable silicone. At times I get somewhat hung up on learning new tricks and normally swap any type of flat bearing with something that has string-centering benefits but this does not mean that I do so without playing a stock bearing. The Nessie’s design mated with a Ten Ball bearing is a match that yields finesse and all the wonderful features of a Ten Ball. For those not familiar with One Drop’s Ten Ball bearing, once broken in, is nearly silent, smooth and fast. This comes from the distribution of weight across the additional two balls in the bearing which help decrease the radial load on the bearing which results in less noise, greater radial stability and reduced wear and tear on the bearing components. So in less technical terms - Nessie + Ten Ball = LOVE! I may go as far as saying that gone are my days of string-centering bearings for good after playing the Nessie, my third throw with a Ten Ball between the halves. I must mention that some designers aim for their throw to be used with a specific bearing type while others aim for all around versatility. Just for the heck of it I did throw in a grooved and center trac bearing for a few days of play and the Nessie performed beautifully as I expected her to but in the end I longed for my Ten Ball and gave Nessie back her silent, beautiful stock bearing. Spin Nessie! Spin!
Anyone who knows me or who has read my prior reviews knows of my near-perverse love of flowable silicone as a response system. From the first time I siliconed my Lynn Fury all those years ago flowable has held a special place in my heart as a versatile, reliable and consistent response solution that allows for easily installation and short break-in times. Flowable, when done right, will usually give you tight binds and a break-in period that is relatively short while giving your throw a response that is usually long-lived. The flowable in the Nessie is wonderful and my break-in period short, sweet and with tight, consistent binds across the board.
In the End:
Nessie is one of those cryptic legends that some people spend their entire lives searching for only to find their time wasted on something so elusive it may never be experienced if they had 10 lifetimes to spend in its pursuit. You, a thrower, are in no such conundrum; Nessie is here and she is ready to blow your mind (not your wallet) and make you love what G Squared has to offer. If you loved the Albatross you are going to be bringing the Nessie to the chapel because this girl is a keeper! If you’ve never thrown an Albatross might I suggest making one the next purchase…after your Nessie!
(jake half of the g squared ownership)