General Yo is an American brand of yo-yo that has graced the yo-yo community with dead smooth throws, the amazingly good grinding and feeling beadblast finish, and those BA editions that are so loved and sought after. Now i have the wonderful pleasure of reviewing the one the only Essence of General-yo.
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The specs for those who don’t know:
Diameter: 53.8 mm
Width: 43 mm
Gap: 4.2 mm
Weight: 67g
The General-Yo brand has been putting out amazing throws over the last few years, i have gotten a chance to throw them except the torrent and 5*. The Essence has taken the highlights of its ancestors and made a throw that just sings THROW ME. The Box is very straightforward with what i believe to be the Production run logo on it
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Upon Inspection:
The Essence i received was blue/gray to match my blue/grey Hatrick. The blue is a tad lighter on the essence, and the grey is a bit darker.http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs023.snc6/165319_466728597573_637082573_5584522_5491533_n.jpg(essence left,hatrick right) The Beadblast on the Essence is the best i have ever felt, i have only owned and thrown a few BB’ed throws but this finish even beats my Hatrick BB. Its rougher than the hatrick and feels very good. now to the throw
It was love at first throw:
I normally do a few tricks on a throw before binding it the first time, but the Essence just spun at the bottom of my string. I have to commend Ernie for the quality of the throw and AIGR bearing he uses. It was silent and DEAD smooth :-o, i binded then throw again to try some tricks. Don’t let the size and weight fool you if you are one of those undersized feather weight throwers, this thing is like a chameleon on the string. I went slow at first then sped up and the Essence did what i wanted when i wanted. The weight is amazing, think hatrick tricks older cooler brother that hits the gym everyday ;D. Don’t get me wrong my Hatrick is awesome, but being the big strong guy i am heavier larger throws fit my hands well and remind me that i’m throwing.http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1379.snc4/163152_466729027573_637082573_5584533_6345542_n.jpghttp://l25.sphotos.l3.fbcdn.net/hphotos-l3-ash1/hs773.ash1/166394_466728747573_637082573_5584523_4793867_n.jpg
Grinds:
If i had to bring one throw to a grinding contest the Essence would be it, two weeks ago my Hatrick would easily take the prize but the Essences weight,finish, and gap is a perfect for my big fingers and thumbs. The IRG is very similar to the hatrick but the rougher finish and bigger rims make it a dream to thumb grind on.
Response and bearing:
the Response is red, binds very tight, and seems to last forever. My hatrick came with this red response and i thought it was just an RTV job that the guy i got it from did, but my essence came with it and i now know why. It looks amazing, very well done, and feels like the same bind everytime end a combo. http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1369.snc4/164161_466729487573_637082573_5584538_8220014_n.jpghttp://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs787.ash1/167774_466729592573_637082573_5584539_1502798_n.jpg My Hatrick didn’t come with an AIGR so i have a OneDrop 10bal in it, but my essence came with bearing that some throwers swear by. It broke in very quickly for me, but was very silent so i didn’t really have any issues with it. I tried other bearings in the Essence but none were as silent or performed aswell as the AIGR. MUST BUY A FEW
Conclusion:
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I wish i had another one so i could play this thing with out a care. This throw will always have a place in my collection, the quality, finish, and specs really make this throw a keeper. Everyone should be marking their calendars, saving checks from work and grandma you don’t want to miss out. Can’t wait to see a BA edition or any custom runs. THIS THROW IS A MUST HAVE, BUY 2 GIVE ME 1 O0
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