This is my second review written in english from the yoyos i got in EYYC. Hope you enjoy it.
INTRODUCTION
Some months ago I got in the BST a Tigorylla, special edition from the Gorylla proto with an exclusive tiger anodize. This is a quite rare yoyo, only a handfull were made, so it was hard to get one. When it came to me I tried it and it was fine, but there was something about it that I didn’t like. I thought that it was only a prototype that had to be improved, so according to its value and the rarity, finished like most of my yoyos: into the case.
But when I read that HSpin was going to release the final run in EYYM, with some tweaks to make it better and reduced price, I began to save some money to get one. In fact, I came back from Prague with a Beysick and the new Gorylla into my backpack.
Last months I’ve had so many new throws, maybe too many, and this primate had to wait his turn. I played it for a week and it took me quite to let it go, so I decided to write a full (springtime) review. Hope you like it.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Gorylla is part of the premium line from HSpin, and you can feel it from the beginning. It comes in the typical plastic box, disassembled and without the response system installed. Therefore, it’s needed to proceed with the full ritual: install the silicone stickers, put the bearing and axle in and assemble the two halves. When ready, you only need a fresh string to have fun.
Holding it between your fingers is a true pleasure, as the soft swiss anodize is unmatched by other brands. I don’t know how they can make such a smooth surface that grinds excellent. But I have also to admit that the shape, even being rounded and comfortable, felt strange in my hands for a while. It was because of the rim face, wich is edgy and a bit sharp with the laser engraving. I felt as it could scrape my hand… hard to explain, maybe those who have tried it will understand. Anyway, first throw was comfortable and easy, moving into some tricks finishing with a tight bind.
As usual, the new silicone pads HSpin need time to wear until they catch the point that I like. I have read that some people seem perfect from the beginning, but in my case give more response than I expected. A couple of hours after it is dead yo-yo down and stay there until we do a good bind, as it should be.
FINISH/AESTHETICS
The new Gorylla is completely black anodized, and the different laser engravings give a very cool effect. In one half you can find the HSpin logo, and in the other the serial number and the yoyo name with awesome font. Really a good job. Furthermore, the rim face is engraved too, making two white rings. This can be useful to put the yoyo down on its side. No worries about how hard is the surface, the yoyo won’t be scratched or damaged, and they also provide striking final look.
The spike is the traditional from the brand, but slighty different from the prototypes one. The surface is soft and smooth, without any visible flaw. I think it’s certainly a very beautiful yoyo.
TECH
Like the Beysick, this is a 52 mm diameter yoyo that should be good for a wide range of players: not too big, not so small. I like better full sized ones, but this Gorylla is really good so finally I didn’t mind about its size. Weight is only 1 gram heavier than the Beysick, but it feels more solid in your hand and in the string.
Shape is traditional rounded butterfly, maybe a little chubby at a glance, but comfortable in my big hands. The rim face is cut in a right angle, and in addition with the laser engravings gives a cool aggressive touch. Hidden in the cups you can find a thick irg, pushing a lot of weight to the rims, but not extreme: weight distribution is very nice, not too much in the rim nor in the middle.
Otherwise, same axle&response system 2.0 found in the last models, with a thin recess for silicone pads (it admits flowable silicone too). The bearing is the well known plastic/metal hybrid used in all HSpin premium line yoyos, very silent and with extra long spinning times. If you have any doubt, it comes deshielded and can be washed with mineral spirits without damaging the plastic cage.
Let’s see the specs:
Diámeter: 52 mm.
Width: 40,5 mm.
Weight: 66 gr.
Gap: 4,02 mm.
Bearing: HSpin plástic/metal hybrid size D (5×11x5 mm.)
Response system: silicone stickers (admits flowable silicone).
ON A THROW
The Gorylla is a very solid yoyo from the first throw. The rounded shape makes it comfortable and easy to throw, and quite forgiving even in a bad one. You will find long sleeper times as well, even with the butterfly shape, becouse of the weight hidden in the inner rims.
It moves easily in the strings at any speed. I think it’s a yoyo to play at a “normal” speed: it’s not slow at all, but not as fast as NVx. You can play it with flow and speed up whenever you want and it will react perfectly.
As I have already said, the silicone pads need some time to break in, but with some wear they turn perfect for unresponsive play. After playing for some days with the stock response, I took out the pads and put motorsil D flowable silicone. It’s my favourite response and I use it in any yoyo with a proper recess. I think with motorsil the Gorylla turned even better.
Finger and palm grinds are wonderful, and as the Beysick, thumb grinds are quite easy with that massive irg. I learnt to thumb grind using the Beysick, and after playing for a week with my Gorylla I can say I can make it quite good.
There is no vibe at all, this thing is dead smooth in the string and on grinds. Many times I have read “this yoyo is the smoothest I have ever tried” talking about many different yoyos. I won’t say that, but I can tell you this is as smooth as any other HSpin I own: NVx and Cut. Swiss engineering is really awesome.
To speak truth, first two or three days I thought it was only another nice yoyo, but with the days I began to get used to its size, the edgy rims and the small bearing (I use to play bigger yoyos, mostly H-shaped and with a kk bearing), and my opinion turned better gradually. Finally it’s been hard to put it down and play with another one.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I can say this little chubby yoyo has earned a place in my heart. I tend to be very demanding when reviewing each model, and it’s difficult to amaze me, but Gorylla made it. Not suddenly, little by little, trick by trick I finally felt in love with it. Seriously, as the specs are not into my preferences, I wasn’t expecting it.
In my opinión, it has solved the problems I found in the early prototypes, and I think the final run is more stable and balanced than the previous ones. Maybe it’s becouse of the slightly narrower gap or the small tweaks in the design, but the result is a more solid and balanced yoyo. It must be said that the Tigorylla I played before uses that bigger bearing (Oxygene, ILYY sized) and different response system (wider pads), and maybe comparing them is not fair. Anyway, I think it’s an excellent evolution.
You can see comparison pics here:
If you are looking for a high quality traditional butterfly shaped yoyo, you should give it a try. For sure it will be up to the task.
The Good
• HSpin high quality anodize, maybe the best around.
• Very smooth, without any kind of vibe.
• Certainly a grind monster.
The Evil
• The sharpy rims can feel strange at the beginning.
• Pads need some time to break in.
• Only available in black, I would love more options.
I really like my gorylla and would recomend it to any one