;D MADHOUSE EPIC ;D
all right, all right, gather 'round ye children and youthful adults!! we have here the much wanted, much anticipated, demanded, and very very very much NEEDED review for Madhouse’s newest creation, the ever wonderful, E-P-I-C
INTRO
I had purchased the Black/Red Epic through another website, because i didnt know whether or not YYE was going to get them in, and to Andre’, i apolgize for the lack of dedication to our family, I shall never ever stray again.
All right, the second i unboxed this beast, i was greeted with a beautiful velvet-like sachel that contained my much anticipated yoyo. Right when i pulled it out of the bag, i couldnt believe how unique it looks in person and how extremely bright and beautiful the TA-TA’s are. One very important thing that also stood out to me as well was the very strange and unique finish… but we’ll get to that.
ok, lets do this properly:
SPECS
Diameter: 54.98 mm / 2.16 inches
Width: 39.10 mm / 1.54 inches
Gap Width: 4.30 mm / .17 inches
Weight: 65.76 grams
Bearing Size: Size C Stainless Steel (.250 x .500 x .187)
Response: Flowable Silicone
FIRST THROW & PLAYABILITY
first thing that caught my attention on the first throw was the sound of the TA-TA’s, very strange (and awesome!) sound. I should also mention that i took off the TA-TA’s and lubed them before ever throwing it, as to Rick’s request in the MadHouse thread. Anyway, the yoyo has a little bit of vibe right at first. But, only at first… I have come to the conclusion that this small vibe is the TA-TA’s trying to catching up to the actual yoyo. The TA-TA’s also quiet down after about 5 or 6 seconds. (which you can hear in the included video). Once the vibe goes away, which it does quickly, it is super smooth and wonderful. The binds are also very wonderful, they are not too grabby and it responds to a very well executed bind, but it will spit out the string on a terrible bind, which i prefer in a yoyo, it forces you to have a good bind.
One thing that some people are not going to like about this yoyo is that it doesnt spin for an extremely long time. The stock bearing would only spin for around a minute for me. After I installed a OD 10ball in the yoyo, that time moved to in between 1:30-2:00 on a really good throw. I have never had it run out of fuel on a regular combo that doesn use the TA-TA’s, but if you do use the TA-TA’s like 4 or 5 times in a combo, you risk it losing momentum.
This yoyo is what i would call the definition of floaty, it has a good weight to it, and it honestly goes wherever you want it to go. It is by no means a speedy yoyo, at least not in my hands, and i do not play very fast.
The shape is an odd sort of H shape, but modified. it is a wee bit smaller in width than most yoyos, but i personally love that, cause i find other yoyos to be huge in the width department after throwing this one.
THE FINISH
The finish on this yoyo is amazing! i do not actually know what it is. I have heard people toss around the description “eggshell” and i think this is that type of finish, it feels like a really fresh egg. It turns to a smooth finish right in the catch zone (pictured below). What does this mean you ask??? Well, my good friend, it means that the grinds are nothing short of phenomonal!!! and that the string catches are smooth and interrupted. But, wow, let me get back to the grinds… This thing is soooo easy to control on finger grinds and on arm grinds, it doesnt lose it’s speed very quickly and does not grab at all… For someone like me, who loves to grind, this is a godsend. And the TA-TA’s acid wash and engravings are very, very pretty. (the black version also has “MADHOUSE” added to one of the wings)
One other thing about the finish is that it is very hard to scratch, ding, or damage. I have dropped it several times, and have not lost any paint yet. There is one tiny tiny ding, that i can barely find. It’s a tank.
PROS & CONS
PROS
- Great grinding
- Easy to catch
- Beautiful
- Unique
- Good binds
- Seated bearing
CONS
- Shorter sleep times than other +$100 throws
- Loud
- Small vibe at first
- No thumb grinds
TA-TA PLAY
here is a special section i wanted to inlude about catching and using the TA-TA’s. They are very easy to catch or pull start. The TA-TA’s also wont slow down if you put pressure on them after catching. From what i have read about other sidecaps, these are the best, hands down. The string cannot get caught in behind them, they dont wobble, and they dont fly off. They are easily maintaned with the included Allen Key. I tried to catch it right after a breakaway with my throw hand the first time I threw and I actually caught it. I believe this yoyo also helps with hand-eye coordination.
[u]FINAL THOUGHTS
I believe that my yoyo collection is almost complete by owning this and one other “regular” Throw. This yoyo will not let you down. It is wonderful, and eye catching. The shape is very unique. The feel is unique. I use this as my main throw, unless I want to do a thumb grind, hahaha. All in all, great yoyo, it is my new best friend.
PICTURES