Hi there.
Got a First Base for Christmas and at the start of my yo-yo journey. Have managed to get a few starter tricks under my belt but it doesn’t seem that responsive.
I got some thick lube, that didn’t seem to do a great deal. I have tried a 50/50 string, which was not too bad but strangest of all is the cotton string I tried was literally completely unresponsive. So much so that I even checked the bearing.
So my questions are these; aren’t cotton strings meant to be the most responsive and if so why isn’t this happening?
Is the lube a waste of money and resources?
Am I missing something in setting up the yo-yo or is it a very refined technique to get it to come back? I watch tutorial vids and everyone seems to just do the most minor of twitches to get the yo-yo to return.
Thanks in advance guys and gals
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It comes responsive but also with an extra bearing to put in for unresponsive. My First Base was incredibly responsive out of the box. Check that the unresponsive bearing is not already in. The responsive bearing is narrow and the unresponsive is wide.
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Yeah what @anon19434144 said make sure the narrow, NOT the wide, bearing is in it… if you want it to play responsive.
Any thick lube works fine, but it has to be a narrow bearing for it to be right as a responsive.
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It sounds like you put thick lube in the wider unresponsive bearing. Please let us know about the situation. All of this can feel frustrating but people here can steer you in the right direction so you can have fun. Don’t worry, nothing is ruined. It’s all good. We’ve all been there.
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Thanks for the responses. Here’s a photo of the bearings. I haven’t switched them and have just assumed it has come responsive. 
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Did you compare the width of the bearings? Can’t see from a top-down photo. The one on the yo-yo should be the slim one (less wide).
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No I can see. The slim bearings don’t have shields because they’re too thin to have them. That is the responsive bearing
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So, how’s it working? My opinion only - put a few more drops of thick lube in and in 5, 6, 7 gravity throws it should be acting like it’s supposed to. Make sure the lube does not get on the response pads and if it does, use a cloth to wipe / dry it off. Also, if lube got on the string, it can get a little wierd. I’ve lubed bearings and got lube on the outside of the bearing - where the string sits which makes it slippery and less responsive.
Well, that was odd. I went to bed and had another go in the morning and it’s now super responsive. Perhaps the lube just needed to do its thing along with gravity like you said Chrisfrancz? Either way it’s all good now.
Thanks for all your responses and advice. As someone new to yo-yo it seems like a really nice, inclusive scene and people seem generous with their knowledge. Thanks again.
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Cool another thing to try is swapping in a new string. Never hurts!
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I’ll give that a whirl too, thanks.
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I’ve over-lubed before not realizing I made a mess so I cleaned it up and let it sit overnight and in the morning…perfecto! I am truly happy you got it working!
