G Squared Nessie
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
July 25, 2012

Introduction

Brett and Jake are at it again. Little more than 3 months after the debut of their first yo-yo, the Albatross, they have decided to give us their sophomore effort. This new yo-yo, the Nessie, is a complete change from the Albatross in almost every way, showing that G Squared is not willing to just play it safe. The second release by a company can be the trickiest; it is kind of like a sequel to a movie. People have already formed an opinion based on the first and if you take a radical departure from that opinion you will get some backlash. The question is, how will the Nessie hold up to what people think of G Squared? It is going to be a Godfather 2 level masterpiece or a Speed 2: Cruise Control level “never should have been made”?

Specs

• Diameter: 54mm
• Width: 43mm
• Gap: 4.34mm
• Weight: 66g
• Bearing: 10 Ball
• Response: Flowable Silicone

Construction

Right off the bat we can see G Squared dropped the classic curves for a modern H-Shape profile. There are huge rims followed by a large step down into the steep, concavely curved walls of the catch zone. The walls terminate at a rounded step out before dropping into the gap of the yo-yo. These gap steps have become increasingly popular with yo-yo manufacturers who have been looking for more ways to reduce string contact near the gap. There are only two design elements that are similar between the Nessie and the Albatross and both of them are in the cup. G Squared decided to keep the stabilizing ring and the IGR from the Albatross the rest is completely new. The flat hub has been rounded off with a slight spike at the absolute center. The spike acts more as an accent and is not really usable for those who like matador play or rip cord starts. G Squared went an extra step and rounded off all the edges that come in contact with the hand during play. This is always welcome on an H-Shape yoyo; those rims can be brutal at times. I found the design to be quite comfortable in the hand. My fat middle finger rested comfortably in the catch zone while my flanking ring and index fingers lay on the rims. The Gruntbull finish never seemed sticky, even during the muggy Ohio whether that has hit this summer. Overall, this is a good riff on the H-Shape design with spectacular machining that one comes to expect from companies that outsource their manufacturing to One Drop’s machine shop.

Weight

This yo-yo plays speedy for a 66 gram yo-yo. No, it isn’t a speed demon but it is not slow by any stretch of the imagination either. The large amount of rim weight afforded by the H-Shape design gives this yo-yo amazing spin times all while staying blissfully stable through any and all play sessions.

Response and Bearing

G Squared continued its use of Flowable silicone in as the stock response in the Nessie. The Flowable used is the same type that CLYW use to use in all of their products before Snow Tires came into play. I do love flowable even though it takes a while to cure when you replace the response. The upside is that you get a response that will last for quite a long time and remain dead unresponsive.

The bearing is One Drop’s 10-Ball. Reliable and silent, enough said.

Playability

I have said it before, yo-yo companies develop a feel that people associate with the brand, and G Squared is no exception. The Nessie, while playing faster than the Albatross, still retains the insane stability that I enjoyed with their first design. The Nessie is quite smooth during both standard and horizontal play, which is not surprising; I have noticed that most who throw predominantly horizontal tricks tend to use an H-shape yo-yo. The other major style of play whose players prefer an H-Shape is 3A. Again, I am not surprise that G Squared went with this design, co-owner Brett has been working hard on this particular style, I have no doubt that it has led him to design his perfect 3A yo-yo. As with other H-Shapes I found this yo-yo excelled in whips, slacks, and suicides. All tricks that shine when the catch zone is easy to hit and not obstructed by a high wall. The Nessie has impressive grinds thanks to the Gruntbull bead blast finish. They are stable and easy to control no matter what part of the hand or arm you throw at it.

Final Thoughts

The Nessie is definitely a “Godfather 2” level second effort from this company. G Squared knows exactly how to design a yo-yo to fit multiple areas of play perfectly. If you are looking for a long spinning 1A yo-yo for vertical and/or horizontal play then look not further. If you are looking for a new pair of 3A yo-yos then this is a serious contender that you should pay close attention to. Now just about the only thing G Squared has to work on is a yo-yo designed specifically for freehand play.