MonkeyFinger Design X G Squared Co-Lab
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
May 18, 2014

Introduction

Collaborations seem to be all the rage these days with many of the top companies in the industry coming together to make some truly brilliant designs. Some come together because of a simple sketch, the One Drop/CLYW Wooly MarkMont comes to mind, other times it is because the two companies are such good friends that they want to work together, again One Drop and CLYW collabs or the upcoming One Drop and General Yo collab. Now we have two companies coming together from two different countries on the same continent, Canada’s MonkeyFinger Design (also known as MFD) and America’s G Squared. If I had to guess, I’m betting this collaboration was born while the two companies were talking anodizing since G Squared has been using MFD for some truly off the wall ano jobs. When this was first announced I was cautiously excited. One company is known for their rock solid, organic designs while the other is known to be absolutely bonkers in looks and design while maintaining a high level of play.

Specs

• Diameter: 56.45mm
• Width: 44mm
• Gap: 4.35mm
• Weight: 69.3 grams
• Bearing: Size C bearing
• Response: G-Grip silicone pads

Construction

You can definitely tell the influences from each company in this yoyo. The profile’s V-Shape design is a convergence of each company’s most popular throws. The grooves and step out in the gap are off the Triton while the overall shape and straight angles harken from MFD’s Ape-X. The cup is also a 50/50 split between those two yo-yos, with the outer parts of the cup and the step in weight ring being pulled from the Ape-X while the floor and hub being pure Triton. Over all, while it is a true melding of the two yo-yos it comes out looking unique unto itself. For the most part it is quite comfortable in the hand but I do miss the rounded edges that come from pretty much all of the G Squared designs. The heft behind each throw can cause a little pain during play if you catch it wrong. The finish has a silky smooth blast on it that is quite nice to the touch and it comes in a crazy splash that you would expect from either company. Overall, I like the unique look the companies came up with although my old hands wouldn’t have minded a little MFD Gelada thrown at those rims.

Weight

There is no way around it; at 69.3 grams this is a hefty throw. It isn’t slow by any means but it is also not a speed demon. It has some float to it while moving on the string and is quite stable.

Response and Bearing

The response is G Squared’s new G-Grip pads made from white silicone. They give quite a bit of grip during binds and feel fantastic during play. They never seem to get grabby when performing complex tricks.

The bearing is a 10-ball of some variety, I am not sure if it is a One Drop or a BOSS bearing but it did play quite nice and stayed quiet, so I honestly could not ask for anything more.

Playability

The Co-Lab is a determined, medium speed beast with a lot of spin on the string. I found it plays best when you are not trying to push it to insane speeds and are just looking to chill out and relax. It handles pretty much any trick you can throw at it thanks to the large catch zone and extended spin times. I had no problems with spinouts at all even during long combos. Grinds are spot on thanks to the smooth blast finish. I would have liked an IGR for thumb grinds, at the moment it is next to impossible to pull off any sort of thumb grind even when thrown at an angle. Over all the play is great, my own personal preferences would have liked it a little lighter on the string but that is just my own opinion on the matter. Many will love the chilled out speed and floaty feel that the Co-Lab gives.

Final Thoughts

I can see this probably being the first of many collaborations between MFD and G Squared. It plays great with only a few tiny imperfections and all those are thing minor issues based on my own preferences. Do not hesitate to give the Co-Lab a look, I doubt you will be disappointed.