YYC x 3Yo3 Spectrum
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
April 7, 2013

Introduction

The Spectrum is the first yo-yo from the website YoYoCommunity (YYC for short). The site started off as a blog and community hang out for players to just talk and have fun… basically an Internet rec. center for the yo-yo crowd. The Spectrum is a collaboration between YYC and Landon Balk of 3Yo3 fame, and if that isn’t enough it is machined by Foxland Precision. All of them came together to make this yo-yo, the signature yo-yo of YYC owner Tony Alonso. I know, the first thing that comes to mind is “who is Tony Alonso?” He isn’t a competition player but is pretty involved with the community. Those unfamiliar with YYC might know him as the production guy for the World YoYo Contest. Currently held in Orlando, Florida. The inspiration for this yo-yo comes from Alonso’s desire to make a yo-yo for those players that are not the competition types. He wanted one for the players like himself and the YYC Team who perform for schools, charities, an special needs events. As he put it “This YoYo was not designed in hopes for the 1% that will win their area contest, but for the 99% who love yo-yoing and want to share that in all aspects of life to bring joy to those around them.” I can get behind that sort of thinking, now lets see if this is the yo-yo that those types players will want to use.

Specs

• Diameter: 56.5mm
• Width: 41mm
• Gap: 4mm
• Weight: 65 grams
• Response: Flow Grooves
• Bearing: One Drop 10 Ball

Construction

The Spectrum started off as a daydream for Tony. He looked at his vast collection of yo-yos and thought up a throw that would be perfect for him based off the few yo-yos that he considered his daily carries. Pretty much every player has done that at one point or another, where this is different is that Tony is one of the select few that put his money where his dream was and made it happen. That being said, the Spectrum is one crazy H-Shape design. The profile shows deceptively large rims and a deep convex catch zone. True to form, Landon Balk put a small radius at the edge leading into the gap that actually acts as the “wall” and reduces the possibilities of string snapping. Now I called the rims deceptive because once you inspect them you will notice a deep undercut making the rims lighter than they appear. The undercut serves to shift weight even farther from the center without adding weight to the overall design. Looking at the cup you will notice two things right off the bat, it is shinier than the profile and it lacks a hub. The Spectrum is only blasted on the profile for grinds leaving the face eye-catchingly shiny. The look it gives with the light catching that reflective cup is quite stunning. Under the rim in the cup is a shallow but usable IGR and, as I stated earlier, the floor is completely flat. As far as comfort is concerned this is a pleasant yo-yo to hold and throw. The only problem I had with the Spectrum is unique only to people like myself who have large hands. My middle finger is wide enough that it touches the inner side of each rim when it rests in the catch zone. The thin edge rubs against the knuckle and feels a little weird. Is this a deal breaker? Not unless you are over six feet tall with Gigantor hands. Other than that one nonissue I am quite taken with the design of the Spectrum. It has a striking look that will stand out in a crowd.

Weight

This is a large yo-yo with a nimble feel, one you would not expect from such a wide diameter. The Spectrum is stable on the string and moderately quick during play. It reacts instantly to direction changes that also translate to easy Gyro Flops. I found I could start and stop the plane change without issue.

Response and Bearing

Do you like One Drop yo-yos? If so then you will love the response in the Spectrum. It uses One Drop’s Flow Groove pads and 10-Ball Bearing giving it a smooth feel while spinning and tight binds.

Playability

This is a very forgiving yo-yo. The speed is there when you need it but it will take it slow when you are learning new tricks or if you just want to chill out and relax. The catch zone, being an H-Shape, is easy to hit. This should not come as a surprise to the more competition oriented players who like a good H-Shape yo-yo. The Spectrum plays well during both horizontal and vertical play remain stable no matter how it is spinning. Grinds are top notch thanks to the blasted profile with only the slightest bit of slow down on thumb grinds when the tip of my thumb would touch the polished cup surface. Playing slow allowed for an easier time when I wanted to do cross arm tricks or to learn the drop suicide trick that Mike Montgomery recently posted on Terra YoYo Tutorials. It is a slick looking suicide but it is a total bear to learn since you have to pop the trapeze loop straight up and then get your arm and hand around the out side to catch the loop again. All in all I would say that the Spectrum is a well-rounded player. It is a good fit for intermediate users on up and I could see it used for competitions, yo-yo demonstrations, and or just to bum around with.

Final Thoughts

This is a well thought out and put together yo-yo that I loved playing with. As I said in the beginning this yo-yo was made for those who like to perform for crowds. In that regard it is a good fit for the players that do so. It is not a fast yo-yo so it is easy for spectators to follow during a performance and the polished cup makes the yo-yo bright and easy to see. On its own merits I really can’t find much to complain about with the Spectrum. As I said, it is a great all around yo-yo so it will appeal to quite a few players in this hobby we love so much.