Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Reviews => Topic started by: SOULMAN1012 on November 11, 2023, 02:54:02 PM
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Afternoon all
So took delivery today of a GM Aion. Firstly appearance wise the colours really work well. Flores ent on black always stands out nicely and it’s a very good design for the TV etc.
So on to the bat. This is the 404 grade and my first thought as always is why oh why to GM insist on bleaching this grade. This one has some lively right grains with some marble effect markings on the face in and around the plying area but other than that is lovely. @Edward Lowy please stop bleaching 404 grades please. Profile wise it’s similar to the chroma which was in all essential purposes a more budget friendly players shape and this to me is is negligible difference to the chrome. It’s different to the Hypa in that the shape flows a lot better and is bigger all round than the Hypa which seemed to have a shape that for me doesn’t work as well as this Aion and Chroma did.
Handle - still the best in the business on my opinion with a loveky oval shape at the bottom in a nice medium thickness and tapering onto a round handle toward the top. For me having 5 GM’s currently this is no thinner or thicker than previous years. Grip is a thin Lite I think they call it. Branding looks good at the top but for me will be immediately changed.
Profile - GM refer to this as a low swell I would call it mid/low personally. Edges are 39mm toe 21mm edge 29mm centre and shoulder 16mm. Full shape but these is a small drop from the spine to the edge as it’s not a convex profile like the GN Powerspot. In all very good specs for a bat that weights 2lb 7oz. However!!!!!!!!
Now onto the width. This is the only GM I have and think iv ever had from the 20odd iv owned and used that’s narrower and as soon as I took it out the box it looked narrow as silly as that sounds as I’ll get into I’m talking mm but maybe when your working with bats daily and have owned so many it’s the first and only time iv ever seen this from GM. This is 105/106 as the battery has died in the gauge. It’s the same front and back. A comparison iv put below is a Hypa which is the full 108mm and when you out them both in a bat gauge you really can see the gap is greater on this Aion vs my Hypa, Diamond, Kyros and chroma. This could be a one off but someone else did mention the same so maybe it’s just this model to achieve the retail demanded weights and customer demanded specs in edge shape and full profile.
Pressing - simple it’s a GM which has a firmer feel when it’s first out the pack and once properly prepared will be very good no doubt. They are just not a soft pressed bat. Personally feel they have stiff handles which require a bit of breaking in. As always will require a decent amount of time in the nets to be ready to use in a game.
404 model is now £120 and thanks to Rob @Six Sixes Cricket for the super service and speedy delivery. Given the fact that I make my own now and only use others occasionally in the nets this is a sweet price point for me as the GN Powerspot was as well. The 606 has always filled this gap but they are moving now over the £150 mark but just how prices are going. Just as I said hope Mr Lowy can review the bleaching as I can’t believe retailers find it easier to sell bleached bats over explaining maybe the reason for the mark and that overall very few have detrimental impact on its performance.
(https://i.postimg.cc/d1FVWfMg/IMG-8718.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p90vrqLB)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gJGGy68W/IMG-8726.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hJ3Fcv2y)
(https://i.postimg.cc/fyLZpn8q/IMG-8721.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/r0vvRbX5)
(https://i.postimg.cc/hjMc2P17/IMG-8720.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gXwCJp5Y)
(https://i.postimg.cc/hjMc2P17/IMG-8720.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gXwCJp5Y)
GM Hypa from 2023
(https://i.postimg.cc/QMQXWqBm/IMG-8724.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LqsdcL3g)
GM Aion 2024
(https://i.postimg.cc/nLbFzWLM/IMG-8725.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPjfp8CG)
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Great review. It's certainly my favourite of GM's 24 range.
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Nice review
@Edward Lowy
Great work but can the less width be addressed for future batches ?
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Nice review
@Edward Lowy
Great work but can the less width be addressed for future batches ?
What compromise are you willing to accept to rectify this? And would the general public also feel the same way? Not gonna blame the consumer for wanting what they want, but if GM are to compete with the like of SS in terms of big attractive profiles at light weights, they're gonna have to employ the same tricks - thinner handles, narrowing etc. If it was not narrowed, the profile would appear smaller and the bat would be heavier. In the end it's about the reach - the Brava was designed as a 2.10+ profile, yet most likely retailers have been asking for lighter weights as they sell. Big light bats will always require some sort of compromise to produce readily in a stock shape.
Thanks for the review @SOULMAN1012 - that particular 404 doesn't look to be heavily bleached if its any consolation. Having seen some of these at retailers today, IMO they've rectified what I found in some Bravas early doors last year with the pressing not being right - they felt a lot more consistent and responsive. The Mana was also very good, nice big hitting zone upon initial inspection.
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I guess the first thing to understand is if a bat in this example is 2.7 how much weight would it add to increase it to 108mm or the 107mm they were previously .
Not all bats will be 2.7 .. will it increase weight by 1oz , 0.5oz ?
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I guess the first thing to understand is if a bat in this example is 2.7 how much weight would it add to increase it to 108mm or the 107mm they were previously .
Not all bats will be 2.7 .. will it increase weight by 1oz , 0.5oz ?
Each mm of the width is about an oz so it would be 2.9/2.10. 2.10 is about as heavy as retailers seem to want hence the light grips being used by a lot of companies along with slight narrowing as the new grip of added is 0.5 heavier so it’s now 2lb 8oz
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Wow that is interesting 1mm of width adds 1oz
It probably explains it then…
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Doesn't quite mathematically add up - 3mm is probably closer to 1oz - otherwise full width blade weighs 108oz! Might not sound much, buy in the world of bat buying being done online - the oz or so matters for retailers.
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Which retailers have the most stock atm? Would like to see in person than buy online
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So which one is it 3m =1 Oz or
1mm = 1oz
If it’s 3mm =1oz if the bats are varying from 2.7 and a bit to 2.12 depending how many are 2.11 and 2.12
Would not making them normal width or 107 mm make sense
Majority of public prob doesn’t care or even notice to be fair though
It did seem to me Edward was not aware of the bats being less width ?
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Not quite sure thats accurate tbf. I find it's half an oz generally. Still a weight saving if you take off 3, 4 or even in some cases more obviously
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Is it to fair to add the difference from the chroma it’s a flat face so
Potentially better or more suited if you play on true pitches ?
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Is someone able to have this and the Brava side by side please? Much appreciated.
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Sorry I should have been clearer in that the guide ( came from a very very good uk bat makers was a mm off each edge is about an oz either way it’s all pretty much pointless and lost outside of this forum where the majority of players buy in stickers, budget and the in fashionable brand that the superstar they want to be like uses they are the top reasons outside of willow nerd factory that is CBF lol.
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Wasn't B3 was it? I seem to remember reading somewhere on here that someone from B3 once said a mm taken from all over the back (rather than the edges) was around an oz, but could be imagining that
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Okay done a side by side using stock images... tried my best to scale them
(https://i.postimg.cc/J4dsnRLX/brava-aion.jpg)
Liking the Brava shape but I imagine the Aion pick sup better... need to see both in person.
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What I noticed in the shop was the aion shouders we’re not as thick
You see this in the picture above
I measured roughly 12 cm in shop .. on a few
The brava seems to have a slightly lower middle ..
They do say black makes you look slimmer lol .. am I seeing things the black grip/handle looks thinner
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Which one do you prefer from the pics above ? Brava does look a beast
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Wasn't B3 was it? I seem to remember reading somewhere on here that someone from B3 once said a mm taken from all over the back (rather than the edges) was around an oz, but could be imagining that
No was Rob Pack when he saw him last year
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Which one do you prefer from the pics above ? Brava does look a beast
Be aware that with the firm feel of the GM Press and the flat face it will sound quite hard early on so you will need to play it in well for it to really open up. For me the couple of times I picked up a Brava last year in shops or came across them at games etc it was be far the worst pick up of any GM iv ever used but if you want a low middle, flat face big bat it certainly ticks those boxes
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Wasn't B3 was it? I seem to remember reading somewhere on here that someone from B3 once said a mm taken from all over the back (rather than the edges) was around an oz, but could be imagining that
That seems far more likely. Average bat thickness over the whole bat would be about 40mm and taking 1mm off a 40 ounce (2lb 8 oz) blade would be 1 oz (ignoring handle weight for simplicity). There's no way a mm off each edge reduces weight by an ounce as it doesn't add up mathematically particularly as edges of a bat are the shallowest (possibly excluding and old GN scoop).
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Okay done a side by side using stock images... tried my best to scale them
(https://i.postimg.cc/J4dsnRLX/brava-aion.jpg)
Liking the Brava shape but I imagine the Aion pick sup better... need to see both in person.
What do you prefer ?
I showed a couple of my friends and they preferred the pics of the brava
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Can you do this pic again with a chroma ?
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I'll have a look..
I like the Brava shape but as I get older and weaker... pickup is taking priority for me the Aion might be a better choice for me.. there's still a long way to go between now and the new season... lots of twists and turns...
Currently have a CA 15000 players and my current bat to choose from... the Aion is interesting...
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Can you do this pic again with a chroma ?
Hey @Thamesvalley thank you for all your contributions to keep CBF active, have a question for you… what bat and softs do you use yourself?
I’ve tried to look back at your profile for clues but I’m none the wiser
Thanks
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I use SS softs and swap between GM and a Keeley I got 4 years ago
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I use SS softs and swap between GM and a Keeley I got 4 years ago
Which model GM makes the bag?
What shape Keeley?
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No was Rob Pack when he saw him last year
No it was B3 I was involved so the back went down 1mm including the edge took 1oz out it may have been Pack later
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Sorry for reviving such an old thread - but was making a middling bat for someone today, and here's a fairly chunky part of an edge that was cut off.
(https://i.postimg.cc/85b2Jzwq/20240317-223123.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CBzP9Y3N)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MHPg53C5/20240317-223138.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vxnPHhHx)
(https://i.postimg.cc/LXRd81kt/20240317-223153.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KK9p94Hj)
(https://i.postimg.cc/v80RGD4n/20240317-223222.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/G9TgQLJ3)
(https://i.postimg.cc/1X5Lp1j4/20240317-223245.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Q9w43wsr)
3oz, with an average thickness of about 9mm. Of course, dependent on the willow density, but goes to show that you need about 3mm of narrowing to lose an oz. Thing is, you also gain a bit of edge size as you cut closer into the bulk of wood, so you get a bigger looking lighter bat