Hiya, just sharing some pics for now - but feel free to post and ask any questions and I'll try answer when I update. I was going to apologise about the lighting, as I don't think the pics turned out the way I had initially wanted as I messed up my timings for better natural light pics, but I actually quite like the look personally. 😅
I ended up taking some pictures on the bench as well, just to give a clearer view of the stickers. (The updating of the Brava stickers actually looks pretty phenomenal IMO)
Psyche Signature
Brava 606
Verva Signature
Better view of stickers and grainage
Some ThoughtsSo the models that were discontinued this year were the Kryos (Yes, I did stupidly buy one on sale just for this review @Jimbo ) and the Hypa. I had felt these bats were a little odd - the classic looking stickers were paired with the bat with a more classic shape, but with a SBLH, while the the more modern looking stickers were with the classical setup, slightly more modern looking profile. But I guess weights and stickers couple together to sell bats, and SBLH probably saves them some weight. I will be comparing the Kryos to the Psyche, and the Hypa to the Verva in terms of them being replacements.
Sticker design wise, the Psyche is a more extreme version of what the Hypa was, with that 'Glitch/Psychedelic' effect now occupying the centre space of the 'GM' rather than just the outline. Profile wise, the Psyche looks pretty much like a copy of the Kryos, but with a flatter face instead, so possibly just more volume towards the edges and overall in the blade. It does make the profile a little more attractive looking volume wise, but that's about it in terms of the aesthetics. I had a previous criticism of the Kryos in that it was a bit too similar to the Diamond, especially in swell position and the L540 setup. But I guess comparing side to side, they do have enough differences with the Kryos/Psyche being a bit more of a duckbill and the Diamond having an elongated spine which runs into the toe. (Still don't like that it doesn't even look anything like the Ben Stokes Profile, which granted most of the stock bats don't look their corresponding pro version, but if it's a flagship model that only he uses, I do feel it should somewhat reflect his profile to a lesser scale) The Psyches I've picked up have all felt pretty light, which is to be expected with that duckbill and mid-high swell.The Verva feels more like a green colour palette of the old Brava - a little bit disappointing the colour transition/gradient doesn't quite stand out as much as that of the the Brava, Mana and Aion. (What do you even call that?) Might have been a bit more difficult to pull off with the dark green though so they stuck with the outline transitioning between lime green and white with the bulk being solid dark green. (In my head, maybe chrome would have worked) That all being said, it's a solid design/colour pairing and it looks good. The Verva has a fairly similar swell position compared to the Hypa, but that's about all they share in common. The swell itself much more extended, coupled with a flatter face and fatter edge lower down, shorter blade and a substantially thicker toe compared to everything else in the range. The shoulders are pretty thin, which might be an issue for longevity due to the twist that is associated with flatter faces. It's a fairly Argon-esque profile/colour scheme, so if you were a fan of that model and don't mind trying a SBLH, this could be for you. IMO a much nicer profile than the Hypa, and should be a good seller, especially for those who are fans of having more wood in the toe. Despite the bottom heavy looks, the ones I've picked up have felt pretty well balanced with a hint of bottom heaviness in the pickup.The new Brava is possibly my favourite colour scheme/design from GM for the past few seasons. When I had initially seen it, I just brushed over it as I wasn't too interested in a rebadge, but it was the second time I saw it that sold it, with the blue/gold transition. It has remained unchanged profile wise.Will try share measurements at a later date, but widths are around the 106mm mark. If this isn't your cup of tea, then buy from another manufacturer, or go into a store and take calipers with you.
Comparison PicsKryos vs Psyche
Kryos & Psyche vs Diamond
Hypa vs Verva
Brava vs Brava
ASK ANY QUESTIONS AND I'LL ANSWER WHEN I UPDATE THE REVIEW
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Topic: GM Brava, Verva and Psyche (P)Review (Read 2750 times)