BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Ebonite => Topic started by: Balldoctor on May 21, 2013, 09:47:38 AM
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Any day now! ;D
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Waiting with Bowling Breath.
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A few are out. Just waiting.
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Im glad that the mission core is back!
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Got it today, it is a looker.
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Bowled on a sports shot. The box finish hooked. Can't wait to try it on house shot.
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This Beauty is longer than the Champion. It may be the most angular ball I have used from Ebonite. This ball gets BACK. USBC shot at home and tournament shot away. The ball gets back. The GameBreaker and Innovate, I love. Source is gonna be in my bad for some time.
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This Beauty is longer than the Champion. It may be the most angular ball I have used from Ebonite. This ball gets BACK. USBC shot at home and tournament shot away. The ball gets back. The GameBreaker and Innovate, I love. Source is gonna be in my bad for some time.
I'm really on the bubble with this. This ball is basically the Mission XXX, which was released overseas about 4 - 5 months ago. Same colour, coverstock, and core, just different labeling. A fair number of these were sold at the Ebonite booth during the USBC Open, so it has some traction.. But is it the big come back ball that Ebonite needs? I'm not sure, and this is coming from someone who has been solidly Ebonite for the past 15 years.
The only real balls to compare to would be the Innovate and Mission Domination/250K. I'm going to hold more judgment on this until I can throw it in a Demo day, or see it compared against the Challenge. The continuation will be the tale of the tape for me.
BL.
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This Beauty is longer than the Champion. It may be the most angular ball I have used from Ebonite. This ball gets BACK. USBC shot at home and tournament shot away. The ball gets back. The GameBreaker and Innovate, I love. Source is gonna be in my bad for some time.
In your bad? Sorry don't quite understand?
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I think he mean't bag.
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The ball wont sell cause its not called something cool like 'mission relaunch'...or 'the return mission' etc etc...
This is my favorite ebonite release in quite sometime, the mission was pretty much perfect! It needed to have all of the eye candy done right. Hopefully it does what the taboo did for the gas mask core and breathes new life into virtually a revamped product line! Some pro needs to win big on tour with it too! I just need to see one with my own eyes in person the ill decide on one!
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@Balldoctor: How does it perform? Is it sensitive to oil carry? Heads? Midroll?
Additional info much appreciated. Gushing not so helpful. ;)
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Gushing, yes. Thanks for reading. For me, slow speed this ball gets thru the heads as easy as my INNOVATE. Used the Source on tournament pattern, USBC at home, Cheeta at home and house pattern down the street. The ball gets thru and has great backend and continuation. For me it just doesn't quit. Similar to the Mission, just more length and hook.
ALSO, and more important, this ball HITS. Hope you all have success.
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Gushing, yes. Thanks for reading. For me, slow speed this ball gets thru the heads as easy as my INNOVATE. Used the Source on tournament pattern, USBC at home, Cheeta at home and house pattern down the street. The ball gets thru and has great backend and continuation. For me it just doesn't quit. Similar to the Mission, just more length and hook.
ALSO, and more important, this ball HITS. Hope you all have success.
Then here is the question that needs to be asked, especially as far as comparison goes.
The way that this ball is made and the motion it has, it sounds like it would compare nicely with Hammer's AMP! when it comes out in August. So how would it compare to that, especially since the AMP! should get through the heads just as cleanly as the Mission Domination/250K?
BL.
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http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvo7Jt8s3MI (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvo7Jt8s3MI)
Here is a video of the source, shot on a fresh Tokyo pattern. 100 year old wood lanes so ton of friction in track area. Definitely gets through the front part of the lane, and reads the back end. On a normal THS I feel that I can't over shoot the breakpoint so that's a plus. Carry is decent, not life changing but the ball keeps pins low. Really strong pearl is the best and worst part of the ball. I can throw it on just about everything fresh and use it a little longer than other equipment (solid surfaces). With that in mind, I feel that when I get deep the ball burns up and hits like a purse. Other equipment would be better suited for that, but for just a league night it is a good ball for all 3 games. My other request is that I wish it was at a lower price point, I feel like you should not be paying a premium for recycled technology. Not just an ebonite thing, but bowling industry.
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http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvo7Jt8s3MI (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvo7Jt8s3MI)
Here is a video of the source, shot on a fresh Tokyo pattern. 100 year old wood lanes so ton of friction in track area. Definitely gets through the front part of the lane, and reads the back end. On a normal THS I feel that I can't over shoot the breakpoint so that's a plus. Carry is decent, not life changing but the ball keeps pins low. Really strong pearl is the best and worst part of the ball. I can throw it on just about everything fresh and use it a little longer than other equipment (solid surfaces). With that in mind, I feel that when I get deep the ball burns up and hits like a purse. Other equipment would be better suited for that, but for just a league night it is a good ball for all 3 games. My other request is that I wish it was at a lower price point, I feel like you should not be paying a premium for recycled technology. Not just an ebonite thing, but bowling industry.
If you are paying premium price then someone messed you over. This ball is not a high end ball price wise. Supposed to be in that mid to mid/high price point. You are getting higher end performance for a price lower than the Champion. In your video, I was expecting more pop on the backend. How did you feel about what the ball was doing?
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I'm kinda seeing some overlap with the Innovate. Unless their capacity in oil is different. Any response from people with both would be appreciated.
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This question is a bit of a longshot and I think I also risk exposing my lack of technical knowledge. That qualification in place, here goes.
Would any one here who has tried the Source be able to speak as to how it compares to the Signals? That is my only exposure to ebonite. I bought a used Signals back in January, my first ball for all intents and purposes, but its getting a little long I the tooth. I may have put 150 games or so on it myself and it looked to have a fair amount of experience when I bought it. To my knowledge it has never been resurfaced (I know I didn't).
Anyway the RG and differentials seem close. Both asymmetric. No idea how the covers compare. I realize there are some places that still have Signals for sale, but I am intrigued by the new release. Would they be completely different?
I am a moderate speed, average/low rev I would say. The place I play most often is burnt more often than not. Playing in my first league this summer (adult/junior with my son) and am averaging about 182.
Prior to January I never rolled a 200 game in my life. After getting the signals I have lost count and had a new lifetime high of 280 (a 279 and 278 also). Now that could have happened no matter what ball I got first and actually drilled for my hand, but it happened to be ebonite, so the brand has a place in my heart.
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If you are paying premium price then someone messed you over. This ball is not a high end ball price wise. Supposed to be in that mid to mid/high price point. You are getting higher end performance for a price lower than the Champion. In your video, I was expecting more pop on the backend. How did you feel about what the ball was doing?
I was thinking that as well, but in looking at video, I wonder if the layout of the ball had anything to do with it, let alone the bowler's tilt.
In looking at Mike Devaney's video of the ball, you also don't see that pop in the backend that you would have with the challenge or the 250K. And to be honest, you really shouldn't. You should see that continuation that we had in the 250K, and to an extent, we do. Compare this video and Devaney's video to K&K's review of the 250K. That continuation is there, albeit slightly flatter, but I'd justify that to being because of the polished cover. After all, it is a pearl; but I believe it is a more polished pearl than the 250K was, as it is a pearl as well. I wonder if taking the cover down to the OOB finish the 250K has would give you that continuation that made the 250K so big.
Devaney's video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLtl29hqXG8
K&K's Domination/250K video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8txefiQGb0
BL.
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Ebonite seems to have created some real confusion with this ball. They have taken Mission "technology", which was their high-end offering, and moved it down market to a lower price point. Then they change the name to Source...which is rather unexciting. You think they would have used a more familiar name such as Secret Mission, Mission Control, Rescue Mission, Mission Leader, or even Undercover Mission (which is what this ball really is...a Mission with a different name.) Why abandon/rename a successful franchise?
I love my Ebonite Mission x, but I am having a hard time getting excited about this release. Rationally I know it is a Mission, but there is no emotional interest which I think is somewhat important to the psychological aspect of bowling. There is a huge difference between "I got a new ball and I can't wait to throw it!" and simply "I got this new ball, it is supposed to be decent, we'll see..."
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Every ball company has a latest and greatest weight block or a proven performer with a different cover stock that is moved into a different price range. Just because it's a mid priced ball with a past proven weight block that used to be a high performance price tag doesn't mean the ball will be a non seller or a bust. Maybe Ebonite is taking a proven winner and lowering the price to get more bowlers who aren't in the ball of the month club a chance to throw a ball that could offer better carry and higher scores!! What a novel idea by Ebonite!!
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Ebonite seems to have created some real confusion with this ball. They have taken Mission "technology", which was their high-end offering, and moved it down market to a lower price point. Then they change the name to Source...which is rather unexciting. You think they would have used a more familiar name such as Secret Mission, Mission Control, Rescue Mission, Mission Leader, or even Undercover Mission (which is what this ball really is...a Mission with a different name.) Why abandon/rename a successful franchise?
I love my Ebonite Mission x, but I am having a hard time getting excited about this release. Rationally I know it is a Mission, but there is no emotional interest which I think is somewhat important to the psychological aspect of bowling. There is a huge difference between "I got a new ball and I can't wait to throw it!" and simply "I got this new ball, it is supposed to be decent, we'll see..."
I couldnt agree more. Also there is even a bigger delta between.." I got the new ebonite ball, and I GOT THE NEW MISSION"...you hear mission and boom...people understand that fully..but with this new one you gotta explain what it is..
It's clearly not the best marketing, unless 'source' creates its own branding bigger than the mission....kellya Iint there to help em out now lol
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With all due respect, why would I have to explain what it is to anybody? Unless I need the nodding approval of other bowlers to validate my purchase, my only concern is whether the ball works well for me under the conditions for which I personally bowl.
Now in the off chance someone asks me what I'm rolling, presumably because they are impressed with my mad skills (read: not bloody likely), I would say its the ebonite source. I can't imagine the conversation going farther than that. But if it does it is easy to say that it's ebonite's former high end tech now in a mid price ball. Bully for me.
I recognize that I may be in the minority in such considerations, but someone telling me "mission" would mean almost nothing to me. I'm relatively new to 'serious' bowling so renewing a previous name has no marketing advantage to newer or less zealous bowlers. My guess is the target audience for this ball is not necessarily people who dissect every technical angle. So what they really need to shoot for is eye candy curb appeal. Not sure they exactly hit that mark here, but I sure like the looks enough to look deeper to see if it would match up with me.
My two cents.
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Ebonite seems to have created some real confusion with this ball. They have taken Mission "technology", which was their high-end offering, and moved it down market to a lower price point. Then they change the name to Source...which is rather unexciting. You think they would have used a more familiar name such as Secret Mission, Mission Control, Rescue Mission, Mission Leader, or even Undercover Mission (which is what this ball really is...a Mission with a different name.) Why abandon/rename a successful franchise?
You mean, like doing what they did overseas, with the Secret Mission (pancake ball), Super Mission, Mission Realize, Mission Amazing, Mission Complete, etc.?
You really have to wonder why they didn't go down that line in the US.
I love my Ebonite Mission x, but I am having a hard time getting excited about this release. Rationally I know it is a Mission, but there is no emotional interest which I think is somewhat important to the psychological aspect of bowling. There is a huge difference between "I got a new ball and I can't wait to throw it!" and simply "I got this new ball, it is supposed to be decent, we'll see..."
True, but then again, it is really hard to get excited by equipment that:
1. you've rarely seen, and
2. gets released in the off season.
Exposure is the key here, and there hasn't really been much for this release outside of use in the JoG Tournament.
Every ball company has a latest and greatest weight block or a proven performer with a different cover stock that is moved into a different price range. Just because it's a mid priced ball with a past proven weight block that used to be a high performance price tag doesn't mean the ball will be a non seller or a bust. Maybe Ebonite is taking a proven winner and lowering the price to get more bowlers who aren't in the ball of the month club a chance to throw a ball that could offer better carry and higher scores!! What a novel idea by Ebonite!!
umm.. Good case in point of the OPPOSITE of what you're thinking of is the Hammer's Taboo. They stayed at the high performance range, despite having the Gas Mask core that the Black Widows had, and they were high performance balls as well.
BL.
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I can see little difference between this and the original Mission.
Same core, Same XL1200 reactive coverstock. I do see the word pearl, though the Mission was pearly, and also I see a Factory polish on it.
Different name, same great Mission more length and snap I guess. Out comes my Red Mission!
REgards,
Luckylefty
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I can see little difference between this and the original Mission.
Same core, Same XL1200 reactive coverstock. I do see the word pearl, though the Mission was pearly, and also I see a Factory polish on it.
Different name, same great Mission more length and snap I guess. Out comes my Red Mission!
REgards,
Luckylefty
Actually, the Red Mission was XL1200 and came out of the box at 2000 abralon. The Source is XL2000 and comes polished. Stronger cover with a polished finish as opposed to sanded will equate to cleaner through the front and more pop on the backend.
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saw one tonight. It had little to be excited about. I noticed a very tame reaction, my roto grip bandit (apples to oranges here I know) looked like a monster compared to this one. People thought I was throwing the totally defiant lol. I had polish on my red mission....brings back the memories! maybe ill pick one of these up...