What's Under A GM 303? Let's find out!

[shirazi_r]

Seeing as I'm sort of the restless type, I decided that simply owning a GM Icon 303 wasn't good enough, I had to find out what made it a 303. GM states that a 303 is comprised of grade 4 English willow and is covered by a ProTech cover and a white polycoat. Here's the excerpt from their website:

303
Seasoned Grade 4 English Willow
White polycoat finish
Fitted with ProTec™ cover to face and edges
ToeTek™ finish fitted as standard

So as it happens, I whipped out my trusty sandpaper and started tearing away at that hideous white polycoat (seriously GM, just call it what it is, PAINT!). A couple of hours, and many blisters later, I had completely stripped the bat of it's coating and to my amusement, 12-13 relatively clean, straight grains.

Certainly, this can't be considered grade 4 willow, there's simply no way!

In all fairness, there was a blemish on the back, but nothing that would suggest the bat is anything less than grade 2/3.

Since sanding the bat, I've noticed that the wood is a bit dry so will likely need a good oiling or maybe even a polyurethane coating as per the higher end GMs. I'll also go about knocking the bat in just a touch more but other than that, this thing is more than I could have ever expected for $80-odd.

Please ignore my hairy leg in the first photo

 

[Cover Drive]

Woow, impressive stuff! I mean I had never expected a 303 to be turn as good as this one. I thought it would be full of blemish and knots etc. But one you have there is certainly impressive for 303 and they shouldn't be like these

I think it is not just the looks that make it 303, I believe it also have to do something with performance but I am not sure how good this bat performs.

Look wise this bat should be 808 model at least!

No, oil just oil the bat, don't go after any coating(s) because with those coating you are not keeping the willow moist. The purpose of these coating it to keep the moisture in the bat while oil is best solution to moist a bat....hope this made sense, I have no clue what I am writing it is 5 AM here

Perhaps do this with your Flare and see what is hiding

 

[askmoi]

certainly looks good for a 303. have noticed the "paint" on the lower end adidas bats also and they have good straightish as well

 

[shirazi_r]

Woow, impressive stuff! I mean I had never expected a 303 to be turn as good as this one. I thought it would be full of blemish and knots etc. But one you have there is certainly impressive for 303 and they shouldn't be like these

I think it is not just the looks that make it 303, I believe it also have to do something with performance but I am not sure how good this bat performs.

Look wise this bat should be 808 model at least!

No, oil just oil the bat, don't go after any coating(s) because with those coating you are not keeping the willow moist. The purpose of these coating it to keep the moisture in the bat while oil is best solution to moist a bat....hope this made sense, I have no clue what I am writing it is 5 AM here

Perhaps do this with your Flare and see what is hiding

I know for a fact that GM only grades their willow (except for LE models) on aesthetics so I guess whoever graded this one was not in his right mind. Having seen some ugly 404s, I though I would get a hideous piece of wood but it turned out not to be the case!

Yea, I guess I'll just oil it and then stick on an anti-scuff as a coating will be a bit time consuming.

I would actually do this with the Flare, just to see what's underneath but unfortunately, that bat isn't mine, it's may mates.

P.S. It's 5 AM here too! I'm only on the other side of town remember!

 

[Poison]

Good effort on sanding the entire bat.

 

[canadiancricketer]

my god..........If it performs well I would say its an original!

 

[askmoi]

now its even on other places.

 

[shirazi_r]

now its even on other places.

Huh?

 

[Cricketismylife]

for god sake's crop that hairy leg out! lol was eating my lunch and not hungry anymore!!

 

[johng]

I know for a fact that GM only grades their willow (except for LE models) on aesthetics so I guess whoever graded this one was not in his right mind. Having seen some ugly 404s, I though I would get a hideous piece of wood but it turned out not to be the case!

Yea, I guess I'll just oil it and then stick on an anti-scuff as a coating will be a bit time consuming.

I would actually do this with the Flare, just to see what's underneath but unfortunately, that bat isn't mine, it's may mates.

P.S. It's 5 AM here too! I'm only on the other side of town remember!

These bats are graded and made by SG and they have a tendency to grade anything down if heartwood is present

 

[02thoeva]

Johng, GM themselves are on record saying they've never made an Adult GM in EW (for the UK market) outside of the UK. What makes you think SG are making them?

 

[Cricketismylife]

GM make all Kashmir bats in India.

They make EW in Eng as well as India. The top ones that are made in Eng carry a couple of diff stickers(small stickers)

SG dont make GM bats in India- its a diff company.

 

[Cricketismylife]

how many sandpaper sheets and how many hours on this were spent?

 

[SempreSami]

I'm going to go by what 02thoeva says about GM tbh.

 

[Cricketismylife]

I'm going to go by what 02thoeva says about GM tbh.

why's that?

Call up GM they will admit to making bats in India as well as UK. I know someone who has been to the factory making GM stuff in india. That time they were not making Original and LE models(top models) in india.

 

[Cover Drive]

The GM which are made in India are for Indian market, I have seen Indian GM's.

The Icon in India is like Hero profile, low sweetspot, bottom heavy etc

 

[zeusky]

The GM which are made in India are for Indian market, I have seen Indian GM's.

The Icon in India is like Hero profile, low sweetspot, bottom heavy etc

Are you sure that GM makes English Willow bats in India? I know they make KW bats in South Asia. Not sure about the EW ones. I thought all GM EW bats were made in Nottingham. Could you please confirm this CD?

 

[shirazi_r]

GM make all Kashmir bats in India.

They make EW in Eng as well as India. The top ones that are made in Eng carry a couple of diff stickers(small stickers)

SG dont make GM bats in India- its a diff company.

I'm going to clear this up hopefully once and for all. As per my conversation with Edward Lowy, all English Willow GM Bats sold in the UK are MADE IN THE NOTTINGHAM FACTORY. EW GM bats made in India are for the Indian domestic market.

What this means:

-GM EW Bats sold in the UK are made in the UK
-GM EW Bats sold in India are made in India
-GM KW Bats are all made in India

how many sandpaper sheets and how many hours on this were spent?

I spent a couple of hours and a few blisters getting through the polycoat. I believe I used about 4 or 5 sheets of sandpaper of varying grits; starting from 80 grit and going all the way up to 400.