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Greg Wilson: Bandwidth Review
One streaming video, 35 minutes, two gimmicks and $40 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Update: 4/10/15
After watching the review video above, make sure you watch this one below for an update on the review:
Effect
You borrow a ring, stretch it, squish it, hand it back, and all the while you show your hands to be clean and empty.
Method
This method is extremely practical. It relies on a method that has been around for ages and applied to the included gimmick. Everything, and I mean everything, you need to perform the effect is included in the box. The included ring is a size 11, so if it doesn't fit you, that's fine. The point of the ring is to be used for practice. This can be done with 90% of the rings you'll encounter. Basically a standard (gold or silver) man's wedding band is what you need.
The method is very simple, uncomplicated and extremely easy to do. The only consideration is that you need to be wearing one of the following:
- An Open Jacket
- An Open Shirt (i.e., an unbuttoned button up shirt)
- An Untucked Shirt (e.g., t-shirt, dress shirt, etc.)
As long as you are wearing any one of those, you're covered. Installing the gimmick is a 10 second process you do before you leave the house, and you're set to go all day. The angles are really good, and the only slightly weak angle is addressed in the explanation section. The solution for this angle "issue" is easily dealt with and not a problem at all.
Ad Copy Integrity
Take a moment to watch the ad trailer video. It's exactly accurate. That is exactly what the effect looks like. The written ad copy is also very accurate. The only thing I would slightly question is the claim that " . . . you slowly squeeze the ring at your fingertips until both sides touch." In the ad trailer, you'll notice that the squish effect does not happen at the fingertips. It's more of a transformation that happens in a closed fist. The video never teaches a method for slowly squishing the ring at your fingertips, and I'm not sure how you would do that.
Update: April 10, 2015
After dinging the product 1 Star for ad copy issues, I received this from Murphy's Magic:
"I wanted to let you know I saw your review of Bandwidth. Thank you so much! Iām glad you liked it so much. This is a project our studio is really proud of. I wanted to let you know that I noticed your concern with the description and I have had that edited."
They have changed the ad copy, and I've changed it here on the site as well. Thus the star rating has been updated to 5 Stars.
Kudos to Murphy's Magic for doing the right thing.
Product Quality
Everything that is supplied is very well made, and a lot more clever than you think. Even if you have a sense of how it works, I'll bet you'll be surprised at the cleverness of the stretch gimmick and Wilson's method for making the gimmick work. The video is a streaming video that you can also download. The streaming version is set up with chapter marks and navigation links. There are 21 short sections, and they clearly cover everything in perfect detail. The download does not have the chapter marks, so if you use the downloaded version, you'll have to watch it all the way through without the ability to skip to the next chapter. The teaching is excellent. The lighting, audio, production quality etc., is absolutely excellent.
Final Thoughts
Other than the flub in the ad copy about slowly squishing the ring at the fingertips, this product is perfect! Add to all this the fact that this entire set up is only $40 bucks and it's darn near impossible not to recommend this. I didn't know the price until after I watched the video and played with the props/gimmicks. When I went to look up the price, I was expecting $99.95; I was SHOCKED when I saw the price of $39.95. This is an incredible price for what you're getting.
Unfortunately, the ad copy issue was not a small one, so this product lost a big fat star for that. If they change the ad copy, I'd come back and give this 5 stars no problem.
Update: April 10, 2015
. . . And change the ad copy they did. So . . .
Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
16 Comments
I think this absolutely Perfect but i did not really understand why you gave it 4 stars though?
@Nick – I’m confused about your comment/question. I gave a very thorough explanation of the rating in both my written and video review.
hi, Jeff your review was another hit but i meant that i thought the add copy writers were a little confused of what to say. But you gave it 4 stars when you could kinda describe what the add copy said.
@Nick – I did explain what the ad copy said. It said that you could hold it at your fingertips and slowly squeeze it until both sides are touching.
That cannot be done, and it is not taught how to do it on the video, hence the docking of one star.
I appreciate your attention to the Ad copy in your reviews. I don’t think there’s a magician alive who hasn’t been disappointed by a magic purchase over deceptive or “clever” advertising.
I agree. I actually used a discrepancy in one of the claims in an ad that allowed me to return an item I had purchased online. Jeff’s reviews are the most thorough and accurate I’ve seen anywhere!
I’d just like to add my voice to these two guys. Your attention to ad copy and holding people to account for their claims are part of what makes your reviews so much better than so many others. The (often heavily cut) video trailer for a product and the ad copy are generally all we have to go on when deciding to make a purchase; when they are deceptive, we all lose.
Many thanks for all you have done so far, we’re aware that you are not paid for this, and that means it is not a job or a service – this is a favour that you choose to perform for our benefit, and it should be applauded as such. I for one hope that you choose to continue doing so for a long time to come.
@Dan – Thanks brother. It’s nice to hear from someone who “gets” it. For me ad copy is king. If you make it past that, then I’ll consider production quality and method feasibility, etc. Also, you are correct; this is a labor of love, nobody pays me for this. The only money I’ve made is on YouTube Ads for the review videos. I’ve made a whopping $200 bucks.
Try not to spend it all in one pl—
Whoops! Too late!
@Chet – I hear dat, brother.
Greg Wilson is the best! Anything he has his hand in is going to be good. Murphy’s shows what a class act they are by doing the right thing. Others should follow their lead.
really pleased that your review lead to the ad copy being changed
Greg demoed this routine around the world a couple of years ago and we knew it was coming out ( I saw it in Ipswich, UK). Still looks a great routine.
Hi jeff,
Thank you for your review. On the reviewing video you’ve mentioned that the bandwidth could be used with a growing ring by Dan Hauss (you were not quiet sure about it), so i am wondering if it would work for sure. Thanks
I can see this being used with (or an entire routine ending with) the “tossed ring” that Gregory performs in his “On the Spot” videos/DVD. Am glad that there’s a ring included, since the gimmicks look more stainless steel than silver. Besides, my wedding ring has big engraved words (“For time and all eternity”) that would be conspicuous by their sudden absence.
Obviously, I’ll probably pick this up soon. (Especially if I ever see it on sale!) Even your so-called “crappy performance” looks great!
As long as I’m here, I’ll remind you of something which you probably know (or should) — Gregory Wilson has usually gone by Gregory to differentiate himself from Greg Wilson, another famous magician (and son of Mark & Nani).
Kudos and chocolate chip cookies to Murphy & Company for fixing the ad copy!!!
*jeep! and God Bless!
—-Grandpa Tzhett
I don’t like that…
I love that!!
I carry this around with me everywhere I go.
But with that being said I did have some issues:
1. After just 1 month of playing around with it the practice ring got all rusty… So I think in this case I have just got a defective ring because nobody seems to complain about it.
2. I can’t do that with every T shirt: there are some shirts that the gimmick get stuck in the shirt and will be expose to everyone.
3. I’m having a hard time doing it when I sweat.
So those are my thoughts about this trick I work this alot and having a great time using it!
@Jordan – Yep . . . this is a good un. š