McDermott cues and shafts

Hello everyone,

I've been looking to buy my first cue stick. I have read several of the posts on here about the same topic and I know how annoyed some of you get when you see a topic like this :frown: but I have done a little bit of reading and decided to pick a McDermott because it seems to be in my price range.

I'm OK at the game and am looking to improve with the help of this new cue, which is why I want to spend ~100 for now and maybe ill spend more once I become good at the game.

The two cues I have shortlisted are:
1. McDermott Star S7 - http://www.mcdermottcue.com/s7.php
2. McDermott Element 07 - http://www.mcdermottcue.com/elem07.php

One has a linen wrap, the second does not.

The question I had for you guys is, about the shafts McDermott offers. They seem quite pricey, and I did not want to spend so much additional. Is the standard shaft good enough for a beginner? Once my game improves and I feel like I need an upgrade, can I just order one of the shafts that I think will suit me?

Thanks for your reply.

RiverCity said:

Nope, they are no good. All shafts that come with production cues are just there for show. Like the photos that come in a new picture frame. Sorry, but asking a silly question, deserves a silly answer.

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Ok, I didnt know you were kidding until the last sentence

RiverCity said:

The original shaft is just fine for a beginner, intermediate, pro or whoever else chooses to play with it. There is nothing wrong with them in any way.
Aftermarket shafts are designed to fit existing equipment...... hence the aftermarket part.

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I read that, and it says that you should send in your cue for a proper fit, so i guess there's more to this? but that's a conversation for another day.

RiverCity said:

Do yourself a favor and dont buy into hype. Learn how to play. Play with several cues, tips etc, then decide what feels good to you and stick with it for a while. I wouldnt buy a cue without having some clue of how it feels other than an internet price tag. If you really just want your own cue to start with, buy a players brand cue or the like. Well, under 100 bucks, and at some point down the line will make a fine break cue if you decide to buy a different cue.
Chuck

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You know, I couldn't agree with you mode. Virtually every thread says that you should try before you buy. Unfortunately, the places I play with my friends are not really the pro-club types, and people just use the house cue (which is always crap!). I've seen maybe one other person bring in their cue, and it feels weird borrowing their cue to play a game while they watch. I did go to a local sports goods store, but they did not stock too many cues. So, at this point the "internet price tag" and reviews/forums is all I can base my decision on.

But it sounds like there are cheaper options that I can consider, which were not really mentioned in the threads that I went through. I'll take a look at the Players cues.

TheThaiger said:

McDermott cues hit great, even the cheapies. Don;t worry about aftermarket shafts but I'd recommend a tip upgrade immediately - get them to stick a kamui black medium on it - pricey, but well worth it.

As for buying on the internet, there are places that offer 90 day refunds if you don;t like the cue, so you can't really go wrong.

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I also wanted to know how easy is it to replace tips, do you do that yourself? or take your cue in to the shop to get it done? I imagine it would be kind of a precise process...

Naked Cues said:

Perfect advice...

Take every opportunity to shoot with different cues you can get...if the opportunity's not there at your local spot, consider a road trip to a large distributor that will let you "hit 'em around".

Good Luck!

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I agree that I need to play with it before I buy it. But I think picking a retailer that lets me send it back if I don't like it is a better option for me.
I'll do my research, order one, play a game or two, and I'll send it back if i don't like it or keep it if I do.

I've also decided to go with a players cue, that I can use later down the line as a break cue. It will also give me the opportunity to understand the upgrades, tips, etc.

Seems like a good place to get into the game

Thanks for all the advice guys. This forum has a lot of useful information.