Best equipment doesn't mean best attention to quality...
Production cue brands I have bought that I feel are overpriced: Meucci, Joss, McDermott. I returned all of the Meucci items due to quality issues...
I never used them because I bought something different after I returned the defective items.
McDermott is okay quality wise, I just dont like the prices. I have had issues with the first 2 on the list more than once. I will never buy either of those again.
...I would like someone to explain how a cue maker could possibly make a cue that is so much better than another cue maker, that he would get so much definitive praise that it's better than others...
The major manufacturers of production cues have larger budgets for research and development. They also have more money to purchase the best machinery possible for the tightest tolerances possible....
What you could consider is that those high end production companies with all the cash to buy the "best" equipment tend to make their inlays and pockets with wider tolerances, so that their cues can be assembled quickly, filled with a dark epoxy to hide flaws, and make a quick profit.
Some brands tend to be better than others, but I think I would prefer a plain jane production cue over a fancy one for the fact that there are less areas to mess up.
I think that a cuemaker worth his or her salt (ie: one that cares more about the quality of the product more than the profits) with decent equipment could turn out a higher quality cue than any high volume production shop.
My last internet purchases for several different production shafts and cues caused me to go with my first custom cue order.
I have been very pleased with my Dzuricky Cue.
Best bang for the buck on the forum for me so far? Jim Baxter custom joint protectors.
