Titlist cues worth the hype?

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Nohomegnome

Nohomegnome
I’ve heard great things about Titlist/Titlist conversions but I’ve never hit one. Are they worth trying to find one? Do they hit that much better, or is it more about the scarcity? I love the old school look (who knew purple, green, and orange could look so good together?), but if it isn’t a superb player, I may as well just find a nice tribute, right?
 
SC02GTP

SC02GTP

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have hit with a few conversions. Like anything else, the ones converted by good cue smiths played better than the ones converted by the just ok cue smiths.

I don't feel that the fact that the cues were titlist conversions had much or anything to do with how they played. Good shaft wood and the right taper sure had a bunch to do with it though.
 
jack 195

jack 195

Banned
It's the wood.
When those woods that Brunswick used were harvested, the stuff was already 100 years old.
Now in 2018, things aren't the same.
Yes, titlist cue's are sincerely professional, be sure you get one from way back when.
and what SC02GTP said, he's better informed than I am.
 
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mattb

mattb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
SC02GTP said:
I have hit with a few conversions. Like anything else, the ones converted by good cue smiths played better than the ones converted by the just ok cue smiths.

I don't feel that the fact that the cues were titlist conversions had much or anything to do with how they played. Good shaft wood and the right taper sure had a bunch to do with it though.
Click to expand...

Exactly what he said.

Also remember, feel is subjective to individual tastes.
 
DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
I have one done by Tim Scruggs back in th early 1990's.
The cue is beautiful and it plays awesome.
Anytime I take it out of my case in a Pool hall (that's not my home room) I get a lots of people coming over to look at it and asking questions.

And there's the rub. I've gotten tired of using cues that all but had a "steal me" sign on them. I play with a Lucasi now. If it gets stolen, oh well. The Scruggs cue is in the gun safe at home...in a Whitten case. -Z-
 
N

Nohomegnome

Nohomegnome
DJSTEVEZ said:
I have one done by Tim Scruggs back in th early 1990's.
The cue is beautiful and it plays awesome.
Anytime I take it out of my case in a Pool hall (that's not my home room) I get a lots of people coming over to look at it and asking questions.

And there's the rub. I've gotten tired of using cues that all but had a "steal me" sign on them. I play with a Lucasi now. If it gets stolen, oh well. The Scruggs cue is in the gun safe at home...in a Whitten case. -Z-
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought about that aspect. Definitely something to consider. Care to share a pic?
 
KRJ

KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
Nohomegnome said:
I’ve heard great things about Titlist/Titlist conversions but I’ve never hit one. Are they worth trying to find one? Do they hit that much better, or is it more about the scarcity? I love the old school look (who knew purple, green, and orange could look so good together?), but if it isn’t a superb player, I may as well just find a nice tribute, right?
Click to expand...

Depends whose shaft you put on it? So, if you like the look, having an antique cue that is part of history, and want to keep that history alive by a little "refresh" then go for it. You must have a shaft you like?

I have a 1940's Willie Hoppe Pro Model. I used a local cue maker to turn it out. I never shot with his cues before, but I didn't care, I had him put an OB shaft on it, so it plays like an OB cue to me. Even got the weight down to 19 oz from 21 but shaving the handle so that its similar to newer cues than the big handle cues of the past. Heck, the thing would not even fit in my case it was so thick. Basically, the cue is "old school meets new school", and I like that aspect of it.

Plus, the thing is almost 80 years old, that wood is not moving anytime soon ;)
 
DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
Nohomegnome said:
I hadn't thought about that aspect. Definitely something to consider. Care to share a pic?
Click to expand...

I don't have a pic, but you know what...it's a rainy day where I am and I'll likely be bored.

I've been meaning to get all my cues out of the safe and snap some pics.

Hmmmm.

If my wife yells at me for wasting time when I could be working the honey-do list, I'm going to blame you , lol :rolleyes:
 
classiccues

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
Is a titlist worth the hype? As said earlier, its only as good as the person that converts it. Original Hoppe Titlists are fat and butt heavy but for their time, and using that equipment, served a purpose.
Subsequently the new conversions are done with todays conditions in mind. There are more materials available for decoration, as well as joint configurations for todays player. Conversions, titlist or otherwise, have a considerable "classic" cool factor. Its a tie to the past, that can still be used. Unlike clay balls, that are cool, but they are totally useless.
There is the "full" splice hit, if it can be left as full as possible. A titlist with an A-joint, or A-joint rings is just a titlist shortie blank. But still cool.
In a sense, everything has a hype factor, what can not be hyped is practice.

JV
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DJSTEVEZ said:
I don't have a pic, but you know what...it's a rainy day where I am and I'll likely be bored.

I've been meaning to get all my cues out of the safe and snap some pics.

Hmmmm.

If my wife yells at me for wasting time when I could be working the honey-do list, I'm going to blame you , lol :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

You show us yours and I will show us mine...

I have a diveney that is really nice.
 
measureman

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DJSTEVEZ said:
I have one done by Tim Scruggs back in th early 1990's.
The cue is beautiful and it plays awesome.
Anytime I take it out of my case in a Pool hall (that's not my home room) I get a lots of people coming over to look at it and asking questions.

And there's the rub. I've gotten tired of using cues that all but had a "steal me" sign on them. I play with a Lucasi now. If it gets stolen, oh well. The Scruggs cue is in the gun safe at home...in a Whitten case. -Z-
Click to expand...

I looked at that Lucasi that you dont worry too much about it getting stolen.
first off its $400, not a cheap cue.
And it looks great. For the average cue thief that cue has steal me all over it.
Where did you say you play?:cool:
 
Rico

Rico

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
old means old

The cues of yesteryear were made for billiards and heavy old cue balls. Big butts rear weighted was for center and high English. As we went to better and lighter cue balls ,better cloth (faster)and rails. The cues are more forward weighted ,smaller butts. But like many i believe the shaft and tip are what makes the cue. The butt is up to you,i can not lie if you like big butts go for it..
 
cuesblues

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
I certainly wouldn't call Titlist cues hype, especially with the Tascarella I just had made and some of the other projects I have going on.
The two AE Titlists I recently sold and traded away we're amazing and you wouldn't believe the cue I picked up in trade for one of them.
I have been buying and selling Titlist conversions now for 12 years and every one of them has been fantastic and stunning.

There are certain vintages of Willie Hoppe cues that I would not use for conversion cues.
 
cuesblues

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
measureman said:
I looked at that Lucasi that you dont worry too much about it getting stolen.
first off its $400, not a cheap cue.
And it looks great. For the average cue thief that cue has steal me all over it.
Where did you say you play?:cool:
Click to expand...


I'm not letting you anywhere near my new Lucasi
 
CuesDirectly

CuesDirectly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just sold three more that I converted. All three have top quality shafts, 60" long, standard size joints and they played great with no rattles.

Big warning on these before purchasing one to convert, know what the diameter is at 29" - 30" from the bottom, many are so thin that they are not worthy of converting.
 
DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
measureman said:
I looked at that Lucasi that you dont worry too much about it getting stolen.
first off its $400, not a cheap cue.
And it looks great. For the average cue thief that cue has steal me all over it.
Where did you say you play?:cool:
Click to expand...

I don't want for it to get stolen, it's just that I don't constatntly worry about it the way I would with a much more expensive cue and especially a one of a kind cue made by one of the best cue makers ever.

The Titilist cue TS made for me is irreplaceable as opposed to a Lucasi. $400.00 would hurt, but not the same way. I didn't mean to be flip, I was just trying to highlight the comparison.

And I love the way I play when I use my Lucasi. It's a helluva solid, consistent, well performing cue. -Z-
 
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rjb1168

rjb1168

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have 4 titlists 1 - Scruggs that I picked up last year @ SBE from Jack Justice,
Jack traded Tim a case for the cue years ago and 3 titlists from Mike Lambros that
are few and far between. You just don't see many from Mike, he only made 6. The 26 1/2
wrapless rosewood is the only one Mike has ever done. They all play great, I thought it was the
Full splice w/good shafts that made them play so nice.

IkGU6Z2.jpg


07P8K1K.jpg
 
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