First cue recommendations?

Mr. C

Registered
I've only recently started playing again and was thinking about buying my first cue. (I have a bucket full of cheap house cues that came with the table)

I'm looking to keep this under $150.

One cue that stood out as a possibility was the Star S7 by McDermott. Does anyone have experience with the Star cue line?

What other cues should I be considering?

Thanks in advance.
 
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BigBoof

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You can always try a Star or Lucky, the Chinese made lines from McDermott, but I think you will be better off trying a Schmelke. A simple sneaky Pete or plain Jane will serve you better. Many players catch a fever and keep buying cues. You can be happy with one of these for a long time. Just remember to choose a 3/8-10 pin with them so you can always buy an aftermarket shaft down the road.

Oh, and to not be on anyone's bad list, use the search function.

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Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've only recently started playing again and was thinking about buying my first cue. (I have a bucket full of cheap house cues that came with the table)

I'm looking to keep this under $150.

One cue that stood out as a possibility was the Star S7 by McDermott. Does anyone have experience with the Star cue line?

What other cues should I be considering?

Thanks in advance.
Schmelke,without doubt!
 

Gorramjayne

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How's your shooting? If you've got a relatively good stroke already, look at the Players/PureX HXT cues. You can get a low(ish) deflection shaft in your price range. They go by both names, Players/PureX.. The HXTSN for instance is $110 at Seyberts.

Low Deflection shafts (LD) can be unforgiving for people new to the game but are also a good learning tool. They'll force you to get your stroke in order faster than a more traditional cue will, and will make it easier for you to accurately use english so in theory you should be able to develop your position play and creativity a little faster.
 

sixwillwin

King of the Meadow
Silver Member
Schemlke or Cuetec R360 series. Put a medium tip on the Schemlke if you get it. Cuetec will be $168 online. Schemlke from $100 on up.
 

Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm curious. Why Schmelke over McDermott? Both brands (McDermott, not Star or Lucky) are both made in the US. I'm a curious newbie. I'm not challenging your choice.
Schmelke makes a full-splice,great playing,true sneaky at a great price.($100 - $120). McDermott is still a fine cue but starts at double the cost for a cue that is not a full-splice cue,(I favor full-splice). OP could play with either and have time to decide exactly what he wanted in a cue,although either should serve him well probably for life if he didn't drag 'em to the pool hall behind his car. Schmelke FS is just my opinion !!!
 
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Magnumsk

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Schmelke makes a full-splice,great playing,true sneaky at a great price.($100 - $120). McDermott is still a fine cue but starts at double the cost for a cue that is not a full-splice cue,(I favor full-splice). OP could play with either and have time to decide exactly what he wanted in a cue,although either should serve him well probably for life if he didn't drag 'em to the pool hall behind his car. Schmelke FS is just my opinion !!!

Thanks for helping me understand. I appreciate it.
 

M.G.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cuetec R360 any day. They have with decoration or the CER / CEV series without any and wood looks.

R360 is an excellent shaft with much lower deflection that the others named (Schmelke and the like) - you will discover how much it helps as soon as you use spin on the cueball.

Can also be transformed into a Snooker cue with another Cuetec shaft for around ~50$ (proper ash, 9mm tip).

Cheers,
M
 

BigBoof

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cuetec R360 any day. They have with decoration or the CER / CEV series without any and wood looks.

R360 is an excellent shaft with much lower deflection that the others named (Schmelke and the like) - you will discover how much it helps as soon as you use spin on the cueball.

Can also be transformed into a Snooker cue with another Cuetec shaft for around ~50$ (proper ash, 9mm tip).

Cheers,
M
I agree about the Cuetec. I answered from the perspective of someone who bought and bought. I think that a nice Schmelke with a standard pin might have kept me happy longer than the truly cheap cues would.

Personally, if I found this cue first http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/schmelke/schmelke_veneer-hoppe-1.htm, I would be done looking.


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Magnumsk

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree about the Cuetec. I answered from the perspective of someone who bought and bought. I think that a nice Schmelke with a standard pin might have kept me happy longer than the truly cheap cues would.

Personally, if I found this cue first http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/schmelke/schmelke_veneer-hoppe-1.htm, I would be done looking.


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$300 is an expensive first cue. That would be too much for me to spend on a first one, anyway.
 
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BigBoof

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
$300 is an expensive first cue. That would be too much for me to spend on a first one, anyway.
I don't want to admit how much all of my cues add up to. I can tell you that this cue might have ended it for me. Buy right, buy once.

How much did your golf driver cost you, let alone a full set? Or if you bowl, what does a decent ball cost, which requires re-surfacing after a league session? A cue will last forever with little more tip changes.

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Magnumsk

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't want to admit how much all of my cues add up to. I can tell you that this cue might have ended it for me. Buy right, buy once.

How much did your golf driver cost you, let alone a full set? Or if you bowl, what does a decent ball cost, which requires re-surfacing after a league session? A cue will last forever with little more tip changes.

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I'm not saying that I don't appreciate quality equipment. I absolutely do. But I'm learning how to shoot, & seeing if I still enjoy it as I did with a $20 cue in the early 80s as a teen. I have no plans to buy a table, or join a league. I don't even know how much I'd play. For me, it's a stress reliever from my very stressful job that I actually love.

I admittedly don't know much about the game. But I know that any cue will make balls. But dropping $300 on a piece of sports equipment that I don't know will get used or put in the closet is a tough proposition for me. Gauging by a lot of folks here, buying cues and the sport itself can be addictive. I hoping I get to play often & that I have a good time doing so. I don't want to be the guy with a $300 cue & a two bit game.
 

BigBoof

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I totally get what you are saying. I think a basic Schmelke would fit the bill just fine.

I also know how things can progress and you can be like me buying cue after cue. They were always reasonably cheap but if I jumped right to a higher cue, I would have saved money. I bought a Players HXT, didn't like it. Only got to sell it because a teammate dinged it so bad he paid me.

If you buy a Star cue and give up the game, only the mailman would make any money on the sale. You buy the cue I linked and you could get much of your money back.

When I was at your stage I also considered a sneaky pete from Master Z on eBay. Pretty nice looking and a good tip for around $80. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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