Okay Marshall came up for the Gem City Classic with some nice cues. I finally got one from him and thought I would post a review of his work. I will start out with a couple of different aspects of the cue and how I feel that it rates. The cue I picked up was an 8 pointer with a custom wrap. The cue weighs 17.5 ounces with wood shaft and would be around 18 or so with a laminate shaft.
Transaction- Marshall is an easy guy to deal with. He really wants the customer to pick out everything about their cue. He has no set joint type nor pin. He thinks that every aspect about how a cue is made or what parts are used should be up to the customer. I can say I like that outlook as it defines a custom cue maker for me. Now lets get to the things I chose.
Finish- I think his cues have a nice finish and very smooth look to them. They have a nice wet look which I really do like. In my opinion the finish is as good as most others I have seen.
Shaft- The shaft I got was a low deflection shaft that he made. He has his own methods for doing this and I must say it really does play nice. I really like the way he tapers his shaft, it has a really nice feel to it.
Tip- Marshall makes his own layered tips, which I feel have a great hit as well. They hold chalk really well, and seem to help when applying english. The tip plays as well as any layered tips I have played with in my opinion. He has many tips to choose from however so that is another thing that is up to the person.
Ferrule- The ferrule I got is ivory but not Elephant Ivory. The ferrule has a very nice hit to it in my opinion. The hit is a subjective subject so I will just say that it works nicely for me. To me being able to customize to how you think your cue should hit is a great idea.
Butt- The butt of the cue is another part that mattered to me. The butt diameter is one of those things that comes down to what you prefer. I chose mine to be middle ground. So having the option to get the butt diameter to where I wanted it to be was nice. Some people like a skinny butt and others like one that is fat.....so this opens up lanes to both types.
Design- Anyone who has seen Marshall's cues know that his designs are very different than most traditional cues. The 8 pointer I picked up is no different. It has some unique woods, and the way the points are done is very different. The points line up in opposite ways to each other from the forearm and butt. Its one of those things I will have to show in pics which I will post later. The design makes the cue more complicated but in a subtle way and it all flows together. That is what I really like about his design concepts. Also the groove area for the leather wrap is not cut out straight around on each end like most. The grooved area is actually cut at an angle on each end. That is another thing that is hard to imagine but like I said I will show some pics later when I get time to post them.
Overall I think Marshall makes a very nice cue, and the hit can be customized to what the person wants. I like that concept and must say that my setup works great for me. I would deff tell anyone that if they have a chance to pick up one and play with it to try it out.
