Mike Gulyassy's Anvil J/B Cue!
There are a few moments where a new cue comes out of nowhere and blows us away in performance. Let me share with you my one month experience with Mike's Anvil break cue. Sledgehammer owner's beware.
PACKAGING: Shipping was fast. When the cue arrived I was very impressed on the packaging - it was wrapped in an oil free paper inside a bubble wrap. It's nicely packed in a slim triangle tube and the triangle tube is then inserted onto a regular Triangle Tube. :thumbup:
UNPACKING & INSPECTION: Upon taking the cue out my eyes could not avoid the showroom finish that Mike had put on the Anvil (more on this later). The cue was built with meticulous detail and precision: joints, lines, glue, ferrule, shaft, tip, bumper fit, finish - to perfection. I know that most custom cues are built the same and there's not much on a jump break cue but the reason I am mentioning this is because this cue cost me under $275 shipping included (Mike's Xmas Promo). The woods that Mike used are choice high quality. Not what you'd expect from a cue under $300 from one of the great cuemakers of our time.
After inspecting the cue I put it together and did not feel any lift or change on the joint. It matched flawlessly and the fit was snug and tight. I checked the overall taper of the cue and rolled it on the table cloth and off the rails. The cue is dead zero and rolled perfect! I took them apart and rolled the butt and shaft - zero as well.
DESIGN: I have owned several Sledgehammers and kept a couple. Prior to the Anvil, I was alternating between my Sledgehammer and Pete Ohman's J/B depending on the playing cue I used and if I was gambling. Gambling = Sledge. I have other break cues as well and have sold some in the past. Lots of custom and some productions including BK2. From fancy to plain janes. Mike's Anvil is plain.
No rings just a black phenolic joint. The Birdeye maple has beautiful grains and swirls.
And the ebony is perfect black.
The bumper is rounded and the size provides great coverage of the entire butt. I already know this will preserve the edge of the butt finish very well based on my experience with all my cues. The ferrule is phenolic and the tip is hard leather could be Samsara but it's not phenolic for sure.
Mike also put a joint collar on the forearm connecting the jump butt.
The pin is 3x8-11 Brass
Shaft taper is perfect for breaking hard.
The design is excellent - ALL Business look. I'm sure he can trick it out if needed but for me less is more on break cues. :thumbup:
PERFORMANCE: I could not wait to find out how it faired with my other break cues so I started a few breaks with the sorry & awful plastic rack that our local pool hall has and use on the GC's. I break hard slightly below center ball - therefore I am paying attention on the cue ball rebound from the one ball on a 9ball rack. My stroke is slow before striking the cue ball hard on impact. I am off the ground on both feet with my right leg kicking. The cue has an amazing feel on the snap. The one ball backs up around the middle of the table unless kicked. After a few breaks I moved to a Diamond Pro-Am and used the Diamond Wood rack. The Diamond that was set-up at our pool hall sits higher than the GC's. And my break usually changes on that table, I'd have to make sure that I really hit the one ball square and hard. The Anvil busted up the racks on the ProAm like it did on the GC. Making the corner ball and the one screeching towards the side pocket. I was ear to ear smile and my eyes was lit up on the performance and was convinced that I can finally retire my Sledge that I have been using for years. My last test was using the Magic Rack and the Anvil even stayed more consistent only worrying about the cue ball. Everyone that saw the cue liked it a lot and when they saw it break I got offers!
As I mentioned earlier regarding the finish - I hit the forearm & butt of the cue on the table on some of the breaks and every time I wipe the cue down to put the cue away I havn't found a scuff or scratch! Whatever the hell finish he put on there is strong.
I never tested the jump cue as I hardly jump and prefer to kick. When I do jump, if it's not really hooked close I jump with the full cue. The Anvil jumped just as good as the others. I am sure this has something to do with the tip. If you practice and jump a lot with a jump cue or a J/B then I am sure this is just as successful if not better. As far as the break, this does more than the job - Devastating on the 9 & 10 ball racks! I've spent as much as $700 on break cues and they did not perform nowhere near my Sledge's - the Anvil is worth every penny under $700.
I never met Mike and would like to meet him someday. A lot of cue collectors & players tell me he's a great guy and a great cuemaker. He did not disappoint on the Anvil - It's ALL BUSINESS! It's the best break cue I ever had in my collection. Would like to see Van Boening, De Luna, & Busty break with this!
An-vil: An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool. Before the advent of modern welding technology, it was a primary tool of metal workers. The great majority of modern anvils are made from steel, though other types exist. Because anvils are very ancient tools and were at one time very commonplace, they have acquired symbolic meaning beyond their use as utilitarian objects.
I can see why he picked the name and why it performs better than my Sledgehammer!
There are a few moments where a new cue comes out of nowhere and blows us away in performance. Let me share with you my one month experience with Mike's Anvil break cue. Sledgehammer owner's beware.
PACKAGING: Shipping was fast. When the cue arrived I was very impressed on the packaging - it was wrapped in an oil free paper inside a bubble wrap. It's nicely packed in a slim triangle tube and the triangle tube is then inserted onto a regular Triangle Tube. :thumbup:
UNPACKING & INSPECTION: Upon taking the cue out my eyes could not avoid the showroom finish that Mike had put on the Anvil (more on this later). The cue was built with meticulous detail and precision: joints, lines, glue, ferrule, shaft, tip, bumper fit, finish - to perfection. I know that most custom cues are built the same and there's not much on a jump break cue but the reason I am mentioning this is because this cue cost me under $275 shipping included (Mike's Xmas Promo). The woods that Mike used are choice high quality. Not what you'd expect from a cue under $300 from one of the great cuemakers of our time.
After inspecting the cue I put it together and did not feel any lift or change on the joint. It matched flawlessly and the fit was snug and tight. I checked the overall taper of the cue and rolled it on the table cloth and off the rails. The cue is dead zero and rolled perfect! I took them apart and rolled the butt and shaft - zero as well.
DESIGN: I have owned several Sledgehammers and kept a couple. Prior to the Anvil, I was alternating between my Sledgehammer and Pete Ohman's J/B depending on the playing cue I used and if I was gambling. Gambling = Sledge. I have other break cues as well and have sold some in the past. Lots of custom and some productions including BK2. From fancy to plain janes. Mike's Anvil is plain.
No rings just a black phenolic joint. The Birdeye maple has beautiful grains and swirls.
And the ebony is perfect black.
The bumper is rounded and the size provides great coverage of the entire butt. I already know this will preserve the edge of the butt finish very well based on my experience with all my cues. The ferrule is phenolic and the tip is hard leather could be Samsara but it's not phenolic for sure.
Mike also put a joint collar on the forearm connecting the jump butt.
The pin is 3x8-11 Brass
Shaft taper is perfect for breaking hard.
The design is excellent - ALL Business look. I'm sure he can trick it out if needed but for me less is more on break cues. :thumbup:
PERFORMANCE: I could not wait to find out how it faired with my other break cues so I started a few breaks with the sorry & awful plastic rack that our local pool hall has and use on the GC's. I break hard slightly below center ball - therefore I am paying attention on the cue ball rebound from the one ball on a 9ball rack. My stroke is slow before striking the cue ball hard on impact. I am off the ground on both feet with my right leg kicking. The cue has an amazing feel on the snap. The one ball backs up around the middle of the table unless kicked. After a few breaks I moved to a Diamond Pro-Am and used the Diamond Wood rack. The Diamond that was set-up at our pool hall sits higher than the GC's. And my break usually changes on that table, I'd have to make sure that I really hit the one ball square and hard. The Anvil busted up the racks on the ProAm like it did on the GC. Making the corner ball and the one screeching towards the side pocket. I was ear to ear smile and my eyes was lit up on the performance and was convinced that I can finally retire my Sledge that I have been using for years. My last test was using the Magic Rack and the Anvil even stayed more consistent only worrying about the cue ball. Everyone that saw the cue liked it a lot and when they saw it break I got offers!
As I mentioned earlier regarding the finish - I hit the forearm & butt of the cue on the table on some of the breaks and every time I wipe the cue down to put the cue away I havn't found a scuff or scratch! Whatever the hell finish he put on there is strong.I never tested the jump cue as I hardly jump and prefer to kick. When I do jump, if it's not really hooked close I jump with the full cue. The Anvil jumped just as good as the others. I am sure this has something to do with the tip. If you practice and jump a lot with a jump cue or a J/B then I am sure this is just as successful if not better. As far as the break, this does more than the job - Devastating on the 9 & 10 ball racks! I've spent as much as $700 on break cues and they did not perform nowhere near my Sledge's - the Anvil is worth every penny under $700.
I never met Mike and would like to meet him someday. A lot of cue collectors & players tell me he's a great guy and a great cuemaker. He did not disappoint on the Anvil - It's ALL BUSINESS! It's the best break cue I ever had in my collection. Would like to see Van Boening, De Luna, & Busty break with this!
An-vil: An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool. Before the advent of modern welding technology, it was a primary tool of metal workers. The great majority of modern anvils are made from steel, though other types exist. Because anvils are very ancient tools and were at one time very commonplace, they have acquired symbolic meaning beyond their use as utilitarian objects.
I can see why he picked the name and why it performs better than my Sledgehammer!
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