A Gus may be analogous to a Strad but their relevance to the respective genres are not of equal merit.
Strads not killing fiddling is a very good analogy. A good Strad enables violin-ing in all its splendor and glory and produces it for those able to traverse its wonders. Those not as musically endowed will produce the more common squeaks, squawks, and clams in the attempt - the fault being in the player not the instrument.
Maybe it's because virtuosic pooling hasn't hit the mainstream that the analogy seems vague. Super tight pockets add context to and reveal precision execution. Buckets will look like pool but allow all manner of sloppiness and crudeness - all swept under the "can't play perfect" rug.
If anything will kill pool, it's the bad guys; not precision equipment.
I’d send it in. I had this happen before I started working on cues. Sent it back to McDermott and they put a new collar on for free. The new one was a couple thousandth larger than the old one though. They just tapered the new one a little more so the shafts still matched perfectly.
I think Joe Rogan would be a fantastic guest commentator for the U.S. Open. He knows pool, and he’s fairly in tune with today’s group of professional players. When Nick Schulman, pool player turned poker champion, was a guest commentator at the 2021 U.S. Open, he was great. Joe is a professional commentator, and this would be right up his alley.
As of early 2026, Rogan’s podcast continues to dominate globally:
• YouTube: His “PowerfulJRE” channel has about 20.6 million subscribers
• Spotify: His following has grown well past 17 million
• Average listeners: Around 11 million per episode
It was also ranked the #1 global podcast on Spotify for the sixth consecutive year in 2025.
On a personal note, when Rogan was commentating MMA, the organization handling the fights hired me to transcribe them. It remains one of my all-time favorite jobs, and it’s actually how I became a fan of the other Fedor, Fedor Emelianenko.
If Rogan ever did come out to the U.S. Open in Texas, I think it would be purely for the love of pool, not the money. Living in Austin, he’s only about a three-hour drive from Frisco, so it’s not out of the question.
Listen to Joe talk about how Max Eberle improved his game. You can really see how much Joe loves pool. I'd love to see him compete in the U.S. Open, but I'd rather hear him as a guest commentator. What a boost that would be for pool!
Login to view embedded media
Every now and then, Joe mentions Keith McCready in his podcast when he's talking to pool people, and it always gives Keith and me both a thrill. My dream podcast, though, would be Joe Rogan interviewing Ronnie O'Sullivan. A girl can dream, can't she?
Completely agree. The more publicity pool can attract, the better, and Rogan both loves and knows the game.
On a funny note, when you wrote that "Living in Austin, he’s only about a three-hour drive from Frisco", I started wondering just how fast you and Keith drive...and then I realized you meant Frisco TX, not San Francisco!
sorry for the late reply. was too sleepy to post late last night. anyway, my set is wrapped with plastic. I do have the Premiums though so I don't know if they are any different than the typical Premier wrapping.
This joint is on my H series cue. The joint on the butt is a bit loose and there is a tiny gap where it meets the top of the butt. It appears to be tight when the shaft is screwed on but it turns slightly (maybe 1/10") when the shaft is screwed on and off. I'm assuming the joint is screwed on to an insert in the butt. My question is this.
Can I unscrew this to inspect it to see what the problem might be or should I just send it to McDermott or some other cue maker? Thanks!
