SVB signs with Cuetec

[JB Cases]

I still don't see how Cuetec makes money. I've never seen anyone with a Cuetec (not even bangers lol),and I have never seen a billiard room with Cuetecs. Something fishy is going on with Cuetec. Maybe Travis Trotter is keeping them in business?

A lot of folks buy Cuetec cues who don't play in pool rooms. I can tell you from personal experience having manned the phones at Christmas that a LOT of people call in wanting that brand they saw on TV, meaning Cuetec.

Cuetec is a lot bigger than people think that they are.

And they put a lot of money back into pool.

 

[poolplayer2093]

Cris has said the cue will be all Cuetec and unless or until she or Shane himself says something different I would take that as bible. Judging by past history of many sponsor/competitor relationships, the cue Shane plays with may or may not be tuned to his exact preferences. Many a sponsored competitor isn't playing with an off the shelf item.

One thing I very much respect is that Shane has been considering this deal for some time. He didn't jump into it rashly and I am quite sure that Cuetec didn't. Whatever he plays with, I'll bet it doesn't hurt his game although there might be a short transition period.

Hu

i'm guessing he did it for the cash. which i'm assuming is pretty good. i actually think it'll hurt his game at first. i remember someone posting that the schon he used had a real long taper and it might take some time to get used to cuetec's taper

 

[ribdoner]

i'm guessing he did it for the cash. which i'm assuming is pretty good. i actually think it'll hurt his game at first. i remember someone posting that the schon he used had a real long taper and it might take some time to get used to cuetec's taper

Smart $ says his shaft will be finely tuned

 

[ShootingArts]

that was the message in my last post

i'm guessing he did it for the cash. which i'm assuming is pretty good. i actually think it'll hurt his game at first. i remember someone posting that the schon he used had a real long taper and it might take some time to get used to cuetec's taper

That was the message in my last post. The Cuetec shaft he plays with might just happen to have the same taper as the one he is playing with now. Sponsored players often play with "proto-types". Some of those proto-types are never intended to see production. That can be legitimate R&D or it can be giving their sponsored player what he needs to win.

Time will tell if he plays with a stock factory off the shelf Cuetec or not but it sounds like it will be 100% made by Cuetec. That does leave a lot of gray area though. Both player and sponsor have to bend a little sometimes. A sponsored player has far less value if they aren't using the product but a player that can't win with the product has less value too.

Hu

 

[pwd72s]

That was the message in my last post. The Cuetec shaft he plays with might just happen to have the same taper as the one he is playing with now. Sponsored players often play with "proto-types". Some of those proto-types are never intended to see production. That can be legitimate R&D or it can be giving their sponsored player what he needs to win.

Time will tell if he plays with a stock factory off the shelf Cuetec or not but it sounds like it will be 100% made by Cuetec. That does leave a lot of gray area though. Both player and sponsor have to bend a little sometimes. A sponsored player has far less value if they aren't using the product but a player that can't win with the product has less value too.

Hu

Exactly...a firm like cuetec has the means and the ability to make any cue SVB feels comfortable with. It will still be a cuetec, but nobody is going to buy one like it off the $69.95 display...I see nothing wrong with this...car manufacturers have done the same for decades with "stock" classes of cars. Congratulations to Shane for the contract...invested wisely, the money can serve him well when he's done playing.

 

["T"]

Sorry, but this just seems weird.

 

[Nekdo]

He will probably play with a "proto-type".There are rumors that Eric Crisp and a few others makes very good prototypes
In the end it doesn`t even matter.Cuetec gets a nice face,good player and obviously a great person.What sells better this days?Shane will get some financial security and won`t have to play every second idiot just to get the money.win-win situation for both parties.
And it really is strange where Cuetec gets the funds.Whole Asia has to use cuetecs.A bunch of americans says that almost no one in USA uses cuetech,here in Europe I don`t know anyone who plays with Cuetec.It seems that they must have some mayor contract with chinese government."Every five years we buy a billion of cuetecs and we have no idea what to do with them"

 

[Gerry]

I'm glad no one is slammin Cuetec in this thread. BTW, I have twice run over 100 balls with my Cuetec Earl model jump break.....

Like a lot of people are saying, after getting used to it, Shane will be at world speed in no time.

 

[JimS]

Great news for Shane and probably for pool in general.

Nice job of handling the initial 'questions' Cris. You came across as a classy and intelligent person.

CueTec is bound to come out with a SVB model which might have the same characteristics as the shaft that he plays with.

The important think is that Shane has exhibited good character and because of this and his skills he's landed a choice sponser. Both he and Cuetec will profit. Cool.

(Edit: Incorrect spelling of Ms. Cris's name. Thanks JoeyA.)

 

[Icon of Sin]

Guess I will come out and say it... it's definately a win for Cuetec, and it's stability for Shane, but I think 90 percent of the forum would agree that Cuetec's products are not made for pool players, nor are they what pool players want.

One of the things that was most interesting about Shane was the fact that he played and broke either with the old Schon or the Old Joss that had his name in the points. Played and broke with an old cue like that which had ton of character.

Yeah, I'm sorry to see him sign up with cuetec really, but on the same note, Shane has to do what's best for him. This easily can be what is best for him, and I can completely see how it is.

I wish him the best in this venture and will continue to be a fan regardless of his sponsor.

 

[JB Cases]

Who really cares? The whole point of sponsorship is to attempt to put the brand in front of more people. When we see a Nascar racer sponsored by Ford we don't assume that his car is exactly like what comes off the shelf. Why should pool be any different?

The whole point is to get people to try Cuetecs, if they like it then great if they don't then that's ok too. Obviously Cuetec has to build a cue that somewhat feels like something that a person can play pool with and not fall apart in the first five minutes.

If they were building cues that are truly horrible then they wouldn't have any money to spend on sponsorships like these.

Don't we spend half our time on here tweaking our equipment, this shaft is better than that shaft, this ferrule is the nuts, soak your tip in bull's urine and it will never mushroom, anyy tried the latest grasshopper skin wrap - it feels better than Durex. I mean it's funny that we love to tweak our stuff to nth degree and yet when a pro wears a logo we expect them to play off the shelf.

I do think that a person should use the product they endorse. I certainly don't begrudge Cuetec if they were to lock Shane up in the factory for a month and build a new Cuetec that no one has ever seen before.

I got this straight from Allison last month. She is sent a batch of Cuetecs that are made to her weight preference only and she chooses from that batch what she wants to play with. She may play around with the ferrule and tip but she didn't indicate that and even if she did then that's her personal changes that have nothing to do with what she is given by Cuetec.

 

[JB Cases]

Guess I will come out and say it... it's definately a win for Cuetec, and it's stability for Shane, but I think 90 percent of the forum would agree that Cuetec's products are not made for pool players, nor are they what pool players want.

One of the things that was most interesting about Shane was the fact that he played and broke either with the old Schon or the Old Joss that had his name in the points. Played and broke with an old cue like that which had ton of character.

Yeah, I'm sorry to see him sign up with cuetec really, but on the same note, Shane has to do what's best for him. This easily can be what is best for him, and I can completely see how it is.

I wish him the best in this venture and will continue to be a fan regardless of his sponsor.

How can you say that the cues aren't made for pool players when top notchers have played with and won using Cuetecs?

What if the end result of this is that Cuetec ends up building a cue that 90% of the board would love IF they didn't know the brand was Cuetec?

I am not a Cuetec fanboy. But we sell a lot of Cuetecs - why? Because Cuetec promotes the hell out of them and because people who buy them seem to like them. But let's say that you are right and 90% of the people here don't like them. Well then that just means that someone who starts off on a Cuetec is going to be in teh market for another cue at some point if they stick with pool so it's win/win all the way around.

 

[Brian in VA]

Who really cares? The whole point of sponsorship is to attempt to put the brand in front of more people. When we see a Nascar racer sponsored by Ford we don't assume that his car is exactly like what comes off the shelf. Why should pool be any different?

The whole point is to get people to try Cuetecs, if they like it then great if they don't then that's ok too. Obviously Cuetec has to build a cue that somewhat feels like something that a person can play pool with and not fall apart in the first five minutes.

If they were building cues that are truly horrible then they wouldn't have any money to spend on sponsorships like these.

Don't we spend half our time on here tweaking our equipment, this shaft is better than that shaft, this ferrule is the nuts, soak your tip in bull's urine and it will never mushroom, anyy tried the latest grasshopper skin wrap - it feels better than Durex. I mean it's funny that we love to tweak our stuff to nth degree and yet when a pro wears a logo we expect them to play off the shelf.

I do think that a person should use the product they endorse. I certainly don't begrudge Cuetec if they were to lock Shane up in the factory for a month and build a new Cuetec that no one has ever seen before.

I got this straight from Allison last month. She is sent a batch of Cuetecs that are made to her weight preference only and she chooses from that batch what she wants to play with. She may play around with the ferrule and tip but she didn't indicate that and even if she did then that's her personal changes that have nothing to do with what she is given by Cuetec.

Spoken like a business man who knows whereof he speaks. Thanks for being the voice of reason John!

Brian in VA

 

[perspicaz]

Gatz...The U.S. market is a tiny fraction of the overall Cuetec market, worldwide. They have a 1,000,000,000 poplulation to sell to, in Asia...imagine what 1/100th of 1% is (100,000 cue sales a year)? A little slice of a very big pie is worth millions annually to Cuetec. I'm glad to see them investing in some new technology, that will attract attention, if it plays well...and Shane will make an excellent addition to their stable of players!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Cuetecs are widely available here in Spain. They are usually the first cue you buy and then progress to something maple... or the cue you buy for your girlfriend to play a little for example. I would say that the most common cues in Spain are Predator/Poison, Buffalo and Cuetec; not necessarily in that order.

 

[Icon of Sin]

First, I am not interested in getting into an argument. I will answer your questions to the best of my ability.

How can you say that the cues aren't made for pool players when top notchers have played with and won using Cuetecs?

I don't think those top notch players choose Cuetec because they liked thier cues. I'm sure there was something else invovled ($$$). These players though are doing what is best for them financially. I do not fault them for that. I'm sure it's tough to live off winnings without any true steady income, even if you are one of the top money winners. I can completely understand wanting that stability.

What if the end result of this is that Cuetec ends up building a cue that 90% of the board would love IF they didn't know the brand was Cuetec?

Im sure the majority of that 90 percent would be disappointed to see to find out that it was made by Cuetec once they did and more then likely would not buy it and go back to their (insert random custom maker here) cue.

I am not a Cuetec fanboy. But we sell a lot of Cuetecs - why? Because Cuetec promotes the hell out of them and because people who buy them seem to like them. But let's say that you are right and 90% of the people here don't like them. Well then that just means that someone who starts off on a Cuetec is going to be in teh market for another cue at some point if they stick with pool so it's win/win all the way around.

I agree. It is definately Win/Win for Shane as well as any new incoming player as most of those new players do start out with a basic cue like a cuetec and end up moving on to something nicer, then something nicer then that and so on and so on if they continue to stick witht he game. It shouldn't really bother people like me because I'm not, other then having dinner with him and the TAR guys one night, even an aquaintance of his. I'm just a fan of his and enjoy watching him play. Even being a fan of his I still do not see myself in any position to want to sway him away from this deal which is what is best for him. Even if fans of his came out in numbers and were against it, it still would not be right to do so.

When I think of cuetec, I guess I think of Entry level. I think of bangers at the poolhall who bought a cue they thought was one of the best cues ever made because they saw them advertised on TV. I think of fiberglass coated shafts pieced together around a graphite core. I think of entire butts made of synthetic materials made to mainly catch the eye. I don't want to think of SVB when I think of Cuetec.

 

[Black-Balled]

Who really cares? The whole point of sponsorship is to attempt to put the brand in front of more people. When we see a Nascar racer sponsored by Ford we don't assume that his car is exactly like what comes off the shelf. Why should pool be any different?

... She may play around with the ferrule and tip ... if she did then that's her personal ..what she is given...

The Nascar analogy supports you, but I feel pool is more aligned with cycling. I expect my bike to perform flawlessly, just like the pro's, every time.

I'm just sayin...

 

[JB Cases]

The Nascar analogy supports you, but I feel pool is more aligned with cycling. I expect my bike to perform flawlessly, just like the pro's, every time.

I'm just sayin...

I feel you on that but don't think for a second that the pros in cycling aren't tweaking their bikes and having the factory give them the latest and greatest innovations.

I mean we all act as if Cuetec is so bad that we couldn't possibly play with one and that simply isn't true.

I have seen plenty of good and great players using off the rack Cuetecs. I have owned a couple and could play with any of them. Did I like the feel? No, but I could run out with them.

There is nothing technically "wrong" with a Cuetec cue that makes it unplayable. It's just a different feel.

 

[GMAC]

CueTec

Say what you want about Cuetec at least they put money back into the sport. I think the most important thing Cuetec does is sponsor very few players so they are able to compensate the player fairly.

Some other well known companies sponsor everyone and really give the player nothing in return except a patch and a cue, which is far from a sponsorship. All it is is and advertisement for the cue company with no real benefit to the player.

 

[Jason Robichaud]

I like CT for breaking. I really like the taper of the shafts and that the shaft doesn't go blue like regular shafts. I have an old CT here, I would say most on here have one kicking around and that sucker is still straight. It was dropped, left in cold, thrown and burned (someone didn't want stricklands name on it).

If I was a road player, I would lug a $130 CueTec. It would be good to win some cash and handle the road, in JonnyT's case, after you take the locals too badly, strong enough to thump skulls on way out of the room and have something left for the FedEX guy or local plumber.

 

[CrisDeLaGarza]

Wow...I am always amazed how skewed the stories get on this forum...one person makes an assumption and then everyone runs with it...so to set the record straight let me tell you a little background about what led to this decision for Shane.

Cuetec has pursued him for a long time now, well over a year. They have offered him deal after deal (other companies were interested as well but not with such formal offers) and he was never interested in entertaining ANY cue deals (not just with Cuetec) because he was happy with his cue. He would say that he didn't need to get a cue sponsor because he didn't want to change cues. He would say that it's not worth the extra money because he thinks it could cost him money in the end if he didn't play as well with it.

Then, several months ago, Cuetec told him they are now offering the R360 shaft and sent him a sample to try. Still reluctant to try ANY other cues, he started to consider trying the cue because it had a wood shaft but he still didn't shoot with it much.

Then one day Shane and I stopped by a local billiards and game room supply store that sponsors me. I was meeting with the staff there that helps me out a lot and Shane was left to play on the display tables by himself so he decided to grab one of the Cuetec cues and try it. He grabbed a VERY basic model JUST like this one:

When I returned from talking with the staff there, Shane was still shooting and told me he was surprised at how well it shot. He said, "maybe I should talk to them more about their offer." I tried to grab a few of the cues from the other companies that were talking to him to and have him try them but, Shane is stubborn, when he gets it in his head that he likes something he has tunnel vision and isn't going to try anything else. So he said, "No, I like this one, it shoots straight." The staff at the billiard store offered to change out the tip for him and let him take that cue to play with more but Shane told him he already had models at home but just hadn't really tried them.

So that's when he began discussing this more seriously with Cuetec. His decision was actually based on trying the REGULAR basic model of their cues, not some mocked up model that they made specail for him. He also spoke with Allison a lot about her experience with the company and how she has liked their relationship and he heard nothing but positive feedback. She talked about how much exposure they give her, how flexible and accomidating they are and about what type of commitments he would have.

Since then, he has played around with their cues more, and again, the basic models not even the R360, and came to his decision based on how THOSE play.

As for what he will play with from here on out...they have sent him 3 different butts to try and 10 different shafts (they have many different STOCK models of shafts) that he will try out and decide from there. I believe the only thing he plans to change on it is the tip, he likes the trianlge tips. I have only had communication with him through online chats so from what he has told me, they don't have plans to create a "Special" cue that is different from what they will sell off the shelf, but I do know they plan to put his signature on some of the cues models that they will sell (I believe he got to pick which ones).

For those that know Shane, they should know he won't endorse anything he doesn't believe in. And the notion that he's doing this for financial security is completely false. Let's remember that Shane is cashing $130-$150/year the past couple of years (and that's not counting his gambling winnings) and he's one of VERY few players that is REALLY smart with his money. He's not just responsible with it but he's SMART with it. He doesn't just save his money and spend responsibly, he also has very good people managing his finances and investments and has made his money work for him. Shane is not in any way hurting financially so he could do with or without ANY sponsorship deals. Sure it doesn't hurt that he gets paid for it, but he would NEVER sign on to something for THREE years if he didn't 100% believe it was a good choice all around.