Why turning down original cuemaker shafts....

Guerra Cues

Guerra Cues

I build one cue at a time
Silver Member
Hey folks,
I thought this could be a good item for discussion.
I really get thrown off on a cue that I might be interested to buy when the owner turns the original shafts down.
That not only takes a lot of potential buyers interest but makes the cue loose value as well. When somebody does that, it is like you're not playing with the original taper/cue from the cuemaker. In a sense it is almost disrespecting the originality of the cuemaker...
Personally, if I wanted a small shaft diameter I would get a low deflection blank and preserve the original shafts.
Just my 2 cents...
 
BENFICA said:
Hey folks,
I thought this could be a good item for discussion.
I really get thrown off on a cue that I might be interested to buy when the owner turns the original shafts down.
That not only takes a lot of potential buyers interest but makes the cue loose value as well. When somebody does that, it is like you're not playing with the original taper/cue from the cuemaker. In a sense it is almost disrespecting the originality of the cuemaker...
Personally, if I wanted a small shaft diameter I would get a low deflection blank and preserve the original shafts.
Just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...

Actually a lot of people order the cue with their shafts a specific diameter. the other alternative is sending the shafts back to the cue maker to have them take the shafts down. that way it preserves the original taper.

imo when it comes to cues it's all about playability first. if i have the shafts taken down or alter the cue somehow i'm not doing it thinking of resale value. i do it because i think it'll help me be more comfortable with the cue.

player first, collector second. it's all about how you what you're doing. you collecting or playing
 
BENFICA said:
Hey folks,
I thought this could be a good item for discussion.
I really get thrown off on a cue that I might be interested to buy when the owner turns the original shafts down.
That not only takes a lot of potential buyers interest but makes the cue loose value as well. When somebody does that, it is like you're not playing with the original taper/cue from the cuemaker. In a sense it is almost disrespecting the originality of the cuemaker...
Personally, if I wanted a small shaft diameter I would get a low deflection blank and preserve the original shafts.
Just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...

I prefer a 12-12.5mm shaft and request it on my custom cues.
I don't buy to resale. I buy them to play with. I'm certainly not going to spend thousands of dollars on a cue with shafts that are larger than I like.

If the original cuemaker tapers the shafts either during the shaft building process or after the sale, to smaller than 13mm or what you consider normal, do you still have a problem with smaller diameter shafts?

Interesting post, anxious to hear your thoughts particularly on original cuemaker making the shafts smaller than 13mm.
 
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dr9ball said:
I preher a 12-12.5mm shaft and request it on my custom cues.
I don't buy to resale. I buy them to play with. I'm certaintly not going to spend thousands of dollars on a cue with shafts that are larger to my liking.

If the original cuemaker tapers the shafts either during the shaft building process or after the sale, to smaller than 13mm or what you consider normal, do you still have a problem with smaller diameter shafts?

Interesting post, anxious to hear your thoughts particularly on original cuemaker making the shafts smaller than 13mm.
Click to expand...

looks like i might be on the right track. it all boils down to what you're doing with the cue. if you're going to play with it, you're going to want it to be the way that'll make comfortable to you when you're playing iwth it. if you're going to collect/resell it then you're going to want it to be in as close to collection worthy specs as possible.
 
Well, I like 13mm shafts.
When I look for a cue, I also respect the cuemaker specs.
I pretty much stopped looking for the holly grail because I have 2 cuemakers on my list that I absolutelly love - Sugartree and SW.
My post is based on that, 13mm shafts.
If you like 13mm shafts and want to try something new, might as well buy an off the shelf blank and have it tapped to the cue cue pin specs. Many times Mika told me I should play with a 12.85mm shafts but I still prefer the 13mm diameter.
 
I agree with you...

I dont modify the cuemaker's taper - in fact I order them a little oversized to start with as cue's naturally over time lose a little diameter. Gives you a little "play" when cleaning the shafts too. I guess Im anal. I think a lot of cue market discounts shafts less than 13MM.
 
BENFICA said:
Well, I like 13mm shafts.
When I look for a cue, I also respect the cuemaker specs.
I pretty much stopped looking for the holly grail because I have 2 cuemakers on my list that I absolutelly love - Sugartree and SW.
My post is based on that, 13mm shafts.
If you like 13mm shafts and want to try something new, might as well buy an off the shelf blank and have it tapped to the cue cue pin specs. Many times Mika told me I should play with a 12.85mm shafts but I still prefer the 13mm diameter.
Click to expand...

how long you been playing? mika might see something that you're overlooking

these days i prefer to play with cues closer to 13mm but way back in the day :eek: i liked using 12.65 to 12.8. everything else seemed like a tree trunk and i'd undercut everything.

if you've been playing less than 3 years you might not be really in tune with what suits you.
 
I believe if i buy something i can do what the heck ever i want to with it. I am not a flipper like some on here. I have every cue i have ever bought.
 
Isn't a low deflection after market shaft also disrespecting the original cuemaker? I mean, it's not his original shaft work that you'd be playing with.
Right?

Don't think it has anything to do with disrespect, only with resale value.

When i buy a cue, i don't buy it with the intent on selling it. It is bough to be played with.
 
good question

BENFICA said:
Hey folks,
I thought this could be a good item for discussion.
I really get thrown off on a cue that I might be interested to buy when the owner turns the original shafts down.
That not only takes a lot of potential buyers interest but makes the cue loose value as well. When somebody does that, it is like you're not playing with the original taper/cue from the cuemaker. In a sense it is almost disrespecting the originality of the cuemaker...
Personally, if I wanted a small shaft diameter I would get a low deflection blank and preserve the original shafts.
Just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...

It's a good question, not a simple one to answer because it depends on a person's viewpoint. If a cue builder normally sends out shafts with his sticks between 12.35 and 13mm and you send a 13mm shaft back to him to be retapered to his taper but still in the range he normally turns shafts I think it is still fair to call this an original shaft. If even the cue builder modifies the shaft outside his normal range then I have to question if it is an original shaft any longer. No question in my mind when somebody else turns it then it isn't an original shaft any longer even if it is in the original range of diameters. When selling you need to acknowledge "original shaft" modified by whomever did the work.

Buyers probably won't ding the value of the cue as much if the original builder tapered to an unusual taper for his cues but when somebody advertises an original shaft in perfect condition then it is reasonable to expect it to be truly original, not modified outside of the builder's usual range of shafts.

My opinions of course. I suspect many people's opinion will vary on this question.

Hu
 
I've done it twice to a custom cue and I've owned at least 30 customs and a handful of production cues. I regreted it the moment I did it because the cues never played quite right again. Don't get me wrong, they didn't play terrible but changing them from the originals changed everything about the cue. They just didn't feel right anymore. Since then, if I order a new cue (terrible habit I have)... I'll order multiple shafts... one at 13mm and the other at a diameter I'm more comfortable with... somewhere between 12 and 12.5mm. If I buy a cue second hand, I'll have another shaft made for it at some point that matches up to it... usually an OB 2 or Predator 314-2 (if I can't get the cue maker to make me one). Simply because they are already designed in the diameter I like and I don't have to change the original.

I care about value because I like to collect. But, if I can't play with it I'm probably going to get rid of it unless it's super collectable to me.
 
A cuemaker of integrity puts a certain dynamic into the building of his cue. If that cue's shaft is retapered then the integrity, design, and dynamic of that cue from bumper to tip has been compromised.
 
great thread...

hey tony i agree with you on the fact that alot of times it keeps some buyers from buying a cue with smaller shafts....i think if possable you should try to buy cues from makers with three shafts.. that way you can have a player shaft to your diameter and 2 "standard"shafts such as 13mm...if it is a cue that i am going to play with abunch or may daily player i really dont care about doing what i want to the shaft mm size being...i will have some cues that i dont play with other than hitting a few balls and i have one or two cues that i play with on a regular basis....and like you my daily player is a sugartree and i am in the process of buying another to my exact standards or more along the lines of what i am use to...if i am buying a cue from the maker i tell them what i want but if i buy on secondary market i am normally buying because i like the cue or it is a great deal....might not clear up much about the question but if possable i allways try to get three shafts....i just keep the third shaft for myself or if i sell the cue it will add some value to the cue deal....anyway great thread i also would like to here what people say about it.....:clapping: mickey carroll
 
Thanks Mickey.
You, LAlouie, ShootingArts, Run the Century and Antfarm are right on the money on what I meant with this thread.
tattoo said:
hey tony i agree with you on the fact that alot of times it keeps some buyers from buying a cue with smaller shafts....i think if possable you should try to buy cues from makers with three shafts.. that way you can have a player shaft to your diameter and 2 "standard"shafts such as 13mm...if it is a cue that i am going to play with abunch or may daily player i really dont care about doing what i want to the shaft mm size being...i will have some cues that i dont play with other than hitting a few balls and i have one or two cues that i play with on a regular basis....and like you my daily player is a sugartree and i am in the process of buying another to my exact standards or more along the lines of what i am use to...if i am buying a cue from the maker i tell them what i want but if i buy on secondary market i am normally buying because i like the cue or it is a great deal....might not clear up much about the question but if possable i allways try to get three shafts....i just keep the third shaft for myself or if i sell the cue it will add some value to the cue deal....anyway great thread i also would like to here what people say about it.....:clapping: mickey carroll
Click to expand...
 
i stick by what i said earlier. you should do whatever you have to so that you're as comfortable as possible with the cue. it's about making the shots and winning the games.

if you're going to collect then that's a completely different story. i use my cues as much as possible. they're all battle tested and i wouldn't hesitate to change anything about any of my cues if it would make me more in tune with the cue. if you're thinking resale you're probably doing more collecting than you are playing
 
Tony,

In the past when I ordered a custom cue, I'd almost always order 2 of the makers standard shafts & one to my specs.. I do agree with you and I always did this for obvious reasons.. Now that I have only one cue and don't really see myself ever needing another, it does not matter. In the past, I had planned to turn the cue eventually.
 
LAlouie said:
A cuemaker of integrity puts a certain dynamic into the building of his cue. If that cue's shaft is retapered then the integrity, design, and dynamic of that cue from bumper to tip has been compromised.
Click to expand...

I agree with what you say here. However, If the original cue maker makes the shaft 12mm who's to say he isn't putting in a "certain dynamic" into the building of his cue?

It seems like this discussion is more about those who think everyone should order cues that have 13.00 mm shafts (so those that like 13mm shafts will be more inclined to buy them in the used cue market) and those who like something different.

Thankfully custom still means custom. Many fine cue makers will make the cue to the customers request, and if that request compromises the integrity and / or playability of the cue, I believe the cue maker would make the customer aware of their feelings on the subject.
 
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