It's Not A Stradivarius It's A Stick

You can have a stradivarius....

Johnnyt said:
You can have a $5000 cue that hits a ton:rolleyes:, the right glue on the tip, a 10th generation LDS, a super duper 27 layered tip, and any other of the bells and whistles on it/ in it and if you don't have a good smooth straight stroke it won't matter one bit. Some of the best feeling cues for me came off the poolroom wall. I just had to get that out. I feel better now. Thank you. Johnnyt
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You can have a mutlimillion dollar strad and if you haven't played the violin for ten+ years with proper training it's going to sound like a cat getting raped, what's your point???

Jaden
 
On the one hand, I agree with the overall sentiment expressed here. There are a number of big cue collectors out there that can't run 5 balls. On the other hand...

9BallPaul said:
Eric Clapton can make some sweet music from a cheap Jap guitar. Just sayin'.
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...really??? Cheap 'Jap' guitar? 'Cause that is in NO WAY offensive. :confused:
 
when the house cue is decent the difference is not huge. But when all the house cues are very crooked and with almost no tip...
 
qbilder said:
IMO, the house cue and cheap cue argument is a masculinity thing more actual practicality. People want to feel manly & want folks to think they are special in some way because they can run racks with house cues. They use that as a means to belittle those who spend the cash on something nice. Either you can't or won't afford a nice cue so you instead try to diminish the significance of high quality cues. You do it with, "it's the indian not the arrow", or "i can run out with a house cue". The only reason to say things like that is to belittle those who buy nice stuff, and make them feel stupid for it. Why else say it? It's classic psychology 101.

Fact is, if it didn't bother folks that they didn't have nice cues, then they wouldn't preach the insignificance of it so strongly. If they didn't have insecurities about it then they wouldn't make up one liners to justify their point. Guys who buy & like nice cues don't spend time making fun of guys who don't have cues, or spend time trying to justify why they spend the money. No. They just live & let live. They are secure with themselves & the choices they make. Why try belittling them for talking about cues & cue related topics? They aren't bugging you or saying anything to make fun of you because you have trash cues or no cue at all. They leave you alone to do your own thing while they do theirs. Why is it so tough to give the same respect, if not for having the urge to justify why you don't have nice cues? Nobody asked you to justify it. Nobody asked you to explain why you don't have cues. Nobody said you suck because you don't have a nice cue. Not at all. See the difference here?
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Quoted for truth. Well said, Eric.

Josh
 
lfigueroa said:
We all choose to spend our monies differently.

I like to wear a good looking watch, so I've got the Bvgari on. I like nice looking, comfortable shoes, hence the Bruno Magli loafers. And I enjoy playing pool with a pretty cue stick, so I'll be pulling the custom Gina out of the custom alligator Whitten later today. On the other hand, I don't care much about cars so I drive a Nissan.

It's whatever floats your boat and my choice in cues does not make me blind to the issues of stroke and the playability of different cues. But it does make me happy, so go pound sand :-)

Lou Figueroa
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Also quoted for truth.

On a side note: I, too, have a watch problem. :D

Josh
 
qbilder said:
...The only reason to say things like that is to belittle those who buy nice stuff, and make them feel stupid for it. Why else say it? It's classic psychology 101. ...
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Another reason is that when you are a borrower, you get a bit of consistancy from house cues, as opposed to uning loaners all the time.

I was a long time off the waller.
 
Johnnyt said:
You can have a $5000 cue that hits a ton:rolleyes:, the right glue on the tip, a 10th generation LDS, a super duper 27 layered tip, and any other of the bells and whistles on it/ in it and if you don't have a good smooth straight stroke it won't matter one bit. Some of the best feeling cues for me came off the poolroom wall. I just had to get that out. I feel better now. Thank you. Johnnyt
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I like nice things and I know a fancy cue won't make a difference in my ability to run balls, but i'd rather play with a nice cue than a plain jane and that's the only reason I own a couple of nice cues. My main playing cue is a wrapless Jacoby cue that wouldn't make a down payment on my Ed Prewitt cue, but it pockets balls as good or better than the Ed Prewitt cue. Fancy cues are like jewelry. You don't have to wear jewelry, but it makes you feel good and that's the way I feel about a fancy jazzed up cue. A plain jane is all you need, but it's not as much fun for me.

James
 
Johnnyt said:
You can have a $5000 cue that hits a ton:rolleyes:, the right glue on the tip, a 10th generation LDS, a super duper 27 layered tip, and any other of the bells and whistles on it/ in it and if you don't have a good smooth straight stroke it won't matter one bit. Some of the best feeling cues for me came off the poolroom wall. I just had to get that out. I feel better now. Thank you. Johnnyt
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Johnny,

You're so right. Last night I played off the wall and played very well, had a great time too and I have a few high dollar cues I often play with.

I wonder how many golfers will play "off the rack" with some wooden drivers etc and still play to their handicap?
 
Cue Baby yeah

There is nothing like a cue that melts in your hands and disappears.
This can be accomplished faster with a cue that is well suited for a particular person's body (body mechanics) and style of game. This also can be accomplished with a custom a lot easier, but here is the kicker the person has to know what they are asking for so they can tune the cue for themselves.
House cues can be fine, but you have to fade the cracked ferrules, warpage, dings, roughness, tip shape, .....etc. By the time you find one that passes it's time to go back to work!
 
Johnnyt said:
You can have a $5000 cue that hits a ton:rolleyes:, the right glue on the tip, a 10th generation LDS, a super duper 27 layered tip, and any other of the bells and whistles on it/ in it and if you don't have a good smooth straight stroke it won't matter one bit. Some of the best feeling cues for me came off the poolroom wall. I just had to get that out. I feel better now. Thank you. Johnnyt
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But what if I have a $5000 cue that hits a ton with all the bells and whistles AND have a good, smooth, straight stroke? I'm pretty sure I could beat you and your house cue. Just sayin...
 
I think people should just respect each other's choice of equipment and call it a day.

If you want to go big then go big. If you want to go cheap, then go cheap. Just make it a 'good' cheap :)

My main thing is don't scare off the new folks who ask you about your cue. I have inexperienced players comment on my cue all the time. First question is usually, 'What brand is it/Who makes it?'. The Next question is usually, 'What does it cost?'. Depending on the situation I will usually give answers to both questions, but I always follow up with, "The great thing about pool is that you can spend as little or as much as you want on your cue and equipment." Give them some examples of decent cues for $50, or so, dollars and let them know that the sky is the limit from there...

To the OP, Good post.

J.
 
hunger strike said:
I don't want the worry of an expensive cue making me apprehensive while playing, that can interfere with my focus on shooting technique and stratety. Especially playing on bar tables that have metal scraping castings and edges. The best hitting cue I ever played with was an old ebony house cue that came with an awful 1950s Irving Kaye coin op. I played so well with it that a guy broke it in half and stuck the butt in the ground like a tombstone, trying to kill my game. That got him nowhere. But an expensive cue CAN play well. All pieces of wood are different, and they are unaware of their cost then they hit a ball. I really do like that old saying on the above post, "It's the Indian, not the arrow." But sometimes it's both. It sure was with that ebony house cue. I miss it.
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch....
The Lone Ranger is lookin' at Corey and Efren and sayin'.....
.."I think we can beat these guys at partner 8-ball."
And Tonto says....
.."Waddiya mean WE, whiteman?"
 
Celtic said:
Eric Clapton chooses to make better sounding music on high end custom guitars though. Just sayin.
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Back in "the day" the blues musicians used to poke holes in their amplifiers speaker paper with pocket knives to achieve what they call a "dirty" sound. Imagine doin' that today with a $5,000 Marshall stack :yikes:???

Just sayin'.

Maniac
 
It's all a matter of perdeption and personal feel...

The right cue in the right hands is a Stradivarius regardless of it's make, cost, etc - for that person. Depending on the player, a $5,000 cue can be a piece of firewood and a $100 cue can be a magic wand - or the other way around. It's all about what's right for you.
 
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