Art vs Playability

[HawaiianEye]

I see a lot of discussions/arguments on here about CNC points vs sharp points...inlays vs plain janes...etc., which leads me to this post.

I guess I'm not a real "art" fanatic...I'm more of a "get the best tool and get the job done" kind of guy.

There are many cue makers who can make some fancy cues that are really decorative and showy, but I have always been attracted to cues that play good...not necessarily look good.

I have had custom cues made for me by Richard Black which were simple 4-pointers or merry widow style and they were super players. Even though Richard Black has made some of the most extravagant cues ever made, I've never had a desire to own one of his "art pieces"...even if I could afford it. The same thing goes for any of the "fancy" cues I see on here every day made by others.

Some will say that the fancy cues play as well as the "work horses", but that has never enticed me to buy one. Maybe my taste is a bit too simple, but a "plain", "classic" 4-point looks beautiful to me and even the most elaborate cues don't catch my attention as well as a simple Balabushka or Szamboti. I think maybe the reason is that I consider those the "work horse" cues that get the job done...they aren't wall ornaments that people just collect and trade but never get played.

I'm not a cue maker, a wood worker, and anything of the sort, but I have played for 45 years and I know a when a cue is a "player" instead of a "looker". The discussions on here about hit and feel are subjective and everyone has their own preferences, but when I hit a ball with a cue that is "in tune" with my stroke and game, I know that cue is a "work horse".

Trying to describe what you want a cue to play like, resonate like, and hit like is very, very hard to do. In my opinion, it takes a cue maker who is a well above average player to understand what exactly a player wants when he orders a cue.

Anybody can go into a cue maker's shop and say build a cue to "look like this", but whether the cue then becomes a "work horse" or another "looker" in the display case is another question.

How many of you prefer playing cues over looking cues?

 

[SpiderWebComm]

The art is in the hit....Lambros cues.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[thommy]

I've always wanted a cue that wasn't as good looking as my game . . .





easy to find on any bar rack

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

I recently got a JD cue that is a little fancier. 4 high and 4 low points, some notched diamonds and veneered window boxes in the butt sleeve that I have always wanted. It does have a bit of bling to it and I am now satisfied that I have one.

I am with you one the plain janes tho. Most of mine are either nice sneakies
or plain 4 pointers with plain butt sleeves. That has always been my preference.

My current player and will always be close is a cheap merry widow EBay cue
that came in well under $100. I refinished it with a pin change and a new wrap. It plays amazingly well. Maybe I just got lucky.
The shaft I matched to it has a European taper, nice stiff hit. Its uglier than sin with sugar marks all over but man, who cares, I just spin the shaft so I don't have to see them.

 

[thommy]

We used to laugh at the guys with the $100 cue and the $10 game.

I've always remembered that . . with my 10 cent game

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

I agree with the idea that a cue is a tool first and foremost. I do appreciate the artistic creativity some makers put into their work. Keep in mind though, that the masters in cue making build superb players no matter how plain or fancy they are. The great ones all earned their reputations based on how their cues play, not on how they look.

Art versus playability? I wouldn't buy a fancy cue that didn't have both.

 

[DavidMNienow]

As a player/collector the first thing that I notice about any cue is its artistic design. After all it cant really be helped. A cue's design either attracts your initial interest or it does not. But first and foremost to a player is to judge the playability of a cue. I have bought cues for their design alone, when I wasnt able to test shoot the specific cue before hand. That was a Canadian made Falcon. Playability wise it shot ok. But it did not become a regular player for me. I used to sell alot of Novas in the past. And consequently shot a lot of them, and what I learned was that I would take any Nova, anytime, that would be offered to me. They all play great. Those were great well made cues when they were available. I have simple design cues that play very well, and I have cues that are very fancy that play very well. The best shooting cues in my collection all sit in my primary cue case. And everything else that I rate lower for playability sit in my collection not getting used very much. But I still keep them because I enjoy the design in those given cues.

You gotta love the playability of a cue first because thats essential to your game. But when you can find a cue that rocks your world for its playability and at the same that you can be pleased with its artistic design, then I consider that the best situation to be in.

 

[dr9ball]

How many of you prefer playing cues over looking cues?

Honestly, I think you can have both. My two favorite cues are my Mike Bender and my Jim Buss. Both are fairly ornate/ have artistic elements in them and they are the best hitting cues I've ever played with.

I have a Richard Black, my wife got it for my 40th birthday present. It's a very nice cue. It plays ok but not as good as the Bender and Buss cues.

If I were asked to give my opinion, I would say buy what you like, get the hit you desire that has the design you want at a price you can afford and don't worry about what anyone else says about resale value or anything else. After all it's your cue. I say this because I play with all of my cues and I each of them.

 

[measureman]

I am not a cue collector.
So the way a cue plays is the most important thing for me,but I do like a good looking cue.

 

[Diamond69]

Cues are like finding a date. First you find one you're attracted to, then you get to know her better. You know your preferences to get you started (blonde, brunette, etc) same as with the cue (maker, joint type, etc). And if you really love her (the cue), you will overlook any blemishes and adjust to the quirks.

 

[barboxbanks]

I've always wondered the same. Don't get me wrong though I'd like to be able to drop bills on custom cues like it's going out of style but then again I am an art geek. I do prefer sneaky pete's or plain janes to play with though as I'm a little hesitant to wip out a $2,000 cue to play with.

All of this makes me think of that new J. Pechauer line of cues with inlay's into the shafts. One would think that WOULD effect playability, but I'm not expert.

 

[Jodacus]

Best player

Beauty and play ability are not mutually exclusive. Having said that I play with the least attractive cue I own. Like most people my preferences, though not obvious, are pretty specific so when I find a cue with the right combination of things I try it. How it looks is secondary to how it plays.

Given a choice I would rather play with a plainer (read cheaper) cue than an ornate one but an ornate eye grabber will be my player if I like it best.

I could not care less what the people in the room think about my choice of cue to play with. The knowledgeable folks won't care and the wanna' be's don't know.

 

[DASHZNT]

I use a few cues just like my cars, It depends on where I'm at. I have a couple cues custom made and play almost identical, one is around $6K and the other around $750, which is a sneaky pete. If I'm in a "seedy" room, I use that one and if I'm somewhere where I'm comfortable with friends that I trust, then I use the other one. Same goes for cars, I'd rather drive my jeep to a crappy pool hall cuz they're usually not in the best hoods and my nicer cars to areas more safer.

 

[CMD]

How many of you prefer playing cues over looking cues?

Why can't a cue be both? Here are my cues and ALL get played with.

Beautiful veneer work:

Non CNC inlays:

Incredible ringwork:

Incredibly figured wood:

 

[RRfireblade]

Its lilely that the cue in the game of pool has thee least impact on a persons performance of any sport requiring a piece of gear. At its absolute best, its indifferent. Meaning that the 'hit' of a cue, whether good or bad, is completely irrelevant and equal in effect to the mear apparence alone.

What's left and is totally subjective is the mental impact either can have. Being that the mental side of any activity can have great impact on an individuals ability to perform and that that mental benifit can come equally from the feel, appearance or even the price tag of any given cue, then one would have to conclude that appearance and playability are neither more important than any other attribute.

 

[SCCues]

Playing cue?

I've tried different style cues for my main playing cue. Plain janes with no points or inlays and others with points, veneers, and some inlays and I always got bored playing with a plain jane cue. I like the looks of a nice cue with points, veneers, trim rings, and some inlays (not too fancy) and that's the style cue I like to play with. I don't feel comfortable playing with a real fancy expensive cue and i've owned a couple and they ended up being closet queens sitting in a case in the closet because I was afraid something would happen to them that would affect the resale value. I sold the more expensive cues I owned and I didn't miss them since I didn't play with them anyway. My playing cue isn't a cheap cue, but i'm comfortable playing with it and I don't have any plans to sell it.

James

 

[bbb]

how many of you prefer playing cues over looking cues?

playing cue hands down

 

[bbb]

playing cue hands down

i think there are 2 schools
the collectors who want the art
and the players who want the performance
there is no right or wrong
however
it just so happens that many of the collectable art cues are made by cuemakers who also make the best players
so for me the answer is
buy a less fancy cue from upper level cuemaker and you can never go wrong
you wont lose much if any money on resale and you get a great player
jmho
icbw

 

[JoseV]

Cues are like mullets business in the front the shaft ferrule tip. And party in the back the butt end Inlays and everything else

 

[HawaiianEye]

Why can't a cue be both? Here are my cues and ALL get played with.

Beautiful veneer work:

Non CNC inlays:

Incredible ringwork:

Incredibly figured wood:

Those, sir, are the type of cues I like. They are "players" and have the "classic" look that I prefer. I wouldn't consider them "artsy" cues because they aren't overly inlayed or what some would consider "too fancy".

Wish I had those cues because they are real beauties.