Difference between Predator butt and Others.

[Hustlin-Felice]

I have owned a variety of cues and after market shafts. In my experience, the principle impact the butt has on play is the *feel* of the hit, and the balance. The material of the joint and the pin itself can have quite an impact on balance and hit. My personal preference is a flat faced wood to wood joint with a large pin. For me I really love the feel of a G10 pin, and I guess 3/8-10 is my favorite. I have had cues with the Uni-Loc joint (which your Lucasi almost certainly has). I must say that I am not a big fan. I find that joint to feel "clanky", for lack of a better word. That being said, I took one of my cues out of retirement...a 2000 "Sneaky Sam" by Samsara. It is basically one of their early plain jane, all black cues. Not cored. It has a Uni-Loc joint. I lent the cue to a good friend of mine. She is using the 314-2 shaft I had for it. I must say that might be one of the best hitting cues I've ever tried. I simply can't believe how good it plays. However, I really think this is the exception to the rule. I currently play with an Andy Gilbert wrapless, amboynia burl handle and points on ebony. I use a 4" extension made by Mike Webb, which is basically a maple piece with a thin phenolic sleeve over it, and a G10 pin. I use an OB Classic shaft, 3/8-10 joint. I LOVE my cue so much. It is perfect for me. Now this is the part that might interest you:

When I first got my Gilbert, I had been playing with a different Samsara butt with that 314-2 shaft my friend is using now. The cue played nice for sure. When I got the Gilbert, which I bought with a 314-2 shaft that Andy put the joint in, OMG my game seriously went up. That cue played so much better...it just gave me such a clearer feel for the cue ball. The *deflection* was pretty much exactly the same. The difference was all about the hit and the feel. Plus, my cue is so gorgeous, and it didn't hurt owning something beautiful that I loved and designed myself. All those factors contributed to a better overall result for me.

So shorter answer: You may gain some benefit by trying a butt with a different kind of joint...it simply may suit your style and preferences in hit and feel. Your Lucasi butt is made with good enough quality that it should work just as well as any Predator butt. Honestly I doubt the difference in feel would be anywhere near the difference of changing joints. I would grab a 314-2 (if your thinking Predator..for me I'm VERY happy with OB, I'd do the OB Classic pro), and just put it on your Lucasi butt. The accuracy and deflection will be as good as any Predator. So yes, select your shaft based on how it plays, how much deflection you want. For LD shafts, they are generally very consistent in play from one to the next of the same brand and model. Solid wood shafts vary much more, and each one will be unique. Select the butt based on looks, feel (wrap or no, balance, joint type), and HIT (kinda the same as feel). Don't worry that you will get more or less. Generally this is NOT the case.

Hope this helps,

KMRUNOUT

Thank you for your answer so much. It brought me a light, and opened my mind for a other brands, and joints.
As you saying, I will buy for myself a LD shaft from predator. And then in future buy a butt based on how it hits, feels and looks
Thank you one more time.

But folks, I'm still busy thinking is the difference between Z-2 and 314-2 so big like it is showed (or I looking on it) ?
I asking because, today when I played, I took my break cue with 14 mm tip and I compared with my playing cue with 12.75 mm tip.
And to be honest it wasn't a huge (atleast optical) difference between them. And that is 1.25mm, while bt. Z-2 vs 314-2 is 1mm.


So is it a drastic difference in shooting, can it cost a inconvenience in game, can I miscue much more often, or it is just a matter of getting use to it ?

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

You will get the best weighted cue. They give every single cue the attention for balancing weight evenly. Production cue companies can't give every cue the attention it deserves. Wood weights vary among the same species. They use various systems to quickly put it to near 0.5 oz increments. An low deflection shaft will weigh less than most solid cues, especially at the tip end. Custom cue makers will figure this into the equation when building your cue. It will feel more natural. And it will also retain it's value, if you choose the right CM.

I agree with this sentiment. I love the Predator shafts and have been using them for 15 years now. I'm done with their butts. I had a P2 butt that warped pretty significantly. For a cue that retails for about $900, that's pretty disappointing. There are a lot of handmade cues out there in that price range and that's simply not a problem you're going to encounter once every piece of wood is inspected and crafted by an actual person. I'm using a Schon now and after five years of use, it still looks like I got it yesterday and I'm not exactly gentle with it.

 

[LuckyStroke]

Z2 and 3142

The difference is not just the diameter but the taper as well. And 1mm is a HUGE difference. I shoot with a standard maple shaft at 12.6mm. I was at a friends house and tried to shoot with his z2 and couldn't hit the cue ball to save my life. Couldn't make a shot either. I'm not saying it must be garbage if i couldn't make a ball it is just very very different than what I play with. I did look into a 3142 at one time but I didn't like the ferrule and changing the ferrule voids the warranty so I decided against it.

 

[hwd2]

You will notice it when you try one.. I bought my first predator about ten years ago, and haven't even considered any else brands after that..

 

[AlexandruM]

But folks, I'm still busy thinking is the difference between Z-2 and 314-2 so big like it is showed (or I looking on it) ?
I asking because, today when I played, I took my break cue with 14 mm tip and I compared with my playing cue with 12.75 mm tip.
And to be honest it wasn't a huge (atleast optical) difference between them. And that is 1.25mm, while bt. Z-2 vs 314-2 is 1mm.

So is it a drastic difference in shooting, can it cost a inconvenience in game, can I miscue much more often, or it is just a matter of getting use to it ?

When I shot with Z2 I didn't feel much difference, I liked the shaft, however I'm using TOI so I shoot 99% of my shot close to center on cueball.
If you already have a 12.75 mm shaft, than go to a Z2 you'll get use to it, if no you could resell it.

PS When I changed from my standard 13.mm maple Joss standard shaft to a Predator 314/2 I didn't feel a dramatically improvement. Yes the Predator is better, but no huge difference.

 

[riedmich]

... But folks, I'm still busy thinking is the difference between Z-2 and 314-2 so big like it is showed (or I looking on it) ?
I asking because, today when I played, I took my break cue with 14 mm tip and I compared with my playing cue with 12.75 mm tip.
And to be honest it wasn't a huge (atleast optical) difference between them. And that is 1.25mm, while bt. Z-2 vs 314-2 is 1mm.


So is it a drastic difference in shooting, can it cost a inconvenience in game, can I miscue much more often, or it is just a matter of getting use to it ?

Play center ball and the differences are pretty small. BUT play others than center ball, and have fun trying different shafts, or thinking 14 mm plays like 12,75 mm. ;-)