Comparing these to builders, and for that matter most top builders is pointless. Value, wait times, etc, are basically pointless. Just because one has a long list, or can't work as fast means nothing. Price means NOTHING, ask some folks who dropped some fairly serious coin on a Zinzola lately...
At the end of the day, it's all preference. My Roman Alexander cue is NOT for sale. If I was offered $20k for it, I would turn it down, and not think twice. It plays perfect for what I like, it's beautiful to ME, and it was completed the same day my son was born. To me there is no other cue in the world better, even my new one. It's retired now, and will be waiting for my son when he gets older.
^^^All of the above is well and good, but it will mean almost NOTHING to 90% of the people that read it. Does it means that it's better than any BB, Herceck, Gina, Searing etc? does it means it's not as nice as them? NO. It's all about the guy you ask.
The long and short of it is this. I have seen Hercecks I would take over -R-'s and vice versa. There is really no good way to compare them. They are both masters in their own right, and the only thing you can compare are individual aspects, which will very from cue to cue. Price, playability, execution, wait times, etc. No need to make an argument about which is better. I'd lay $100 that if you ask either of the builders about the other, you will get the same answer... "Yea, I know him. He builds a very nice cue." And that's about it....
All the best,
Justin