Playability: Production Cues vs Custom Cues

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ktrepal85

Banned
Of course all cues are different but lets speak generally:

If you take two average cues of the same value, one custom and one production which would play better?

I know custom cues are worth a lot more because they are unique and usually better looking but I'm not sure about playability.

It seems that a production cue which has been manufactured perfectly would play much better. Plus it seems like most pros use production cues and they are more focused on playability than looks.

What do you think?
 
I believe somebody once said "It's the Indian not the arrow." I do just fine with my entry level Joss. Tried different shafts with it and went back to my original shaft. Have hit customs but I would still have to play with any custom a long time before I was as comfortable with it as I am with my Joss.
 
Depends on the custom/production maker. For example, a Meucci valued at 500 bucks will not stand up to most custom cues at the same price in my opinion. However, a Mezz valued at 500 bucks would be arguably of the same, if not better quality, than many custom cues of the same value. I'd say the same goes for OB and select other production companies who do very clean work.

Pros play with production cues because they get paid to IMO. You'll probably notice many of the guys with no contract with a cue company play with a custom. Seems like a lot of the Filipinos like Diviney cues, the Taiwanese play with Southwests, a lot of Asian players like Lambros cues, etc.
 
ktrepal85 said:
Of course all cues are different but lets speak generally:

If you take two average cues of the same value, one custom and one production which would play better?

I know custom cues are worth a lot more because they are unique and usually better looking but I'm not sure about playability.

It seems that a production cue which has been manufactured perfectly would play much better. Plus it seems like most pros use production cues and they are more focused on playability than looks.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

It's hard to know what cue a Pro would pick because many are sponsored by a company. I have not bought something or though something was good just because someone was using it as long as I can remember.

A good production cue will have just about as good materials and probably construction as many custom cues. I'm sure there are things like sharp points and other features that cuemakers make that makes them special (Lambros joint for example or Samsara wood designs), but on the basic fact if you can make a ball with it, good production cue would equal any custom cue.
 
Meh, no difference.

I've played great pool with my Sly, Staceys, Freys, Zachow, Olivier, Peppers.

I've played well with borrowed Scruggs, -R-s, Jacobys, Tuckers, Callalucas, SWs, Cogs, Bluds, etc..

I've also played well with an old adam PJ (very warped), Malis, Dufferins, Schmelkes, Vikings, Joss, Schons, etc..

As long as it is basically cue shaped and has a tip which will hold chalk I am confident I can play well with it.
 
On the issue of playability it does not make any difference in my opinion if the cue is a custom or a production cue. Playability of a cue comes from the combination of the quality of construction, and the quality of materials. If given the same value price point for buying a cue and given the opportunity to test shoot a number of cues from custom makers and production companies of that price point u will find that certain cues will feel better to u as a player from both categories.

So at that point u as a cue buyer need to determine what's more important, the quality of feel u get from a cue no matter the name of the cue maker or its design. Or the name of the cuemaker, the design of the cue, and its collectibility.

For me the quality of construction, materials and feel I get from the cue will always rule over everything else because I am concerned more about improving my performance as a player. And I want the cue that is going to assist me in delivering my max performance.

Bearing all that in mind, I have a $400 McDermott Dubliner cue that plays awesome for me, and plays just as well as a $2500 Phillippi cue that I also play with. Thus u dont have to spend gobs of money to get a great hitting cue. But it does help to learn what combination of cue materials and design construction give u the kind of hit and feel that u like best. And learning that requires shooting with a wide variety of cues.

If u have no concern to collect cues for their collector value, their art value, the cuemaker name, and the only concern is a good quality well constructed cue that will help u to assist in improving your playing performance then buying a cue from any of the leading production/custom shops such as McDermott, Viking, Joss, Pechauer, Jacoby, or Schon will fill your buying and playing needs easily.

And anyone that tries to downgrade your buying decision in favor of some famous name cuemaker, tell them to *@$K *^F. Its your money and its your game that your concerned with, not theirs.
 
Most of the "hit" of the cue is in the tip (75%+)
Much of what is left is in the ferrule (15%)
leaving only about 10% for the combination of the {shaft, joint, butt}

Much of the playability of the shaft is dependent on the size of the tip (10.5mm to 14mm) and on the kind of taper in the shaft {stiff to whippy}

Given that any good cue repair person can change the ferrules and all of them can change tips; it becomes obvious that your question cannot be answered with any fidelity.
 
IMHO, there is NO difference...assuming both cues are built solid.

There are SO MANY different things (weight, material, balance...etc...etc...etc) that make each cue different that there is NO WAY you can really say one is better than the other.

It is all personal preference.

I have played pool for close to 50 years and I have had and played with numerous cues, both production and custom and EVERY cue played DIFFERENT. I'm not saying one played better than the other...I'm saying they played DIFFERENT. Even the same type of cues made by the same maker will play differently.

My suggestion is to play with a LOT of cues until you find what you like. Then, when you find that cue, STAY WITH IT! No matter who made it or whether you like the color, etc. etc. etc.

If you can't run at least a couple racks pretty consistently, then the cue ISN'T your problem. If you can run rack upon rack, the cue ISN'T your problem...YOU DON"T HAVE A PROBLEM.

Find something you like and LEARN IT. Quit experimenting every week and trying to learn all the new fads.

My two cents worth.

Aloha.
 
Playability is subjective. And a good playing cue can be found in either custom or production (given a certain level of quality). The more important thing to be looking at is how each holds their value. And this also will depend on maker of both production and custom cues.
 
ktrepal85 said:
What do you think?
Click to expand...


I do fine with a house cue.
The biggest reason I started buying cues in the first place was so I'd have something consistent in my hands.
With the house cues it was always one thing after the other and a different feel from one night to the next.

So I started looking into getting my own cue, this was back in the 80's, and I just so happened to buy a Schon cue because I liked it the most of the ones I tried, still use it almost every day.

I've always felt if you find a good one piece house cue it's going to be extremely difficult if not impossible to get a cue that feels better. Much of that is because I'm just very used to them.

At times, not often, I play house cues still today and always have a scuffer in my car.

This may be the biggest reason I hate LD shafts.
 
I've played with both, and been very happy with both. It's a matter of personal preference. Just because it's a custom doesn't make it great, and just because it's a production doesn't mean it's bad.
 
Your question cannot be definitively answered, and since your question has been asked before, try a search. The reply's will be the same as what you're getting now. :smile:
 
Hands down.....the custom cue............a production cue is made en masse and a custom cue gets a lot more attention from the cue-maker.......the more attention and hands on involvement a cue receives from a cue-maker during the construction, I tend to believe that the final result turns out a little better.......especially when it comes to cue specs........production cues aren't built to the same exactness and there can also be too much reliance upon a weight bolt to build the requested cue weight.........Nope, custom cues should and generally do "feel" better to the pool cue owner but keep in mind there are lemons that pop up from time to time with any cue-maker.......the best cue-makers strive to not let those cues reach the public's hands but it does happen occasionally.
 
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Bavafongoul said:
The custom....a production cue is made en masse.......a custom cue gets more attention from the cue-maker.......the more attention and hands on involvement a cue receives from a cue-maker during the construction, well, I tend to believe that the final result turns out a little better.......especially when it comes to cue specs........production cues aren't built to the same exactness and too much reliance upon a weight bolt to hit the mark........Nope, custom cues should and generally do "feel" better to the pool cue owner but keep in mind there are lemons that pop up from time to time with any cue-maker.......the best cue-makers do their best to not let those cues reach the public's hands but it does happen occasionally.
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You would think so, but such is not the case. Were you to take a poll of professional level players you would find that they play with the Schon cue more than any other, which, as we know, is a production cue.
Also, there is no magic that is passed from the hands of the custom cue maker into the cue he builds. Quality cues are quality cues no matter where they come from. :smile:
 
ktrepal85 said:
Of course all cues are different but lets speak generally:

If you take two average cues of the same value, one custom and one production which would play better?

I know custom cues are worth a lot more because they are unique and usually better looking but I'm not sure about playability.

It seems that a production cue which has been manufactured perfectly would play much better. Plus it seems like most pros use production cues and they are more focused on playability than looks.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
The one with the better woods and better made .
 
I nominate this thread for the 'worst info ever' award.

I pity the poor newbie who googles for advice about cues and is directed to this drivel.
 
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