New Cue Makers?

[NevadaP]

Have a look at John Chaplin of Coos Cues. Go to https://rumble.com/c/c-1297894 to have a look at his videos, which are entertaining and informative. Or www.cooscues.com.
John keeps a low profile and only builds a few cues per year. It is not his primary occupation. But his work is genuine art, and the cues are solid.

Happy to pm to you photos of my two from John if you're interested.

 

[RDeca]

Maybe, maybe not. Most pros these days couldn't care less about custom cues. They want a functional tool and that's it. Even if they were buying all they'd order would be sneakies and the most basic mw players.

I agree pros don't give a shit as long as it's straight and solid. When u hit thousand(s) of balls a day. They just need something consistent that makes them money.

 

[Cornerman]

I agree pros don't give a shit as long as it's straight and solid. When u hit thousand(s) of balls a day. They just need something consistent that makes them money.

You say that, yet Alex just showed the world that he uses different cues for different setups. Efren has been known to go through every shaft in his case to get the one that he wants to play with that particular match. I remember seeing Ralph’s and Santos’s cues. They were spectacular, custom cues.

 

[7stud]

Some of the Up and Coming cuemakers of just a couple years ago are some of the best in the business today like Astle and Cohen.

We’ll see in a couple of months who the “new kids” are at SBE.

Fo me, this brings up the question: what is a custom cuemaker? If you can't order the cue with your specs, is the cuemaker a custom cue maker? There seems to be a spectrum of custom cue makers: for some cue makers you can order any spec and any wood and any design. For other cuemakers, your choices are more limited. For instance, I read an article about Haley cues, and it said each of his cues is unique, i.e. you can't see a Haley cue you like and order it. For some reason, I don't consider a cue maker who won't make a cue with your specs to be as talented as a cue maker that will. In my narrow uneducated opinion, a good custom cue maker needs to have the tooling and knowledge to make cues with a wide variety of specifications, e.g. different lengths, varying butt sizes, requested balance, stiff v. soft hit, etc. And, they have to have the artistic talent to make cues that appeal to you and have good craftsmanship, e.g. sharp and even points, windows with mitered corners that line up perfectly, etc. If I'm not mistaken, there aren't many fully custom cue makers: most have a certain hit they build for, and some only build to certain specs.

I emailed one expensive, well regarded custom cuemaker, and I asked them if they were taking orders, and if they were, I asked for an estimate of cost and completion date. I sent them several pictures of the cue I wanted made. A couple of years ago, a seller on facebook listed the cue for sale, and I contacted the seller about buying it. Unfortunately, it had two issues for me: no bumper and the butt was too thin. So, I asked if I could have that cue made with the addition of a bumper and the butt having a diameter of 1.29-1.30 inches...and the cuemaker went ballistic (my interpretation):

As far as the diameter your asking for, where on the cue ? The tip, the joint, mid butt, the butt cap ?????? Write out a full description of what you’d like built and mail it to us.

Geeze, I sent them several very sharp photographs of the cue I wanted made, but they needed a written description just because I asked for a 1.29" butt? Of course, the cuemaker knew photographs were better than a description, but I guess because I dared to ask for my spec on the butt, they were unwilling to build the cue for me, so they put up some impossible to jump through hoops for me to negotiate.

 

[RDeca]

You say that, yet Alex just showed the world that he uses different cues for different setups. Efren has been known to go through every shaft in his case to get the one that he wants to play with that particular match. I remember seeing Ralph’s and Santos’s cues. They were spectacular, custom cues.

I'll use different cues for different setups too. But. I believe alot of that is in my and their head. Players can and will adjust.

They are trying to adjust the cue to the conditions instead of their stroke...they do this because it's an option at their disposal
. If they had one cue...I still believe they'd adjust and play fine.

 

[RDeca]

there aren't many fully custom cue makers: most have a certain hit they build for, and some only build to certain specs.

Most won't change alot of specs. Some have their joint diameter their pin they like for whatever reason. Their but diameter. Their shaft taper And they won't change it.

Some won't use certain woods.
Some only use cored wood.
Some only do short splice cues.(Some don't even do that and have some other maker doing the work.)
Some only use inlaid points.
Different construction methods.
Their is no standard on cuemaking.

But every cue maker builds their cue ,their way , that hits a ton if u ask them.

 

[7stud]

According to my opinion, I accept that a custom maker uses their preferred pin and builds for a certain hit but when they can't/won't build a cue to my spec either because of lack of tooling or knowledge, then I have a lower opinion of their skill, and to me their cues tend to be more of a production cue. With a production cue, you can't specify the butt diameter, so if the custom cue maker won't let me specify my spec for the butt diameter, then it just seems like a production cue to me.

 

[Fatboy]

Seems like most pros are playing with production cues that anyone can order and afford and you don't wait 2 years. I think the custom cue maker may be a dying art.

Pro’s are .000063728% of the cue market.

They are insignificant. However I do agree that custom cues don’t have the allure they once had, as production cues have improved a lot in the last 20 years.

 

[middleofnowhere]

Pro’s are .000063728% of the cue market.

They are insignificant. However I do agree that custom cues don’t have the allure they once had, as production cues have improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Readly available cues that are good quality is big. That waiting forever for a cue can be discouraging. Not to mention the price. Today you can order a good playing cue for maybe $600.00 range and it is in your hands in a few weeks. This is a move forward for pool. A golfer, tennis player, fisherman has no problem getting equipment, why should pool be so different.

 

[7stud]

Pro’s are .000063728% of the cue market.

They are insignificant. However I do agree that custom cues don’t have the allure they once had, as production cues have improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Wait. What?! Custom cues are a siren song, and I have to lash myself to the mast to keep myself from jumping overboard and swimming ashore.

 

[Coos Cues]

Fo me, this brings up the question: what is a custom cuemaker? If you can't order the cue with your specs, is the cuemaker a custom cue maker? There seems to be a spectrum of custom cue makers: for some cue makers you can order any spec and any wood and any design. For other cuemakers, your choices are more limited. For instance, I read an article about Haley cues, and it said each of his cues is unique, i.e. you can't see a Haley cue you like and order it. For some reason, I don't consider a cue maker who won't make a cue with your specs to be as talented as a cue maker that will. In my narrow uneducated opinion, a good custom cue maker needs to have the tooling and knowledge to make cues with a wide variety of specifications, e.g. different lengths, varying butt sizes, requested balance, stiff v. soft hit, etc. And, they have to have the artistic talent to make cues that appeal to you and have good craftsmanship, e.g. sharp and even points, windows with mitered corners that line up perfectly, etc. If I'm not mistaken, there aren't many fully custom cue makers: most have a certain hit they build for, and some only build to certain specs.

I emailed one expensive, well regarded custom cuemaker, and I asked them if they were taking orders, and if they were, I asked for an estimate of cost and completion date. I sent them several pictures of the cue I wanted made. A couple of years ago, a seller on facebook listed the cue for sale, and I contacted the seller about buying it. Unfortunately, it had two issues for me: no bumper and the butt was too thin. So, I asked if I could have that cue made with the addition of a bumper and the butt having a diameter of 1.29-1.30 inches...and the cuemaker went ballistic (my interpretation):



Geeze, I sent them several very sharp photographs of the cue I wanted made, but they needed a written description just because I asked for a 1.29" butt? Of course, the cuemaker knew photographs were better than a description, but I guess because I dared to ask for my spec on the butt, they were unwilling to build the cue for me, so they put up some impossible to jump through hoops for me to negotiate.

I would have sent you back your deposit half way through this post.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

Most cuemakers, have there own specs thay like to stick too.even though it means custom, It quite a rare thing, that any one asks for a thicker diameter. Or an extra long cue for example. I Found, if I asked around enough, some one would say yes.
No good, just asking one guy.
Gone are the days, when pros using different customs. I always remember Marcus chamat. Using joey gold cognoscenti cue. No name on his shirt. How ever he got it. He used it, because he wanted too.

 

[dendweller]

If you can't order the cue with your specs, is the cuemaker a custom cue maker?

I think custom means "not production" as in, your getting a cue that most likely won't be duplicated for another buyer.

 

[measureman]

I think custom means "not production" as in, your getting a cue that most likely won't be duplicated for another buyer.

Chris Byrne said he never makes the same design twice.

 

[SSP]

With the rise in players using CF is where the decline in custom cues is, just like guitars, it used to be a status symbol to have a custom guitar, you are lucky if anyone even plays guitar anymore, same with cues, Pro's don't care what it looks like, they want a consistent cue they can depend on, there is a beauty in that all it's own

 

[KAP1976]

The flip side of the "pros don't care about custom" argument is maybe custom makers grew tired of these guys getting a free cue, selling it the minute they got in a bind then hitting up the cue maker for another wand and just stopped doing it.

 

[measureman]

The flip side of the "pros don't care about custom" argument is maybe custom makers grew tired of these guys getting a free cue, selling it the minute they got in a bind then hitting up the cue maker for another wand and just stopped doing it.

A pro that plays with a $3000 custom isn't going to attract the sales volume that playing with a $500 cue will.
Bobby Bar Banger is not going to spend a couple thousand on a custom cue,but will spend 3 or 5 hundred for an xyz production cue.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

A pro that plays with a $3000 custom isn't going to attract the sales volume that playing with a $500 cue will.
Bobby Bar Banger is not going to spend a couple thousand on a custom cue,but will spend 3 or 5 hundred for an xyz production cue.

Another thing too, on that. Once you know 500 or 600 dollar custom will play same as a 3000 dollar cue. Then it comes down to materials, desgin and the name.
Even taking the shafts out of it. Which, most guys want a production one. predator, jacoby, cuetec most will have there favourite.
It still is an art form, and There will always, be a new the generation, coming through,
That build up a following.

 

[Joegolf]

All of them would order custom if they didn't get paid to play with those factory cues.

Absolutely correct. Well said. I pay no attention to things like “more pros play Predators than any other cue.” And a high percentage of them wear bras and that won’t get me to buy a bra either. Just a guy thing for me.

 

[gbs52]

All of them would order custom if they didn't get paid to play with those factory cues.

Also Joey, I don’t know for sure but I highly doubt if a single one is playing with one that came off the production line.