Avant is the newest offering from Mezz Japan, which is sold as butt only. It was released with the United joint about a year ago, the Wavy2 joint version followed just recently and taking advantage of a friend's trip to Japan, I pulled the trigger and got one.
The selling point is the dual loading system or DLS, the butt is a 2-piece construction and standard weight bolts can be inserted both in the butt and forearm, which according to Mezz allows you to find your exact weight and balance point. It is currently used by world champion Wojciech Szewczyk and it comes with the X-bumper by default.
Quality: As any Mezz product the cue butt is finished to a high standard without any visible imperfections. The 2 pièces are jointed by a thick composite pin with rough surface. Initially there was a small gap that let light shine through, but working it back and forth a few times and applying effort, the gap closed. The joint is very tight and takes quite some effort to unscrew. There is no chance it will get loose in play.
DLS: In a nutshell it works, but the range is smaller than you'd think. The cue comes with a 1oz bolt installed in the butt, and 0.5oz in the forearm. Mine weighs 15.2oz with the weight bolts installed (19.1oz including my shaft, and 13.7oz without the weight bolts (17.3oz with the shaft on). The first thing that I did was to remove both weight bolts and mark the natural balance point of the cue with tape. It's neutral to slightly forward I would say. I then tried first 0.5oz then 1oz only in the forearm. The balance point does move forward ever so slightly, but it's barely noticeable. So you can't really make the cue more forward balanced than it naturally is, but you can make it slightly more rear balanced by inserting considerable weight only at the back, especially that the forearm is partly hollow. If you insert weight both at the front and the back, the balance point will stay virtually unchanged. Note: The United joint version of this cue is possibly more forward balanced because of the heavier joint.
Functionality: In play the cue feels solid and on the stiff side. There is no hollow sound or rattle. On center hits the sound is full and muted. On edge hits there is a bit of a tink, but less than a typical carbon shaft or a stiff steel jointed cue like a Joss. Overall absolutely no concern. One thing you notice right away is that the cue has a lot of power. It is obvious on draw shots for example, where I got a lot of action from the cue ball, even with all weight bolts removed.
Who this cue is for:
- You like a lightweight cue (17oz)
- You like a heavy cue that is not rear balanced. The weight bolt channels are deep and I'm guessing 2oz in the front and 2.5oz in the back are possible without changing the balance point. This could be a great use case for a break cue for example.
- You want a quality cue that is not overly expensive and offers many personalization options (your choice of wrap, joint)
- You want a cue butt that fits in your carry on for travel
- You want more power from your cue without increasing weight.
Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk
The selling point is the dual loading system or DLS, the butt is a 2-piece construction and standard weight bolts can be inserted both in the butt and forearm, which according to Mezz allows you to find your exact weight and balance point. It is currently used by world champion Wojciech Szewczyk and it comes with the X-bumper by default.
Quality: As any Mezz product the cue butt is finished to a high standard without any visible imperfections. The 2 pièces are jointed by a thick composite pin with rough surface. Initially there was a small gap that let light shine through, but working it back and forth a few times and applying effort, the gap closed. The joint is very tight and takes quite some effort to unscrew. There is no chance it will get loose in play.
DLS: In a nutshell it works, but the range is smaller than you'd think. The cue comes with a 1oz bolt installed in the butt, and 0.5oz in the forearm. Mine weighs 15.2oz with the weight bolts installed (19.1oz including my shaft, and 13.7oz without the weight bolts (17.3oz with the shaft on). The first thing that I did was to remove both weight bolts and mark the natural balance point of the cue with tape. It's neutral to slightly forward I would say. I then tried first 0.5oz then 1oz only in the forearm. The balance point does move forward ever so slightly, but it's barely noticeable. So you can't really make the cue more forward balanced than it naturally is, but you can make it slightly more rear balanced by inserting considerable weight only at the back, especially that the forearm is partly hollow. If you insert weight both at the front and the back, the balance point will stay virtually unchanged. Note: The United joint version of this cue is possibly more forward balanced because of the heavier joint.
Functionality: In play the cue feels solid and on the stiff side. There is no hollow sound or rattle. On center hits the sound is full and muted. On edge hits there is a bit of a tink, but less than a typical carbon shaft or a stiff steel jointed cue like a Joss. Overall absolutely no concern. One thing you notice right away is that the cue has a lot of power. It is obvious on draw shots for example, where I got a lot of action from the cue ball, even with all weight bolts removed.
Who this cue is for:
- You like a lightweight cue (17oz)
- You like a heavy cue that is not rear balanced. The weight bolt channels are deep and I'm guessing 2oz in the front and 2.5oz in the back are possible without changing the balance point. This could be a great use case for a break cue for example.
- You want a quality cue that is not overly expensive and offers many personalization options (your choice of wrap, joint)
- You want a cue butt that fits in your carry on for travel
- You want more power from your cue without increasing weight.
Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk
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