Adams/Balabushka Identification

Matt_24

Matt_24

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Can someone tell me if this Balabushka is an older Japanese factory model, or newer? Please and thank you.
 

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I looked at this and new ones and i'd say this is an older model. The new one's have a squared-off bumper and this buttcap looks older/yellowed. And the signature is much darker/bolder on new ones. That being said based on what Freddie has said its still hard to tell exactly where these cues have been made/assembled. Current version is the GB22: https://www.balabushkacues.com/cues/gb-series These are contracted to a Taiwan shop like KPS/KaoKao/KaoFa, all are capable of doing the work.
 
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I am not familiar with that model. But, the bumper looks like the older type, they are more squared off today. But that bumper can be easily changed.
 
If not for the big ass ugly signature, these are very nice looking cues, I love the classic designs. If not for the sig. I might have pulled the trigger on a BG1/2.
I wonder how the play/feel compared to similar priced cues.
 
Going by the very first phamplet, the nickel ring in the shaft collar is slightly more centered and thicker than later creations of this series. Not sure if that solves it, but this is the joint collar ring I'm talking about. Also the wood section of the shaft tenon is quite thick. This actually does not look like the shaft tenon in Matt's picture. This first run must have started in Japan early 90s or so. This picture also shows the brown bumper that @Chopdoc mentioned. You may have to get the phone out and enlarge the picture to see all of this.

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Japan. That’s the Japanese pin.

But if the bumper isn’t the brown, then I’d go with a later year. So, not 80’s. There was the transition when they first went to China. They brought all their equipment and presumably a lot of the material over to China. That didn’t last more than a year or two. So that would’ve been somewhere in the 95 to 97 range.

It is a bit of a guess but that’s where I would guess.
 
I Had an older Bushka replica by Adams, when the original CEO ran the company before leaving to work for Calloway, where he got filthy rich. His name was Dick ?

It was a damn good import cue for that time period.
 
jay helfert said:
I Had an older Bushka replica by Adams, when the original CEO ran the company before leaving to work for Calloway, where he got filthy rich. His name was Dick ?

It was a damn good import cue for that time period.
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Dick Helmstetter. Had his own line of cues as well, and inventor of the Calloway Big Bertha driver.
 
Cornerman said:
Japan. That’s the Japanese pin.

But if the bumper isn’t the brown, then I’d go with a later year. So, not 80’s. There was the transition when they first went to China. They brought all their equipment and presumably a lot of the material over to China. That didn’t last more than a year or two. So that would’ve been somewhere in the 95 to 97 range.

It is a bit of a guess but that’s where I would guess.
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Thank you, sir. I appreciate your input! The quality and playability of this cue is quite outstanding.
 
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