Sound producing factors

SQB

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
what do you think effects the sound most?

How can different cue sounds be influenced?

Please differ the pink sound to the pong sound and tell us from your experience how you would maintain that sound if your costumer would want a cocobolo PJ for example. What would you do, in inner construction technique to achieve those 2 sound to 2 cues, that look both the same.

Thanks
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Great question.

I was playing around with my cues and noted different tones or resonant frequencies (just the butts struck with the heel of the hand like when you look for a buzz). I want to do this and compare them at the table, try to categorize them.
 

Trent

Banned
honestly this is one of those answers most people wont give it takes alot of figuring out to make your cue the way you want it, and to give away your secret of construction.... probably not in anyones best intrest.
 

KJ Cues

Pro Cue Builder & Repair
Silver Member
what do you think effects the sound most?

How can different cue sounds be influenced?

Please differ the pink sound to the pong sound and tell us from your experience how you would maintain that sound if your costumer would want a cocobolo PJ for example. What would you do, in inner construction technique to achieve those 2 sound to 2 cues, that look both the same.

Thanks

Impact initiated audio chip..........."MaMa".
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have two cues, both by the same maker (a US "production" cue), that are extremely similar in looks and are identical as far as I can tell in construction. They were made about fifteen years apart I believe. One strikes a low tone (the newer one) and the other strikes a high tone (the older one).

I just thought it was interesting when I came across it.

Without revealing trade secrets, can one comment on how resonant frequency relates to hit? In other words will the higher tone hit one way and the lower tone hit another way, or does it have nothing to do with it?

Are there or are there not any assumptions that can be made about the playing characteristics of a cue based on the resonant tone alone?

Notice I am stating away from construction and concentrating on playing characteristics. I don't need trade secrets and don't want to offend makers. If it does have anything to do with playing characteristics I am confident different makers have different methods of manipulating it and may not be eager to publicly post it. I understand. More than one way to skin a cat, and sometimes one is better than another.
 

cueman

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
what do you think effects the sound most?

How can different cue sounds be influenced?

Please differ the pink sound to the pong sound and tell us from your experience how you would maintain that sound if your costumer would want a cocobolo PJ for example. What would you do, in inner construction technique to achieve those 2 sound to 2 cues, that look both the same.

Thanks
I don't know enough about music to say what makes a ping or a pong or what note either of those would be.
But what effects the sound of the cue the most are in order:

Tip
Ferrule
Joint
Forearm wood

Simply put:
You get a louder sound by using harder materials in those places.
You get a softer sound by using softer materials in those places.
 

West Point 1987

On the Hill, Out of Gas
Silver Member
Not a cuemaker, but I've owned a few of different types/construction and noticed a difference...the sound I (the shooter) hear is loudest from the forearm, which is next to my ear. Merry Widows/plain janes/and CNC/recuts make more of a higher pitched "plink" to my ear. Half splice/full splice make a lower "plunk" sound, kind of harmonic like a low Xylophone note. I'm talking about non-cored maple, so ebony/cocobola/etc. and cored forearms are likely different. You can also hear the difference it if you lightly strike the joint of an assembled cue against a knuckle or the heal of your hand and listen like a tuning fork. Not as loud as striking a cue ball, but the same tone/pitch.
 

Lexicologist71

Rabid Schuler fanatic
Silver Member
Triangle tips with Aegis II ferrules make a middle C, whereas Porper Majestics with Juma make a high A.
 

SQB

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
everything mentioned are the simple factors of influencing the sound.

But what do you do if using all those factors does not achieve your desired result?

What is definitely more interesting is the influence of the handle construction for example.

What is the technical aspect behind the sound of a cue.

If it would be a very simple thing to say:" use hard materials for Joint ...etc., than you get a ping sound! That would imply that every steel jointed cue would hit with a higher tone!"

But it isn't the case as we all know!
 

cueman

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
everything mentioned are the simple factors of influencing the sound.

But what do you do if using all those factors does not achieve your desired result?

What is definitely more interesting is the influence of the handle construction for example.

What is the technical aspect behind the sound of a cue.

If it would be a very simple thing to say:" use hard materials for Joint ...etc., than you get a ping sound! That would imply that every steel jointed cue would hit with a higher tone!"

But it isn't the case as we all know!
General rules do not always prove true, that is why I only a gave a general idea of what effects it the most.
 

Lexicologist71

Rabid Schuler fanatic
Silver Member
Ya know, I've played with some awesome playing cues that just made a thunk on impact. I've played with some awesome playing cues that made a ping. I've played with some stinkers that made a ping or pong or whatever the 'paradigm of sound' is for today's cues. What I've come up with is sound doesn't make the ball go where you want it and chasing a specific sound instead of chasing specific playing characteristics is nonsense. If you can make your cues sound the same, good for you. I don't really care what pitch my cues sing at. You can change the tip and change it completely. I know my cue is constructed using reliable techniques and reliable materials. I can sleep just fine.
 

Chopdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So you feel that it has nothing to do with playing characteristics. That's what I am really wondering.

Great cues can be great yet play differently. You never found anything consistent between the tone and the play characteristics?
 
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