At which point does a cue stop being about playability and start becoming Art?

WVShootist

WVShootist

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got a $116 cue in the mail yesterday, took it out and played just as well with it as I do my $400 cue. Took it home, exact same length, both made the same vibration when tapped at different points, etc. Outside of inlays the only difference between the two is the $400 cue screws together more smoothly and has a silk wrap, which I think aids in lightening my grip some since there's nothing for the skin of my palm to stick to.

So I find myself wondering, what's the absolute point in which a pool cue is going to play as well as other cues? Like, I can tell when holding a house cue--the wood doesn't seem solid, the tips are kind of crappy, I can feel the poor quality in the cue. But now I'm kind of wondering, are $35-40 cues better than house cues? What's the minimum requirement for a cue to be considered a 'good playing' cue?

I realize a good pool player can just play regardless of equipment but in terms of equipment alone with the player taken out of the equation, what's fundamentally important?

Or even, let's say my $400 cue plays the same my the $116 cue because the $400 cue is in the same classification of cue. Would I notice a difference of wood quality and handling from a $400 cue when compared to a $1,000+ cue? I've looked online and most sources I've seen are from cue dealers trying to make a sale. So I wanted an opinion from the perspective of players instead.
 
mchnhed

mchnhed

I Came, I Shot, I Choked
Silver Member
At about $116 no wrap.
$168 with a wrap.

Seriously, yes that P cue you got is a great cue.
I have 2 of them with a wrap as house cues.
I have two of their shafts for a Budweiser stealth cue and for a McD that's missing a shaft.
I have their SP sanded down and beat with a chain as a stealth cue.

Don't get me wrong, I have 15+ high ends Cues.
All except for the shafts have been bought used.

Each has their place.
I do love a pretty cue that also is a real player.
I would never spend more than maybe $1,000 for a used cue.

 
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CuesDirectly

CuesDirectly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WVShootist said:
I got a $116 cue in the mail yesterday, took it out and played just as well with it as I do my $400 cue. Took it home, exact same length, both made the same vibration when tapped at different points, etc.


Vibration? If it's not solid, if it vibrates, it does not matter the cost, it sucks and you don't know the difference? If it vibrates due to tapping HOW IS THE BREAK? lol

Once you try a solid hitting cue, you will never go back..
Click to expand...
 
WVShootist

WVShootist

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
CuesDirectly said:
WVShootist said:
I got a $116 cue in the mail yesterday, took it out and played just as well with it as I do my $400 cue. Took it home, exact same length, both made the same vibration when tapped at different points, etc.


Vibration? If it's not solid, if it vibrates, it does not matter the cost, it sucks and you don't know the difference? If it vibrates due to tapping HOW IS THE BREAK? lol

Once you try a solid hitting cue, you will never go back..
Click to expand...

Tapping along the shaft, not the butt....

Also, I don't break with playing cues.
Click to expand...
 
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CuesDirectly

CuesDirectly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tapping along the shaft, not the butt....[/QUOTE]

Wow, sad to hear. Ask your Friends to try their cues and see if you have the same experience but make sure theirs is not the import model.

Chime back in if you see a difference, Thanks very much, Dave.
 
G

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Silk wrap???????????

What kinda snow-flake cue got there, bud? Never heard of silk wrapped cues.;)
 
L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
20.00 . I paid 20.00 for a brand new premier sneaky Pete. I took it to Vegas nationals and played the bed I have ever played. I have 12 cues and this 20.00 cue plays better than any of the rest which range from 150.00 to 2,500.00.

I put it in the closet after I got back from Vegas 4 years ago and took it out to olay in a 9 ball team tournament. A decent money tournament with about 3,000.00 for first. My opponent played about 8or 9 safes and I kicked out every time. . Some one on his team yelled out ...somebody take that stick away from him ...he aint missing nothing ...lol.

Its 4 years old now and looks as good and is a straight as the day I bought it. I only play with it during important matches such as the tournament above and apa ltc's .

I just got lucky when I bought this cue because i had heard horror stories about shipping cues to nationals on planes and did not want to take any of my other cues.

I got it at cost from a buddy of mine who bought a dozen of them from a vendor at the southern classic in tunica .
 
mchnhed

mchnhed

I Came, I Shot, I Choked
Silver Member
Premier Cues http://www.omegabilliards.com/Premier_Cues_s/560.htm
I still think Players Cues are much better. Nicer quality for a cue under $200.
lorider said:
20.00 . I paid 20.00 for a brand new premier sneaky Pete. I took it to Vegas nationals and played the bed I have ever played. I have 12 cues and this 20.00 cue plays better than any of the rest which range from 150.00 to 2,500.00.

I put it in the closet after I got back from Vegas 4 years ago and took it out to olay in a 9 ball team tournament. A decent money tournament with about 3,000.00 for first. My opponent played about 8or 9 safes and I kicked out every time. . Some one on his team yelled out ...somebody take that stick away from him ...he aint missing nothing ...lol.

Its 4 years old now and looks as good and is a straight as the day I bought it. I only play with it during important matches such as the tournament above and apa ltc's .

I just got lucky when I bought this cue because i had heard horror stories about shipping cues to nationals on planes and did not want to take any of my other cues.

I got it at cost from a buddy of mine who bought a dozen of them from a vendor at the southern classic in tunica .
Click to expand...
 
L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
mchnhed said:
Premier Cues http://www.omegabilliards.com/Premier_Cues_s/560.htm
I still think Players Cues are much better. Nicer quality for a cue under $200.
Click to expand...

I am not going to dispute that. I have 2 players myself. Both are around 12 years old. One I carry with me in my 3x6 case for hard to reach shots. Its the only players cue that I have come across that has a built in extension that screws out and locks in place.

I had I for 6 months before I eve realized it had a built in extension. Actually a friend was inspecting it and saw a hotline gap between the handle and the lower but section. He pointed it out to me and I started turning it and lo and behold ...an extension lol .
 
captainjko

captainjko

Kirk
Silver Member
WVShootist said:
I got a $116 cue in the mail yesterday, took it out and played just as well with it as I do my $400 cue. Took it home, exact same length, both made the same vibration when tapped at different points, etc. Outside of inlays the only difference between the two is the $400 cue screws together more smoothly and has a silk wrap, which I think aids in lightening my grip some since there's nothing for the skin of my palm to stick to.

So I find myself wondering, what's the absolute point in which a pool cue is going to play as well as other cues? Like, I can tell when holding a house cue--the wood doesn't seem solid, the tips are kind of crappy, I can feel the poor quality in the cue. But now I'm kind of wondering, are $35-40 cues better than house cues? What's the minimum requirement for a cue to be considered a 'good playing' cue?

I realize a good pool player can just play regardless of equipment but in terms of equipment alone with the player taken out of the equation, what's fundamentally important?

Or even, let's say my $400 cue plays the same my the $116 cue because the $400 cue is in the same classification of cue. Would I notice a difference of wood quality and handling from a $400 cue when compared to a $1,000+ cue? I've looked online and most sources I've seen are from cue dealers trying to make a sale. So I wanted an opinion from the perspective of players instead.
Click to expand...
Do you know how many Dufferin house cues have been converted to 2 piece cues because of how good the wood is? I have converted several...
 
mvp

mvp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'd say it becomes art the second it doesn't make you play better!
 
Johnny Rosato

Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WVShootist said:
I got a $116 cue in the mail yesterday, took it out and played just as well with it as I do my $400 cue. Took it home, exact same length, both made the same vibration when tapped at different points, etc. Outside of inlays the only difference between the two is the $400 cue screws together more smoothly and has a silk wrap, which I think aids in lightening my grip some since there's nothing for the skin of my palm to stick to.

So I find myself wondering, what's the absolute point in which a pool cue is going to play as well as other cues? Like, I can tell when holding a house cue--the wood doesn't seem solid, the tips are kind of crappy, I can feel the poor quality in the cue. But now I'm kind of wondering, are $35-40 cues better than house cues? What's the minimum requirement for a cue to be considered a 'good playing' cue?

I realize a good pool player can just play regardless of equipment but in terms of equipment alone with the player taken out of the equation, what's fundamentally important?

Or even, let's say my $400 cue plays the same my the $116 cue because the $400 cue is in the same classification of cue. Would I notice a difference of wood quality and handling from a $400 cue when compared to a $1,000+ cue? I've looked online and most sources I've seen are from cue dealers trying to make a sale. So I wanted an opinion from the perspective of players instead.
Click to expand...
Minimum would be $49.00 McDermott Lucky. Now you need to realize this is my opinion! lol
 
DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
At which point does a cue stop being about playability and start becoming Art?
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For most people, I'd say it starts when you're putting your budget together for the cue.

For me, it starts with how heartbroken I'd be if someone stole the cue.

I don't play (regularly) with my cues that I consider to be Art.

I have far more expensive cues, but my daily playing cue is a Lucasi...because if someone stole it while I was in the bathroom I'd be pissed, but I'd just order another one off the net when I got home.

IMHO the Lucasi cues play real nice. I like their hit, their quality and they're extremely reasonable in their cost.


The other issue is, what would I do if I caught someone(s) in the act of making off with one of my cues that I consider "Art".

Suffice to say there'd be a 911 call, Police, Lawyers and probably a lot of dry cleaning. Get the picture? Best to avoid that whole scenario. That's just me.
Regulators. We regulate any stealin' of his property. We’re damn good too. But you can’t be any geek off the street. You gotta be handy with the steel, if you know what I mean.
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captainjko said:
Do you know how many Dufferin house cues have been converted to 2 piece cues because of how good the wood is? I have converted several...
Click to expand...

I have an original Dufferin SP, green label. No cue I own or have owned feels better to hit with. -Z-
 
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Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's all about how much you are prepared and willing to spend on a cue.
If your budget is under a grand, the cue likely wouldn't be art like quality
except to its owner, And therein lies the rub....it's called having an opinion.

And so what qualifies are very ornate, intricate cue designs can appear
to be beautiful, imaginative and creative masterpiece cues. On the other
hand, there are going to be folks that find that very same cue to be gaudy,
gauche and a lot less appealing. How that sayin' go....."One man's meat
is another man's poison."..........so arbitrarily assigning terms like art to a
cue design is just someone's opinion which they're entitled to even when
they might be wrong.......again, it's just someone's opinion so who's to say?

You can spend $10-12k for a original Balaushka and that cue would hardly
qualify as "art", nor would a 4 point simple design Searing cue either which
could cost just as much. So as you can see, price by itself is a unreliable &
imperfect way to label any cue design as art. In my opinion, it comes down
to how you personally feel about a cue in which case call it what you want.
 
JazzboxBlues

JazzboxBlues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think they're all about playabilty. As far as art work it can be anywhere from a Sneaky to something incredibly ornate. I personally like cues with little to no inlays and find your typical Southwest to be as nice as it gets. I own a Blackcreek Sneaky it has outstanding fullsplice construction and long sharp points. I would call it art work. I guess it all in the eye of the beholder.
 
Type79

Type79

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member

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J

justinb386

Banned
WVShootist said:
I got a $116 cue in the mail yesterday, took it out and played just as well with it as I do my $400 cue. Took it home, exact same length, both made the same vibration when tapped at different points, etc. Outside of inlays the only difference between the two is the $400 cue screws together more smoothly and has a silk wrap, which I think aids in lightening my grip some since there's nothing for the skin of my palm to stick to.

So I find myself wondering, what's the absolute point in which a pool cue is going to play as well as other cues? Like, I can tell when holding a house cue--the wood doesn't seem solid, the tips are kind of crappy, I can feel the poor quality in the cue. But now I'm kind of wondering, are $35-40 cues better than house cues? What's the minimum requirement for a cue to be considered a 'good playing' cue?

I realize a good pool player can just play regardless of equipment but in terms of equipment alone with the player taken out of the equation, what's fundamentally important?

Or even, let's say my $400 cue plays the same my the $116 cue because the $400 cue is in the same classification of cue. Would I notice a difference of wood quality and handling from a $400 cue when compared to a $1,000+ cue? I've looked online and most sources I've seen are from cue dealers trying to make a sale. So I wanted an opinion from the perspective of players instead.
Click to expand...

I think that all cues have their own unique type of feel, and hit. Schon cues for example have their own very solid type of hit (it is a unique type of solid hit, in my opinion). Other cues have their own unique type of hit, like Diveney cues for example. Any player who is really serious about pool will know the difference in the feel and hit of a cue, and they will know what they like in a cue. To all others, they might just want to buy what ever the pros are endorsing, or playing with.
 
J

justinb386

Banned
CuesDirectly said:
WVShootist said:
I got a $116 cue in the mail yesterday, took it out and played just as well with it as I do my $400 cue. Took it home, exact same length, both made the same vibration when tapped at different points, etc.


Vibration? If it's not solid, if it vibrates, it does not matter the cost, it sucks and you don't know the difference? If it vibrates due to tapping HOW IS THE BREAK? lol

Once you try a solid hitting cue, you will never go back..
Click to expand...

Meucci cues come to mind, when you talk about a cue vibrating like that, and they are very nice players in my opinion.
Click to expand...
 
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