Overall Grade: A Review below probably reads like an advertisement for Treadway cues but reality is that this is simply one of the best overall cues I have ever owned including customs I had built by Richard Black, Paul Mottey, Dan Janes and several others. Highly recommended for your next custom cue.
Cuemaker: Josh Treadway, St, Louis Mo, former apprentice to Jim Buss. http://www.treadwaycues.com/Default.aspx Member ACA since 2012
Cue: Four Cocobolo Points (no veneers) Special Inlaid Buska rings at all locations, Cocobolo butt piece White Juma joint and end endpiece Textured Black Wrap
Specs: 18.5 oz 58" radial joint. Butt 14.8 ounces 2 12.75mm shafts (3.7oz and 3.5oz) .75 inch Juma ferrules, compound modified pro taper, Black King medium tips.Very well balanced, slightly forward feels less heavy than 18.5 and slightly thin in butt grip
Background: Ordered high end unique custom from Josh that is 2 years out. Josh agreed to allow me to purchase one of the basic cues he was making for the Chattanooga Cue Show as an interim, pacifier type cue while I waited for custom. Built to my preferred specs but not otherwise customized
Build Experience: Grade A- Josh was open and communicative during build and provided sufficient updates. Seems truly excited about cue building. Open to questions. Honest.No real progress pics or detailed updates
Build Time: Grade B No firm expectations were really set for build schedule, but cue was built in reasonable amount of time despite mother nature delaying the finishing process a little
Packaging: Grade: A+ Cue was in custom plastic envelope that separated shafts and butt that was then bubble wrapped and put into a hard tube in standard USPS box taped together well. Excellent protection
Appearance: Grade A/A- Compared to other simple four pointers it is among the most elegant cues I have seen. Cocobolo is well figured and a beautiful brownish red not typical for coco. Old growth maple is truly beautiful in color and rustic figure. The real highlight are the inlaid Bushka rings. They are just spectacular. Deceptively simple, in person they add a deep elegance that is compelling. Many people came over just to look at the rings which was really interesting as they are just black and while.
Finish: Grade: A Deep, crystal clear finish that looks almost "wet". No hint of raised finish near the metal rings.
Build Quality Grade A Extremely solid, no obvious defects, joint is perfectly flush with either shaft Joint is tapped undersize so requires some muscle power to tighten, but screws together perfectly and adds no additional stress to joint.Shaft wood is uniform and higher quality than expected Cue is straight.
Hit: Grade A++ I have hit three cues in my life that I felt were truly special. First was a Balabushka that was loaned to me for five months. Second was my Judd Fuller that I had for 20 years until it was stolen. Third is this Treadway. Hit is subjective, so it might not be the holy grail for you, but all 3 were similar in the way they hit. I would describe the hit as medium stiff, more towards the stiff side than the medium, not whippy at all, but not very stiff either. The unique thing with this cue is that while it is stiff, it is also a "lively" crisp hit. It just seems to impart a lot of easy no effort energy to the ball without any vibration or reduction in accuracy but still with great feedback. Deflection is fairly low, and I missed a few shots playing more squirt than actually there, Sound is crisp and sharp.
PICS BELOW
Cuemaker: Josh Treadway, St, Louis Mo, former apprentice to Jim Buss. http://www.treadwaycues.com/Default.aspx Member ACA since 2012
Cue: Four Cocobolo Points (no veneers) Special Inlaid Buska rings at all locations, Cocobolo butt piece White Juma joint and end endpiece Textured Black Wrap
Specs: 18.5 oz 58" radial joint. Butt 14.8 ounces 2 12.75mm shafts (3.7oz and 3.5oz) .75 inch Juma ferrules, compound modified pro taper, Black King medium tips.Very well balanced, slightly forward feels less heavy than 18.5 and slightly thin in butt grip
Background: Ordered high end unique custom from Josh that is 2 years out. Josh agreed to allow me to purchase one of the basic cues he was making for the Chattanooga Cue Show as an interim, pacifier type cue while I waited for custom. Built to my preferred specs but not otherwise customized
Build Experience: Grade A- Josh was open and communicative during build and provided sufficient updates. Seems truly excited about cue building. Open to questions. Honest.No real progress pics or detailed updates
Build Time: Grade B No firm expectations were really set for build schedule, but cue was built in reasonable amount of time despite mother nature delaying the finishing process a little
Packaging: Grade: A+ Cue was in custom plastic envelope that separated shafts and butt that was then bubble wrapped and put into a hard tube in standard USPS box taped together well. Excellent protection
Appearance: Grade A/A- Compared to other simple four pointers it is among the most elegant cues I have seen. Cocobolo is well figured and a beautiful brownish red not typical for coco. Old growth maple is truly beautiful in color and rustic figure. The real highlight are the inlaid Bushka rings. They are just spectacular. Deceptively simple, in person they add a deep elegance that is compelling. Many people came over just to look at the rings which was really interesting as they are just black and while.
Finish: Grade: A Deep, crystal clear finish that looks almost "wet". No hint of raised finish near the metal rings.
Build Quality Grade A Extremely solid, no obvious defects, joint is perfectly flush with either shaft Joint is tapped undersize so requires some muscle power to tighten, but screws together perfectly and adds no additional stress to joint.Shaft wood is uniform and higher quality than expected Cue is straight.
Hit: Grade A++ I have hit three cues in my life that I felt were truly special. First was a Balabushka that was loaned to me for five months. Second was my Judd Fuller that I had for 20 years until it was stolen. Third is this Treadway. Hit is subjective, so it might not be the holy grail for you, but all 3 were similar in the way they hit. I would describe the hit as medium stiff, more towards the stiff side than the medium, not whippy at all, but not very stiff either. The unique thing with this cue is that while it is stiff, it is also a "lively" crisp hit. It just seems to impart a lot of easy no effort energy to the ball without any vibration or reduction in accuracy but still with great feedback. Deflection is fairly low, and I missed a few shots playing more squirt than actually there, Sound is crisp and sharp.
PICS BELOW