Joss v/s Balabushka cue - need help which one is better

PoolFan101 said:

Hello ,

I am very interested in these 2 cues and was hoping for some helpful input. About 22 years ago I had a Balabushka ( Japan Adams made ) and it was a really nice playing cue and regret selling it . I cannot remember the number it was , but it was a decent cue. As a kid watching the movie The Color of Money The Balabushka was the cue to have and finding out the stick was accually was a Joss . I really like the look of the stick and have wanted one since I seen it. The stick I know is the N7 Color of Money stick. I have read that the BalaBushka line is now made in China and the quality has went south . I have read that the Joss line is really good and holds a good reputation, Growing up in my neck of the woods back in the Day Meucci was the go to cue and won a lot of Tourny's with mine. But I wanted to ask you Guys which one do you think would be the best cue to go for, The Joss N7 Color Of Money cue or the Balabushka GB-23 cue with gold rings which looks really nice and vintage. Which one would be the better cue in the long run and play like it should . Thanks for all the help , I Appreciate it .

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I have this cue that was made by ADAM Japan. It is from their Hall of Fame series, which were "Balabuska" model cues without the signature on the forearm. Everything is exactly the same as the ones with the signatures, except maybe for a little bit variation of the "looks". The specs are exactly the same. They were made by the same people, with the same equipment, in the Japan factory. I visited the factory and Dick Helmstetter gave me a tour when I lived in Japan years ago.

You are correct about the new Balabuska line of cues being made in China. They are no longer being made by ADAM. Some other company is making and selling them. Unless they've changed something recently, you could immediately recognize them because the silver rings in the joint collars were much thinner than the Japan-made cues.

When I found out they were closing production in Japan, I bought one of the last ones I could find that was new and available. I could have bought one with the signature at the time, but I didn't want a signature on it. George Balabushka never signed his cues. Also, this model was made of ebony and had a straight grain maple forearm. Balabushka always thought the best wood for a forearm was straight grain maple and he preferred ebony for the butt wood.

(While blank variety is the defining demarcation between one Balabushka cue and another, there are some shared features spanning Balabushka's fleeting 16-year career. Cue forearms were characteristically made with straight-grained maple, based on Balabushka's belief that a single-direction maple grain provided superior integrity to that of curly maple or birdseye maple. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Balabushka ) )

My cue is in mint condition and has only been played a few times and now it is a closet queen.

I did not get my cue from this website, but they have a picture of the model I have. I do not know where the cue in the link below was made. My cue was made in Japan.

https://www.shootersbilliards.com/George-Balabushka-Replica-Pool-Cue-CS-436.html

My cue can be seen in the following link where I posted what was in one of my cue bags at the time.

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=437482&highlight=pancerny+adam+mcdermott

I can't comment as to which cue is "better" because I never have owned a Joss. However, I think the ADAM cues look more like a real Balabushka than the Joss N-7 does. The N-7 may have been used in TCOM movie, but the V-shaped inlays and the Hoppe ring in the butt sleeve don't look like any Balabushka I've ever seen.

HawaiianEye said:

"..............
I can't comment as to which cue is "better" because I never have owned a Joss. However, I think the ADAM cues look more like a real Balabushka than the Joss N-7 does. The N-7 may have been used in TCOM movie, but the V-shaped inlays and the Hoppe ring in the butt sleeve don't look like any Balabushka I've ever seen.

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Just an FYI, the original Joss cues used in the movie and the originals Joss sold after didnt have a hoppe ring in the sleeve. They had a standard length white butt cap.

PoolFan101 said:

I was not interested in the TCOM Joss Cue Because it looked like a Balabushka, I think it is a sharp cue. I just had a Adams Balabushka replica years ago and wanted another one because it did play good and I like the look of them. That Gb-23 is a beautiful cue with the gold rings. But I had narrowed it down to either the Gb-23 or The Joss COM cue. I just wanted opinion’s on which would be the better cue to play with after reading that the Balabushka is now made in China. I had read they are not the same quality as the Adam Japan ones were. I tell you also the Meucci pro line 5 is pretty sharp also.

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If it were narrowed down to a Chinese-made Balabushka or a Joss, I would take the Joss.

skins said:

Just an FYI, the original Joss cues used in the movie and the originals Joss sold after didnt have a hoppe ring in the sleeve. They had a standard length white butt cap.

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I liked the no-metal A-joint by Joss then.
Like their coring and joinery now even more.

JoeyInCali said:

I liked the no-metal A-joint by Joss then.
Like their coring and joinery now even more.

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Joey,

Do you like the new JOSS cues better than the old ones?

Boxcar said:

Joey,

Do you like the new JOSS cues better than the old ones?

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Yes. I prefer the new construction method/style.

JoeyInCali said:

I liked the no-metal A-joint by Joss then.
Like their coring and joinery now even more.

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They were decent cues back then. I don't have much experience with newer Joss cues since the late 90's.

If you have a shaft that you like, the butt is (mostly) chosen for the “ LOOK” you like....
To a point.
If you can try both out, you can see if there is any FEEL difference to be noticed.
( weight, balance point, thickness of butt) all these are big factors to me.
What pin choices? Can you have a shaft you like even FIT this cue...?

Weigh your options

Joss. Especially the earlier models. Cant go wrong.