New shaft by Mezz, the WX-Alpha review.

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As some of you may know Mezz has a brand new line of Ace series cues coming later this year. The release is exciting with so many new designs coming up and especially as it has also been announced that the new Ace cues will have a new shaft by the name of WX-Alpha with them. The new shaft got me interested as I have grown to like the old Alpha Hybrid shaft quite a lot after purchasing one a while back.
I asked around some and managed to find a very helpful person that had already gotten the new, so far unreleased WX-A shaft that was willing to loan me their shaft for reviewing. Thank you Jimmy Worung for your trust in me and the chance to be among the first people to get their hands on the new shaft.

On to the actual review.
There was a lot of specualation on what the WX-A might bring when the first pictures were posted up on the group and I was following the discussion closely and also had a guess of my own based on what was known about it and the pictures themselves.
The name was a giveaway for me, WX-A. WX is by far the most common type of Mezz shaft out there as they come stock with most models and turns out the WX stands true to what it has been known for so far, a one piece maple shaft with a light weight front end to make it lower in deflection.
The shaft that I got for reviewing measures at 12.85mm at the ferrule and weights 111.2g.
I hit a couple of balls with the shaft and it was clear that the the new Alpha is totally different from the old Hybrid one. The hit is noticeably softer with a bit more flex to it. There are a lot of similiarities with a WX700 feelwise on center ball hits. That same solid thump that you get with a really good quality maple shaft puts a smile on your face and the sound of hit sings some sweet tones when you strike the ball purely. Absolute joy in that regard. That same sensation doesn't go unchanged when you go towards the edges of the cue ball but the tone of the hit goes up gradually as you start getting closer to the miscue limit. With my stroke the hit changes to remind me more of the hit of an ExPro when extreme side is used and that was interesting in my opinion as the shaft doesn't have a core but thats just the thought that came to my mind when I started shooting balls with it. Despite hitting different with extreme spin I don't mean that in a bad way. The LD properties are in play with extreme spin and that higher, remotely hollow, sound is most likely caused by the shafts front steering clear of the CB. I rarely have to even go that far from the center anyway so I think the shaft hits really well on all shots that come up in regular play.
There is something about this shaft that makes it just generally pleasant to play with from the get go. I put it on my cue and started shooting drills with it and it clicked for me right away. When there was room to play position to I was playing up to my usual speed despite changing shafts. If there was very precise position and speed control required I was struggling a little as I am used to a different taper and a hard tip instead of the soft that the shaft came with. I also let my brother hit a couple balls with it and he said the same things after the first rack; This shaft plays well and the hit is very easy to like. He also said the following when I asked him to compare the Alpha hybrid and the WX-A; The new one hits like a Mercedes Benz, it rides smooth and easy. The Hybrid is like a BMW, it is a drivers car that you really have to drive but when you do it gives you that driving sensation. I couldn't agree more. The WX-A is easier to like for majority of players and if I had to guess it will become more popular after release than the old version did if the price follows suit with the other WX shafts.
WX-A also sports a new ferrule material. It is a light shade of brown in colour, not that gorgeous as it is on its own but I got along with it really well. Gives some contrast against the cue ball but didn't feel odd at all like black ferrules do for a while. It feels harder than NX ferrules and with the hours that I have on the shaft it doensn't seem to get dirty as quick either. The hit is good also so the material works, I would buy some for sure if it was available in rod form.
The taper is very similiar if not the same as the older model. Rather stiff with a high taper rise. Might be a bit uncomfortable with a closed bridge if you have a long bridge length but the good thing is that you can always take a little off from it if you want to. I modified my Hybrid shafts taper back quite a bit and I bet this new shaft would also play better if the taper was taken back a bit aswell. Works well as it is though, especially with an open bridge.
Deflection is nearly as low to that of a Predator 314'3 from what I compared it with. More than on a WX900 but a bit less than on a stock Hybrid alpha was from the factory. It is a shame I couldn't make an apples to apples comparasion with the different generation Alphas deflection as my shafts taper is different and the modification made a difference in the way it throws the ball with side. What was nice in my opinion was the fact that the amount of deflection was surprisingly similiar with different speeds from medium to hard shots. I got the hang of it very quickly and could shoot with extreme side with confidence just as I would with my own shaft.
Wood quality in this particular shaft is what you might expect from Mezz, superb. I have no idea where they get their shaft wood from but their shafts are pristine more often than not and this one is no exception. The fit was perfect on my CP13SW butt aswell but that is what we Mezz heads are used to anyway. We are a bit spoiled in that regard, I know :rolleyes:

Thats enough about the techical aspects, its time to summarize how I like and how I feel about the new shaft to be released later this year.
The tech nerd in my was secretly expecting some new techinal innovation for its construction but that didn't quite come true apart from the new ferrule material. That said I also have to admit that the old saying "Don't fix it unless it is broken" holds true with this aswell. The more traditional approach makes for a good shaft that will comply to most players liking, I don't think there are many players out there that would condemn it to be unplayable as it is rather nice all around no matter how you look at it.
I think that in a perfect world both Alphas should stay in production as they are that different from each other. Unfortanetely the Hybrid Alpha is already discontinued from production.
WX-A is an excellent addition to the Mezz WX shaft family for those that like a bigger tip size still with low deflection compared to a solid maple shaft. I would gladly own one aswell and I would definitely see how it would play with the same modifications that I always do to my own shafts. I'd guess it would become more sporty and that could bring out the inner BMW from the already very solid and good shaft.

Enjoy the pictures! There is a stock WX900 shaft in some of the pictures for taper comparasions sake :smile:

gppbSl9.jpg


of5v9qn.jpg


ban5Dq5.jpg


I9wmaSu.jpg


kUwxHeD.jpg


I end my review here, feel free to ask me anything in this thread or by PM and I will do my best to answer to the best of my abilities
 

j2pac

Marital Slow Learner.
Staff member
Moderator
Gold Member
Silver Member
As some of you may know Mezz has a brand new line of Ace series cues coming later this year. The release is exciting with so many new designs coming up and especially as it has also been announced that the new Ace cues will have a new shaft by the name of WX-Alpha with them. The new shaft got me interested as I have grown to like the old Alpha Hybrid shaft quite a lot after purchasing one a while back.
I asked around some and managed to find a very helpful person that had already gotten the new, so far unreleased WX-A shaft that was willing to loan me their shaft for reviewing. Thank you Jimmy Worung for your trust in me and the chance to be among the first people to get their hands on the new shaft.

On to the actual review.
There was a lot of specualation on what the WX-A might bring when the first pictures were posted up on the group and I was following the discussion closely and also had a guess of my own based on what was known about it and the pictures themselves.
The name was a giveaway for me, WX-A. WX is by far the most common type of Mezz shaft out there as they come stock with most models and turns out the WX stands true to what it has been known for so far, a one piece maple shaft with a light weight front end to make it lower in deflection.
The shaft that I got for reviewing measures at 12.85mm at the ferrule and weights 111.2g.
I hit a couple of balls with the shaft and it was clear that the the new Alpha is totally different from the old Hybrid one. The hit is noticeably softer with a bit more flex to it. There are a lot of similiarities with a WX700 feelwise on center ball hits. That same solid thump that you get with a really good quality maple shaft puts a smile on your face and the sound of hit sings some sweet tones when you strike the ball purely. Absolute joy in that regard. That same sensation doesn't go unchanged when you go towards the edges of the cue ball but the tone of the hit goes up gradually as you start getting closer to the miscue limit. With my stroke the hit changes to remind me more of the hit of an ExPro when extreme side is used and that was interesting in my opinion as the shaft doesn't have a core but thats just the thought that came to my mind when I started shooting balls with it. Despite hitting different with extreme spin I don't mean that in a bad way. The LD properties are in play with extreme spin and that higher, remotely hollow, sound is most likely caused by the shafts front steering clear of the CB. I rarely have to even go that far from the center anyway so I think the shaft hits really well on all shots that come up in regular play.
There is something about this shaft that makes it just generally pleasant to play with from the get go. I put it on my cue and started shooting drills with it and it clicked for me right away. When there was room to play position to I was playing up to my usual speed despite changing shafts. If there was very precise position and speed control required I was struggling a little as I am used to a different taper and a hard tip instead of the soft that the shaft came with. I also let my brother hit a couple balls with it and he said the same things after the first rack; This shaft plays well and the hit is very easy to like. He also said the following when I asked him to compare the Alpha hybrid and the WX-A; The new one hits like a Mercedes Benz, it rides smooth and easy. The Hybrid is like a BMW, it is a drivers car that you really have to drive but when you do it gives you that driving sensation. I couldn't agree more. The WX-A is easier to like for majority of players and if I had to guess it will become more popular after release than the old version did if the price follows suit with the other WX shafts.
WX-A also sports a new ferrule material. It is a light shade of brown in colour, not that gorgeous as it is on its own but I got along with it really well. Gives some contrast against the cue ball but didn't feel odd at all like black ferrules do for a while. It feels harder than NX ferrules and with the hours that I have on the shaft it doensn't seem to get dirty as quick either. The hit is good also so the material works, I would buy some for sure if it was available in rod form.
The taper is very similiar if not the same as the older model. Rather stiff with a high taper rise. Might be a bit uncomfortable with a closed bridge if you have a long bridge length but the good thing is that you can always take a little off from it if you want to. I modified my Hybrid shafts taper back quite a bit and I bet this new shaft would also play better if the taper was taken back a bit aswell. Works well as it is though, especially with an open bridge.
Deflection is nearly as low to that of a Predator 314'3 from what I compared it with. More than on a WX900 but a bit less than on a stock Hybrid alpha was from the factory. It is a shame I couldn't make an apples to apples comparasion with the different generation Alphas deflection as my shafts taper is different and the modification made a difference in the way it throws the ball with side. What was nice in my opinion was the fact that the amount of deflection was surprisingly similiar with different speeds from medium to hard shots. I got the hang of it very quickly and could shoot with extreme side with confidence just as I would with my own shaft.
Wood quality in this particular shaft is what you might expect from Mezz, superb. I have no idea where they get their shaft wood from but their shafts are pristine more often than not and this one is no exception. The fit was perfect on my CP13SW butt aswell but that is what we Mezz heads are used to anyway. We are a bit spoiled in that regard, I know :rolleyes:

Thats enough about the techical aspects, its time to summarize how I like and how I feel about the new shaft to be released later this year.
The tech nerd in my was secretly expecting some new techinal innovation for its construction but that didn't quite come true apart from the new ferrule material. That said I also have to admit that the old saying "Don't fix it unless it is broken" holds true with this aswell. The more traditional approach makes for a good shaft that will comply to most players liking, I don't think there are many players out there that would condemn it to be unplayable as it is rather nice all around no matter how you look at it.
I think that in a perfect world both Alphas should stay in production as they are that different from each other. Unfortanetely the Hybrid Alpha is already discontinued from production.
WX-A is an excellent addition to the Mezz WX shaft family for those that like a bigger tip size still with low deflection compared to a solid maple shaft. I would gladly own one aswell and I would definitely see how it would play with the same modifications that I always do to my own shafts. I'd guess it would become more sporty and that could bring out the inner BMW from the already very solid and good shaft.

Enjoy the pictures! There is a stock WX900 shaft in some of the pictures for taper comparisons sake :smile:

gppbSl9.jpg


of5v9qn.jpg


ban5Dq5.jpg


I9wmaSu.jpg


kUwxHeD.jpg


I end my review here, feel free to ask me anything in this thread or by PM and I will do my best to answer to the best of my abilities

Very thorough, and honest review my friend. I expected nothing less. :cool:
 

HueblerHustler7

AndrewActionG
Silver Member
Great review! How are you liking the shaft still, any further updates? The ferrule reminds me of micarta a bit, pretty cool different color. I have always loved Mezz but I also love the beauty of custom cues. If I were looking to get back into low deflection properties Id probably jump on this shaft for my Guerra based on your review. Also looking into the Ignite shaft If I were looking to go extreme lol. But there is just something so mystical about great wood shafts how they age and just feel and sound, and as you said Mezz know's their wood quality. Also had read that even know they are making the new Ignite shaft they will not being making carbon shafts their main focus as wood has been along for so long and their is somethings that are don't quote me, but has capabilities of doing more with.
 

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The shaft is excellent, even after the new cue syndrome has surely passed my take on it remains about the same. The sound of hit improved dramatically after getting rid of the Kamui and replaced that with a single layer tip that I prefer over laminates.
I bought an ACE180 Mezz so I now own one of my own :smile:
The taper is a bit bulky off the shelf so I have modified mine a little bit. It hits great, performs consistently and is just generally nice to play with. If you like a stiff taper the WX a is definitely a good shaft.

I'm with you about the feel of wooden shafts, the patina and aging of them makes them feel like more than just equipment to hit balls with. There is something to it that makes them more appealing to me than these carbon shafts. And I have owned a Revo so I have a grasp on the benefits of both type of shafts, still prefer wood over composites :smile:
 

HueblerHustler7

AndrewActionG
Silver Member
The shaft is excellent, even after the new cue syndrome has surely passed my take on it remains about the same. The sound of hit improved dramatically after getting rid of the Kamui and replaced that with a single layer tip that I prefer over laminates.
I bought an ACE180 Mezz so I now own one of my own :smile:
The taper is a bit bulky off the shelf so I have modified mine a little bit. It hits great, performs consistently and is just generally nice to play with. If you like a stiff taper the WX a is definitely a good shaft.

I'm with you about the feel of wooden shafts, the patina and aging of them makes them feel like more than just equipment to hit balls with. There is something to it that makes them more appealing to me than these carbon shafts. And I have owned a Revo so I have a grasp on the benefits of both type of shafts, still prefer wood over composites :smile:

Couldn't of said it more perfect myself, I see benefits of both world and for now, its wood shafts for me. Any idea if they are changed all of the wx line to the brown ferrule?
 

RADAR

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wx alpha shaft looks like a great playing shaft is there any more reviews on it?
 

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Couldn't of said it more perfect myself, I see benefits of both world and for now, its wood shafts for me. Any idea if they are changed all of the wx line to the brown ferrule?



I don't think that they'd change the ferrules of wx700 and wx900, both shafts being hugely popular as they are. Mezz has come up with another wx shaft though, the WX888. Designed for chinese 8ball in mind, 12.35mm tip diameter, the brown ferrule like WX a and a stiff taper. From the very little info and reviews that can be found of it it sounds like yet another good product coming from Mezz :smile:
 

HueblerHustler7

AndrewActionG
Silver Member
I don't think that they'd change the ferrules of wx700 and wx900, both shafts being hugely popular as they are. Mezz has come up with another wx shaft though, the WX888. Designed for chinese 8ball in mind, 12.35mm tip diameter, the brown ferrule like WX a and a stiff taper. From the very little info and reviews that can be found of it it sounds like yet another good product coming from Mezz :smile:

Thanks, Would love to hear more about the wxalpha, seems like all people are talking about now and days is " black magic " lol or should I say carbon shafts.
 

HueblerHustler7

AndrewActionG
Silver Member
Sorry was wondering is anyone knows is Alex is using the new Mezz WXALPHA shaft with that brown ferrule it kind of looks like it may even be a full Mezz cue and Mezz golve? I know he is sponsored by Ariel Carmeli cues but I know he has a history using Mezz shafts as well. Great match to watch either way!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc718Wd7Poo
 
Last edited:

Kwabbern00t

New member
I recently purchased a Mezz AXI-151 with a WX-alpha shaft and so far, it's pretty good.

Before this I played with a low deflection, conical tapered shaft with a 12mm medium tip. I was looking for something thicker and stronger and since I played with Mezz a lot (owned a CP13 with a WX700) and I wasn't gonna pay €360 for an ExPro-shaft I decided to give this a try.

I really like the sound and feel on centerball hits. Potting balls is very easy and it's prettty LD. One thing I immediately didn't like was the Kamui tip. I was allways soft on the Sniper, so i'll be switching to that pretty soon. The taper is a little awkward with a closed bridge, but coming from a 12mm shaft that's no surprise. It generates a lot of power and a decent amount of spin but that is of course based on multiple factors.

Overall I would say it's a 7.5 out of 10. I played with a lot of shafts and it's not as "magical" as an ACSS or as LD as a WX900 or Z3, but it's very predictable and sounds and feels very good and because it's a Mezz for a decent price (€250) it is definitely a good choice if you are looking for solid hitting LD shaft.

(I also recently purchased a Mezz AirShooter, review coming soon.)
 

brianp

New member
Alex and I chatted in May about his setup. Butt is Carmeli which is almost identical to my Stacey. Ariel just made him a new butt though. The shaft is the Mezz WX Alpha and he said he loves it...
 

trophycue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Alex

Alex and I chatted in May about his setup. Butt is Carmeli which is almost identical to my Stacey. Ariel just made him a new butt though. The shaft is the Mezz WX Alpha and he said he loves it...[/QUOTE
At the Canadians in June Alex was using a straight maple shaft with tan ferrule.............said he's been using it for over a year.
 

L I F D 1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WX Alpha , can't wait for the Omega to come out

360 euro's , like 400 dollars (you got to know your options)
 
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