The UPS guy just came by. After a few racks, color me impressed.
The cue feels very balanced. I think part of it is due to the joint, which is not stainless steel. It's the only cue I play with regularly that doesn't have an SS joint. Well, I have a PureX for banging around at the bar, but that doesn't really count.
This cue hits solid. There's no other way to describe it. The taper is slightly stronger than what I'm used to on the 314 (original). But not cumbersome. I mostly use a closed bridge and have smaller or medium hands/fingers. I can feel the taper grow, but it doesn't affect my follow through.
Cue is 19oz, but feels lighter. Balance point is 19.5". 0.840" at joint, 1.25" at butt.
The only thing that I don't like right off is the wrap. It's wound tight and waxed or something. It feels almost like nylon. I used to have a Huebler a long time ago that had a nylon wrap. This reminds me of that feeling. If I keep it, I'll likely have it re-wrapped.
My Kikel is also very tight wrap and almost feels like silk in the hands. Very smooth, but not nylon-y (if that's a word). One of my Schons has a very tight wrap, but again, feels more like cotton thread than nylon, and the other Schon has a slightly wider diameter Irish linen thread, so it feels more cord wound.
But, getting back to the hit. Very solid, good feedback, nice vibration damping, and good sound. This is my first time with a WX700 shaft, so it could be mostly due to the shaft. I may try the shaft on a Schon, but I've read that you will mushroom the plastic insert in the shaft and then it won't fit on the Mezz butt as tight. So, maybe I won't do that.
As for aiming and such, I tried some thin cuts and long cuts with inside draw, and they all reacted close to what I'm used to. So no adjustments were needed.
I can't really judge action after 15-20 shots. However, the draw is not as immediate as with my 314. But the tip is new, I'm not really stroking the same, and the sample size is pretty small.
I need to get several hours in to see how cue ball control is compared to my 314, but after 15-20 balls, I'm really stoked. I was thinking I'd try it and return if I didn't like, but I have a feeling that this one will find it's way to the top of the play cycle.