Help picking a cue

THam said:

So I'm saving up for a high end custom cue. Unfortunately there are a lot of them I am unable to try out before I buy. However there are makers I've heard a lot of good things about. Price doesn't matter too much, Black Boar is probably out of the price range. Right now I play with a Schon and it's okay, doesn't quite have the feedback I'd like.

List I'm considering:

Scruggs (Will be able to hit with one soon to test)
Southwest (Maybe can find one to try)
Bender
Tascarella
Capone
Diveney (Tried one recently and liked it a lot)

I also really like how a lot of Cohen and Bob Owen's look.

Anything else that is really good I should consider?

Click to expand...

You're going to have to try cues for yourself and see what you like. Lots of suck ups will recommend "their" cue builder because "he's the best ever" when that may not be true.

Every one of those makers has produced cues that hit like superheroes and cues that hit like a bag of soggy garbage.

Go to Super Billiards Expo, lots of cue sellers will be willing to let you try a cue out for a few shots to see if you like it.

Get On Board The Owen Express Train To Pool Cue Nirvana.

Without a doubt, a TS cue would be the #1 choice but the problem is you are settling for another man’s tastes.
What I mean is whatever cue you can find, assuming it is within your budget & also love the design, will be as is.
The cue was built to someone’s likes & when you’re spending thousands for a cue, why would you want to settle?

Forget the design for a moment and let’s just talk about features and specs. The weight of the cue, the shafts,
the joint type, weight ratio which is the most critical, the wrap, size of the butt, and let’s not forget condition & price.

Instead, wouldn’t you want to have a spectacular cue made just the way you like it? The colors, weight, shafts,
brand new condition too, plus you get to say just how plain or fancy you want it. There is really little comparison.

Go brand new when you can get Bob Owen to build you a cue. He is as talented as TS was in cue-making based upon
what I’ve seen & my cues. My TS cue plays incredible but Bob’s cues actually do perform and feel every bit just as good

Just bite the bullet and call Bob. Tell him to build you a cue and work with him on what it will be. It will be exciting.
Yes, exciting but so would most cue-makers for that matter. I did this with Bob and it was absolutely top notch fun.

diviny. you liked it. rhe rest are a crapshoot

Get a Robert Harris :thumbup:

I’d throw Paul Drexler and Mike Lambros into the mix. Their build quality and feel is great, that’s probably why you don’t see many for sale on AZB


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I would base the choice of maker on what type of cue you are looking for from a hit and feel perspective. I am listing several makers that I have owned through the years in no particular order.

If you want another Steel jointed piloted cue then consider Scruggs, Tascarella, Tad.

If you want a flat face cue with a stiffer hit and feel consider Southwest, Bender. Bluegrass, Rick Howard, Omen, and Manzino.

If you are looking for a flat face cue with more of a medium hit consider Cohen, Diveney, Bob Owen, Andy Gilbert, and Ariel Carmeli.

Obviously there are tons of other cue makers out there but based on my experience owning many, many cues you can't go wrong with any of the ones I mentioned above.

I do agree with what Bavafongoul said about commissioning a new cue direct from the maker. It is a fun process most of the time. But it can also be frustrating as the wait can sometimes feel like forever.

I also think being able to hit the cue before purchasing is a great idea if you can attend a big tournament there are generally a lot of cue makers/dealers there that will allow test hits.

Good Luck and please share pictures when you pull the trigger.

-don

THam said:

So I'm saving up for a high end custom cue. Unfortunately there are a lot of them I am unable to try out before I buy. However there are makers I've heard a lot of good things about. Price doesn't matter too much, Black Boar is probably out of the price range. Right now I play with a Schon and it's okay, doesn't quite have the feedback I'd like.

List I'm considering:

Scruggs (Will be able to hit with one soon to test)
Southwest (Maybe can find one to try)
Bender
Tascarella
Capone
Diveney (Tried one recently and liked it a lot)

I also really like how a lot of Cohen and Bob Owen's look.

Anything else that is really good I should consider?

Click to expand...

Bob Owen would a good choice, lot of bang for buck. He goes UN-noticed for some reason, his son Gabe kind of plays pool good. LOL

trinacria said:

diviny. you liked it. rhe rest are a crapshoot

Click to expand...

The longer this thread goes on, the farther from a single cue we get.

In my reading of the OP, my takeaway was same as quoted above- you tried and liked the diveney. Given no further and approaching the matter from the perspective that you are looking for a cue to play with, diveney seem like the sensible choice.

Yes, I have a few diveneys. Yes, they play very well.

Black-Balled said:

The longer this thread goes on, the farther from a single cue we get.

In my reading of the OP, my takeaway was same as quoted above- you tried and liked the diveney. Given no further and approaching the matter from the perspective that you are looking for a cue to play with, diveney seem like the sensible choice.

Yes, I have a few diveneys. Yes, they play very well.

Click to expand...

He personally is on my do not buy list, along with Sly, that's just me though. But if OP hits the cue and likes it, might as well grab it. He did ask for suggestions on other cues too though.

THam said:

So I'm saving up for a high end custom cue. Unfortunately there are a lot of them I am unable to try out before I buy. However there are makers I've heard a lot of good things about. Price doesn't matter too much, Black Boar is probably out of the price range. Right now I play with a Schon and it's okay, doesn't quite have the feedback I'd like.

List I'm considering:

Scruggs (Will be able to hit with one soon to test)
Southwest (Maybe can find one to try)
Bender
Tascarella
Capone
Diveney (Tried one recently and liked it a lot)

I also really like how a lot of Cohen and Bob Owen's look.

Anything else that is really good I should consider?

Click to expand...

IMO the most important part of getting a custom cue is making sure it is customized to your actual requirements and preferences in a cue. Buying a high end cue maker's cue made for another is "cue collecting" not getting a custom high. Of course through trial and error you can find one that fits exactly but that is difficult unless your requirements are mainstream. Unfortunately it is not possible to get a custom from Scruggs any longer.

First I would start with the type of cue I wanted outside of maker. There are two main "camps" in cues.

First would be sort of the Balabushka inspired cues. These are softer hitting medium stiff cues, generally forward weighted with a crisp feel. Balabushka, Tascarella, Joss East and West, Scruggs, Szambotti, custom Schons by Runde/Clark, Mottey, LMW, etc

Second is the Kersenbrock inspired cues. These tend to be very firm hitting very very stiff cues (due to the parabolic taper) and from cue makers such as Kersenbrock, Southwest, Sugartree Howard, Olney,etc

HOWEVER there is incredible variation within even these camps because of differences in woods, joint type, joint material, shaft taper, shaft thickness, type of tip, weight and balance. They may fit into a general category but all these factors mean that no 2 Tascarellas play exactly the same, no two SW play exactly the same, but if you select the sort of "camp" you like and they add in the specific features you prefer you can dial in what you want.

Of course it should be noted that many cuemakers can make cues all across the spectrum such as Gilbert, Treadway, Searing, Phelps and many others.

If I were you I would ask myself these questions:

What weight and balance feels comfortable in my hand?

"Playing" weight is a function of these two things. Two 19.2 oz cues, one back weighted, and one forward weighted will have an effective "playing" weight very different from each other. The 19.2 back weighted will feel maybe an ounce heavier than the forward weighted cue. I like 18oz of below AND forward weighted making my cues feel very light.

What shaft size do I like?

Standard is 13mm, but thinner shafts tend to be less stiff, deflect less (in the maple world) and lighter. I had a 13mm Treadway that was very stiff, he turned it down to 12.75 and the cue came "alive" and was still stiff but noticeably less so

How thick of a butt do I like? Diviney is known for very thin butts so that might be something you want to get. My Tascarella is the thinnest one he has ever made at the butt.

What type of tip do I like? Tip can make a huge difference in the hit perception of a cue Some will say it is the only thing that matters but I disagree, It is however true that the biggest contributors to how a cue plays is TIP, shaft taper, shaft thickness and to some extent ferrule size and material.

What wrap do I prefer? Wrap can have a big influence over feel. Linen, leather and wrapless all have very different feels.

Once you have decided all these things select a cue maker from the right camp and then zero in on the characteristics above and you will be very happy.

Keep in mind you WILL wait. Likely a long time. If you want a SW either wait 14 years or find a person willing to sell their spot though Laurie frowns on it.

I went through this process first by trial and error cue collecting and then going to the right custom cue maker.

Pete Tascarella made me a cue unlike almost any he has ever made. It is SS jointed but weighs 17.8 oz. It has 12,5mm shafts with 1" Ivory ferrules and has as thin as a handle as he would make (I just asked him to make the handle as thin as he would where he would still consider a Tascarella) It is an amazing cue. Super solid, stiff but not too much, great sound, ultra consistent and lots of finesse. Have had it for 8 months and dont see me ever moving on.

FWIW, Alan Phelps made me a cue almost as good that I cherish with the same characteristics and Josh Treadway is making me one as well that will also have a joint never seen in a cue before.

Since you like Diveney, I would get one from him, or look at Tascarella, possibly Treadway as my first choices,

ideologist said:

You're going to have to try cues for yourself and see what you like. Lots of suck ups will recommend "their" cue builder because "he's the best ever" when that may not be true.

Every one of those makers has produced cues that hit like superheroes and cues that hit like a bag of soggy garbage.

Go to Super Billiards Expo, lots of cue sellers will be willing to let you try a cue out for a few shots to see if you like it.

Click to expand...

Really good advice about going to SBE, particularly if the OP is not happy with the feel of a Schon. There will be plenty of opportunities to find what he considers the desired amount of feedback.

I agree that these requests usually end up with a list of all cuemakers. But since the OP is asking for suggestions to consider, the cuemaker who interests me most if I were in the market is Jules Patterson (EDC Cues). I have only played for a few shots with one of his cues. But even after such a brief experience, I definitely want one.

Thecoats said:

I would base the choice of maker on what type of cue you are looking for from a hit and feel perspective. I am listing several makers that I have owned through the years in no particular order.

If you want another Steel jointed piloted cue then consider Scruggs, Tascarella, Tad.

If you want a flat face cue with a stiffer hit and feel consider Southwest, Bender. Bluegrass, Rick Howard, Omen, and Manzino.

If you are looking for a flat face cue with more of a medium hit consider Cohen, Diveney, Bob Owen, Andy Gilbert, and Ariel Carmeli.


-don

Click to expand...

I think this is good advice. Get an idea of what you like. I personally gravitate to flat faced big pin cues on the stiffer side.

Currently I’m playing a Josey sneaky flat face radial pin which I like but think I’d like a little stiffer. So I made the decision to change cues. Based on past experience I made a decision to get into a Bender. Before I took a 10 year break my player was a South West. Since I started back I’ve only had sneakys other than a South West I picked up and sold because it needed new shafts and I didn’t want to wait or invest more money. A Blue Grass and Josey were most notable. The Blue Grass may have been a tad too stiff but the handle feel is what made me give it up. I don’t get the Bender until tomorrow although I took it for a quick test drive. Initial impressions were good. Closer to the Blue Grass than the Josey. Time will tell how it makes the cut. I think it will but I have the Josey to fall back on.
As you can see for some there’s a lot to the right cue. You’ve got some good prospects. My best advice is pick one and get used to it. You have your Schon to compare it to. I’d pick a stiffer hitting flat face but I’m not picking. Good luck!


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add to the list of things to try

Cues on the secondary that you should try and consider to what you have listed:

BlueGrass
Astle
Manzino
EDC - Jules Patterson
Dunkel

SBE is a good place to see and try

THam said:

So I'm saving up for a high end custom cue. Unfortunately there are a lot of them I am unable to try out before I buy. However there are makers I've heard a lot of good things about. Price doesn't matter too much, Black Boar is probably out of the price range. Right now I play with a Schon and it's okay, doesn't quite have the feedback I'd like.

List I'm considering:

Scruggs (Will be able to hit with one soon to test)
Southwest (Maybe can find one to try)
Bender
Tascarella
Capone
Diveney (Tried one recently and liked it a lot)

I also really like how a lot of Cohen and Bob Owen's look.

Anything else that is really good I should consider?

Click to expand...

If you’re in a hurry to do this it’s going to have to be something you like the look of and
hope it works out. We can usually talk ourselves into just about anything. But realize that
the customs are all a little different. The hit may vary on every Scruggs from cue to cue.
If you’re really serious about finding the right cue for you and if you’re not in a huge hurry and
not settling for or accepting what you get, why not try to make your way to the next big billiard
event somewhere in this country and look at what the custom vendors are offering. Something
you can actually hold in your hands, maybe hit a couple of balls with, feel the taper, this way
there are no surprises and no disappointments.
Your making an investment and with the cues you’re talking about you’re talking about probably
at least a couple, maybe three or four grand, a weekend or two to see what
you’re investing in, to me, wouldn’t be such a bad idea

Subjective situation here, what's great for one guy may not feel so great to another, so...

I love the suggestion about attending a big show like SBE or some of the Vegas events where there are lots of makers/dealers with cues to try. Short of being able to do that, I would suggest sticking with a short list of makers you know you like or have heard lots of good input about then pare the choices down to ones you like the looks of and options you know you like suchas wrap types, pins, ferrule material etc, THEN....

Buy it right so that if for any reason you aren't 100% loving it it won't be difficult to sell.

If you do it right it can be fun, you might get it perfect the first time or maybe it takes a few.

GL and keep us posted how things go.

best,
brian kc

trinacria said:

diviny. you liked it. rhe rest are a crapshoot

Click to expand...

I've never played with a Diveney but I agree if he played with it and liked it that's the one I'd choose unless and until he gets a chance to play with some others.

THam said:

So I'm saving up for a high end custom cue. Unfortunately there are a lot of them I am unable to try out before I buy. However there are makers I've heard a lot of good things about. Price doesn't matter too much, Black Boar is probably out of the price range. Right now I play with a Schon and it's okay, doesn't quite have the feedback I'd like.

List I'm considering:

Scruggs (Will be able to hit with one soon to test)
Southwest (Maybe can find one to try)
Bender
Tascarella
Capone
Diveney (Tried one recently and liked it a lot)

I also really like how a lot of Cohen and Bob Owen's look.

Anything else that is really good I should consider?

Click to expand...

I would highly recommend getting a Diveney, but I have never had the opportunity to hit with any of those higher end cues, other then Scruggs. Scruggs and Diveney cues hit completely different, in my opinion / in my experience with them.

Have you even hit with a Lambros? That is my dream cue, but I have never hit with one. I always imagined they hit super nice, with the unique Ultra joint that he patented. They re so nice, with the longest points that I have ever seen on a cue. The points go all the way up to the joint collar. Here is just one example, but I have seen the points even higher then that on some of his other cues.

https://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cueobsessions/lambros/lambros-gonzales.htm

Scruggs cues consistently hit great.. my daily player is a
plain four pointer..

Tascarella is right up there with a great hit., very desirable
and $$$

Diveney cues are high on my list..I'd really like a wrapless
Titlist like Efren's

Tad cues.. enough said!

Buying any of these used, you'd really have to hit with them
to find one that suits you.. have fun!

Ratamon said:

I’d throw Paul Drexler and Mike Lambros into the mix. Their build quality and feel is great, that’s probably why you don’t see many for sale on AZB


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Click to expand...

Yeah, I rarely see Lambros cues for sale on the used market.