Bluegrass cue review

Cezar Morales · Jun 28, 2015

Hello guys, i'm thinking about picking up a wrapless bluegrass cue so i'm wondering how Richard's cue hits and i can't find any decent reviews on Bluegrass.

I heard from many that Bluegrass is the closest possible alternative to a Southwest .
Is that true ?
Can anyone describe or share opinions please ?
Why are there relatively few bluegrass that come out for sale n do they hold their value ?

F.y.i i'm playing with an Olney cue now but i find it dead with little ball action so i'm trying to avoid that hit.
What i prefer is a stiff cue with phenormenal cue ball a tion when u juice it n feedback.

To avoid offending anyone,i would like to stress that Jeff Olney 's cue quality is very good n top notch but it just doesnt suit my preference.

So, feel free to chip in anyone

Thanks
Ryan

01rkclassic · Jun 28, 2015

While they may look similar to a South West they are definitely not like a South West.Richard uses a much stiffer taper than SW,many don't like his taper and have his cue retapered by other cue makers as he will not retaper one of his cues.I have had the opportunity to play with many of his cues since I live fairly close to him and some friends have his cues.With that being said the fit and finish of his cues is as good as anybody,he is a top tier cue maker and uses the finest woods,also he has Micarta which many feel makes for the best playing ferrulle.On the subject of value,that is hard to say as the cue market is very finicky,I just sold a Joss West last week and I thought it would be an easy sell but it turned into the hardest sale i have experienced FWIW.I will say that I have met Richard and played against him,he plays very well and knows how a cue should play and he is very very nice guy and easy to deal with.

Kid Dynomite · Jun 28, 2015

Cezar Morales said:
Hello guys, i'm thinking about picking up a wrapless bluegrass cue so i'm wondering how Richard's cue hits and i can't find any decent reviews on Bluegrass.

I heard from many that Bluegrass is the closest possible alternative to a Southwest .
Is that true ?
Can anyone describe or share opinions please ?
Why are there relatively few bluegrass that come out for sale n do they hold their value ?

F.y.i i'm playing with an Olney cue now but i find it dead with little ball action so i'm trying to avoid that hit.
What i prefer is a stiff cue with phenormenal cue ball a tion when u juice it n feedback.

To avoid offending anyone,i would like to stress that Jeff Olney 's cue quality is very good n top notch but it just doesnt suit my preference.

So, feel free to chip in anyone

Thanks
Ryan

I would suggest a few builders to investigate. Mike Capone & Ted Harris cues are stiff and similar to what you described. Ted Harris is a secondary cue market buy only, he had some issues! Capone is the head of the American Cuemaker Association and is very stand up guy!

I also heard excellent stuff about corey barnhart's flat faced big pin cues!!! Sorry, can't comment on Richard Harris cues.

KD

Tittyhooked · Jun 28, 2015

If you are looking for a great playing cue with a stiff hit then a Bluegrass is a wise choice. I play with a Z2 shaft and with that shaft my Southwest or Bluegrass cues (i have had over 10) play almost identical. The only issue that I have encountered with Bluegrass cues is that the butts typically are all the same weight, so if you like a heavier or lighter butt they can be tough to find.

Cezar Morales · Jun 28, 2015

bluegrass cue taper

01rkclassic said:
While they may look similar to a South West they are definitely not like a South West.Richard uses a much stiffer taper than SW,many don't like his taper and have his cue retapered by other cue makers as he will not retaper one of his cues.I have had the opportunity to play with many of his cues since I live fairly close to him and some friends have his cues.With that being said the fit and finish of his cues is as good as anybody,he is a top tier cue maker and uses the finest woods,also he has Micarta which many feel makes for the best playing ferrulle.On the subject of value,that is hard to say as the cue market is very finicky,I just sold a Joss West last week and I thought it would be an easy sell but it turned into the hardest sale i have experienced FWIW.I will say that I have met Richard and played against him,he plays very well and knows how a cue should play and he is very very nice guy and easy to deal with.

Thanks for ur input sir.
when you mentioned that the taper of bluegrass is very stiff, do you actually mean the taper of the shaft or butt ?

And do you know if he will fit a mezz shaft on his butt ?

Any inputs, anyone else ?

Thanks

prewarhero · Jun 28, 2015

I have owned many cues and many of them were Richard's. There is no question, the hit of his cues are amongst the best out there. Yes, similar to a southwest but stiffer. They also have a better feel as I think his tolerances are lower than SW and it just produces a more solid cue. When I am not playing with my Kersenbrock I play with my bluegrass.

Cezar Morales · Jun 28, 2015

bluegrass cue

prewarhero said:
I have owned many cues and many of them were Richard's. There is no question, the hit of his cues are amongst the best out there. Yes, similar to a southwest but stiffer. They also have a better feel as I think his tolerances are lower than SW and it just produces a more solid cue. When I am not playing with my Kersenbrock I play with my bluegrass.

Hi there,
When you say its stiffer than a southwest, would that make it overly-stiff ?
And may i know if his taper will hamper a long-stroke ?

Thanks

Cezar Morales · Jun 28, 2015

bluegrass cue

Hi, does anyone knows the joint size of bluegrass ?

As i would like to fit a mezz shaft on it and i would like to know if it would end up flush .

Anyone have experiences fitting other shaft on a bluegrass ?

Also, can someone provides Richard Harris's contact no please ? (I already have his email )

Thanks

Cornerman · Jun 28, 2015

Kid Dynomite said:
I would suggest a few builders to investigate. Mike Capone & Ted Harris cues are stiff and similar to what you described. Ted Harris is a secondary cue market buy only, he had some issues! Capone is the head of the American Cuemaker Association and is very stand up guy!

I also heard excellent stuff about corey barnhart's flat faced big pin cues!!! Sorry, can't comment on Richard Harris cues.

KD

Can you clarify what you mean about Ted Harris being a secondary cue market only? Teddy's shop is going pretty well. My Ted Harris cue was directly from him.

Freddie <~~~ read about it in a magazine

Kid Dynomite · Jun 28, 2015

Cornerman said:
Can you clarify what you mean about Ted Harris being a secondary cue market only? Teddy's shop is going pretty well. My Ted Harris cue was directly from him.

Freddie <~~~ read about it in a magazine

Freddie, I am not going to go there!

An azb search can shed some light.

He had a rough spot in his life and that seems to be over.

Kd

prewarhero · Jun 28, 2015

Cezar Morales said:
Hi there,
When you say its stiffer than a southwest, would that make it overly-stiff ?
And may i know if his taper will hamper a long-stroke ?

Thanks

Richard has a stiff taper. The smallest thinnest shafts that come out of his shop are 12.75 mm. I have a long stroke and prefer a 12.7 or 12.65mm shaft and it doesn't hamper my stroke at all. He will tell you his cues have NO deflection, while that is not totally true they have very little. Balance is always great too. I prefer his BEM cues to any other (I've tried cocabola and ebony) the 3 BEM cues all played better.

To me, having another cue maker re-taper or turn down Richards shaft is like buying a SW and putting a predator shaft on it. Then what's the point?

Cezar Morales · Jun 28, 2015

prewarhero said:
Richard has a stiff taper. The smallest thinnest shafts that come out of his shop are 12.75 mm. I have a long stroke and prefer a 12.7 or 12.65mm shaft and it doesn't hamper my stroke at all. He will tell you his cues have NO deflection, while that is not totally true they have very little. Balance is always great too. I prefer his BEM cues to any other (I've tried cocabola and ebony) the 3 BEM cues all played better.

To me, having another cue maker re-taper or turn down Richards shaft is like buying a SW and putting a predator shaft on it. Then what's the point?

I get what you mean that buying a custom cue is about experiencing the whole package of what the cue maker believe what works best for his cue.

However, i've been using mezz shaft for a long period and transitioning back to a conventional shaft may mean re-learning deflection n other related stuff.

The reason why im buying the bluegrass is because i totally fell in love with the design and the wood used are figured birdseye maple handle n ebony buttsleeve n forearm, which are my favourite wood combination and its also a 25th anniversary cue !

With all being discussed,

Can anyone tell me if an ebony forearm buttsleeve produce more power n a solid hit as i've always "felt" that ebony, a denser n heavier wood produce more power ?

Any other views on Richard Harris Bluegrass cue ?

Thanks

SpiderWeb · Jun 28, 2015

Kid Dynomite said:
I would suggest a few builders to investigate. Mike Capone & Ted Harris cues are stiff and similar to what you described. Ted Harris is a secondary cue market buy only, he had some issues! Capone is the head of the American Cuemaker Association and is very stand up guy!

I also heard excellent stuff about corey barnhart's flat faced big pin cues!!! Sorry, can't comment on Richard Harris cues.

KD

No where did he ask for a persons life history, only about cues. You have zero class and stink the place up and I wished they would show you the door forever.

Baron · Jun 28, 2015

I had one once and sold it, which was stupid. I loved it.

Cezar Morales · Jun 28, 2015

Bluegrass

Baron said:
I had one once and sold it, which was stupid. I loved it.

Perhaps you would like to describe more n the hit of your bluegrass ?

I'm just wondering why so few feedbacks or reviews on Richard Harris cue when he's considered a top cuemaker.

Thanks

Kid Dynomite · Jun 28, 2015

SpiderWeb said:
No where did he ask for a persons life history, only about cues. You have zero class and stink the place up and I wished they would show you the door forever.

You sir are an idiot!

I refer the builder and something bad happens and you get "why didn't you tell me "

You say be careful in a nice vague way some "idiot/moron" calls you names!

In azb land you can't win and its all ways a catch 22!!!

Kd

Cezar Morales · Jun 28, 2015

bluegrass cue

Kid Dynomite said:
You sir are an idiot!

I refer the builder and something bad happens and you get "why didn't you tell me "

You say be careful in a nice vague way some "idiot/moron" calls you names!

In azb land you can't win and its all ways a catch 22!!!

Kd

Hey, take it easy n thanks for ur input.. appreciate it

Anyone else like to chip in on bluegrass cue ?

Btw, anyone know the joint diameter of bluegrass cue ?

Thanks

Cross · Jun 29, 2015

My bluegrass is ebony with wrapless bird'seye handle. My friend's is cocobolo with a linen wrap. My other friend's is ebony with linen wrap. The hit is more or less similar, the balance is similar as well. In my experience, different tips on each cue had more effect on the feel of the hit than the difference between ebony and cocobolo nose. Dont know if this will apply to other kinds of wood though

Cezar Morales · Jun 29, 2015

bluegrass cue

Cross said:
My bluegrass is ebony with wrapless bird'seye handle. My friend's is cocobolo with a linen wrap. My other friend's is ebony with linen wrap. The hit is more or less similar, the balance is similar as well. In my experience, different tips on each cue had more effect on the feel of the hit than the difference between ebony and cocobolo nose. Dont know if this will apply to other kinds of wood though

Hey Cross, your cue is my favourite combination of wood.

Would you like to share some pictures , im sure its a beauty ?

How does bluegrass cue hits with his original shaft ?

Thanks

Cornerman · Jun 29, 2015

Kid Dynomite said:
Freddie, I am not going to go there!

An azb search can shed some light.

He had a rough spot in his life and that seems to be over.

Kd

That's why I'm asking. There's no secret that Ted went through rough patches. The InsidePOOL article was pretty clear about it.

But TODAy, Ted Harris is doing a superb job. and his cues hit as good as anyones. So, I'm asking why you say his cues are a secondary market cue only. That's not true, unless he's selling everything he's got like the higher end builders. But that's not what Ted Harris is about.

Freddie

Bluegrass cue review

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