What "Mods" have you made to your favorite playing cue and why?

chefjeff

If not now...
Silver Member
I like my grip to wander, short and long....I probably vary where I grip by 8 inches.
...the more spin I need at a slow speed, the shorter I hold it.
Long dead ball shots made me hold it long, right off the linen.
Holding long worked for the Rifleman.

I remember Charlie Bryant in the stands at the 2002 9-ball Open.
Owens at hill/hill for the b-side finals playing Luat....he's got a long shot on the 7-ball.
Chas whispers "He's gonna have trouble on this shot...he's been playing too much 1-hole
and holds the cue too short for these."
Luat went to the finals against Schmidt.


'course, Jeff's method is great if you have an excess amount of vanity in your pool game....
......'cause every match is taped. :)

Correction....it was the match for the hot seat between Owens and Luat...A-side finals

Taped...ha ha....you punning is funning.

I use the scotch tape as a standard position for a normal shot and adjust from there for special shots. Kind of like I think of Canada as "up there someplace, according to the weather people," before I travel.

Nyah,

Jeff Livingston
 

TheBook

Ret Professional Goof Off
Silver Member
I replaced the tip.

I replaced the ferrule

I repalced the shaft with a 3rd party laminate.

I changed the wrap.

I then changed the butt because I wanted a wrapless.

🎱
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
So we all have a favorite playing cue. What modifications have you made to your cue and why?

I got some sandpaper and lengthened the taper back around 18 inches or so and put on a good triangle tip.

Why? ... Those damned 80 dollar cues all have cheap tips and conical tapers. :thumbup:
 

Player

I'm your huckleberry
Silver Member
I sanded the shaft down a little to where I liked it. Also took off the linen wrap and put on a black lizard wrap myself. I was a little nervous about doing it but it came out great.
Then to top it off I cut off the Kamui tip and glued on one of Pooldawgs Milkdud tips.
 

ConfidenceZone

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm doing the same thing right now. Guido swears by it being ivory. Can't really afford it so looking and trying out a close substitution to ivory.
 

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
I play with a Bludworth, and it has a proprietary pin. This has may it very difficult for me to re-tap stripped out threads on my shafts. I replaced the pin with 3/8x11.
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
I play with a Bludworth, and it has a proprietary pin. This has may it very difficult for me to re-tap stripped out threads on my shafts. I replaced the pin with 3/8x11.

This was a smart move. I assume you also had the existing shaft inserts changed too.

Who changed out the pin and about what did it cost?
 

Lesh

One Hole Thinkifier
Silver Member
Got a couple different LD shafts (Pred Z2 for moving whitey in small areas accurately in 1P and Straight and an OB Classic for banging) I use ultraskin mediums on everything because they are ultraskin mediums... best tip ever. I use a balance rite mid-cue extension when I am feeling strokey and don't use it when my stroke has abandoned me.

Lesh
 

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
Mike Miller of Morgan cues and I think he charged me only $75. Yes, had the shafts re-tapped for SW (3/8x11).

This was a smart move. I assume you also had the existing shaft inserts changed too.

Who changed out the pin and about what did it cost?
 

tbayplayer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had all of my cues changed to 3/8 10 Black G-10 pins. I have liked the G-10 pin since it came out. I do notice a difference in hit with that material.
 

Fenwick

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I ordered a cue that weighs 17.75 ounces. I like them light and skinny. Added a Z2 and I like the feel. I paid more for the two shafts then I paid for the cue. Way more.
 

chefjeff

If not now...
Silver Member
Before I bought a cue, I used to hide my favorite cue in the back room of my local hangout.

The owner never fixed any cues, so we would take those crap ones outside at night and pitch 'em onto the flat roof of the strip mall.

Those are "mods" of sorts, aren't they?


Jeff Livingston
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
I have bought a few top cues since the late 70s.......
...and I make cue makers cringe with what I have done to them.
I like a modified carom taper....and I hate ivory ferrules...
...the ferrule material is from WW11...something to do with landing craft...
..extremely water resistant...the ferrule on my '68 Joss is 37 years old...still tight as a drum.

And the largest tip I use is 12.2 mm......the Joss is 12 mm.

image.jpg
 

Ak Guy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Subtle changes

My favorite cue is my Custom Ebony Hustler made for me in 2012 by Pat Diviney.
It came with a pair of identical 30" Lake Salvage Shafts and a 31" butt with some very nice Birds Eye Maple in the forearm.

I visited his shop last October when we drove from Alaska on a 20 state tour through America. I had him thread the butt for an 8" maple extension his son made. He also threaded the butt of the Cocobolo Bar Hustler he made me.

I left the Ebony Hustler butt with him and had him put 8 ivory dots around the bottom of the cue, 4 ivory diamonds where the maple points meet the ebony and 4 ivory spears where the 4 ebony points meet the maple on the forearm.

These are small pieces of ivory and I like the contrasting look with the ebony. I am ok with ivory use and I also shoot my own meat, mainly moose and caribou and catch my own fish. I'm just an old 50 year Alaskan and like it.
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
I have bought a few top cues since the late 70s.......
...and I make cue makers cringe with what I have done to them.
I like a modified carom taper....and I hate ivory ferrules...
...the ferrule material is from WW11...something to do with landing craft...
..extremely water resistant...the ferrule on my '68 Joss is 37 years old...still tight as a drum.

And the largest tip I use is 12.2 mm......the Joss is 12 mm.

View attachment 422196

NOW were talking. This is what I'm talking about. Performance mods to suit the cue to your swing. Better golfers have all sorts of tweaks on their clubs.
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
My favorite cue is my Custom Ebony Hustler made for me in 2012 by Pat Diviney.
It came with a pair of identical 30" Lake Salvage Shafts and a 31" butt with some very nice Birds Eye Maple in the forearm.

I visited his shop last October when we drove from Alaska on a 20 state tour through America. I had him thread the butt for an 8" maple extension his son made. He also threaded the butt of the Cocobolo Bar Hustler he made me.

I left the Ebony Hustler butt with him and had him put 8 ivory dots around the bottom of the cue, 4 ivory diamonds where the maple points meet the ebony and 4 ivory spears where the 4 ebony points meet the maple on the forearm.

These are small pieces of ivory and I like the contrasting look with the ebony. I am ok with ivory use and I also shoot my own meat, mainly moose and caribou and catch my own fish. I'm just an old 50 year Alaskan and like it.

This is the one mod - a butt extension - I would really like to add. I have practiced a lot with the bridge, but some shots are better with an extension. I do not like the typical extensions sold.
 

rcgray

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I bought my current ebony hoppe titlist hoppe tribute cue. It originally had a smooth black leather wrap on it. The feel was ok but just needed a little something to make it perfect. I searched and finally found a spool of black with blue specs Blue Mountain linen for my new wrap. I also bought 10 micarta ferrules and had my cue repair man put his skills to use. It couldn't have came out any better!!! The blue mountain linen feels as smooth as silk it's smaller than the Irish linen used today and the feel is incredible. I highly recommend Blue Mountain linen it's a great product and it feels amazing. Thanks.
 
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