Your first ( good ) cue

sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
I played with a Brunswick cue from 1969-78, given to me by my dad, but the first cue I actually purchased was an Adams that Jim Rempe sold me when he tired of competing with it.
 
Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Get_A_Grip said:
I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but when I was new to pool around my college days, I really had no idea what made a "good" cue or not. I just figured that any straight, two-piece cue was as good as any other.

The first two-piece cue that I bought I'm pretty sure that I bought from K-mart! I recall that the entire wrap area was clear coated over though. It was for sure less than $100 bucks. Maybe even down near $40. I don't remember for sure.

My best friend that didn't even play pool thought that this cue was an expensive custom cue. I know that I didn't lie, but I was embarrassed about how cheap it was. So somehow during our conversations of him guessing what it cost, he ended-up with the idea that it was around a $700 cue. I just let him believe that.

I'll never forget the day that we were at a party at an experienced pool player's house that had a table downstairs. I brought my cue. My friend decided to hand it to this guy and ask him what he thought it was worth. He's starring at it in almost disbelief. LOL He holds it up and bangs the side of the cue with the heel of his hand and the whole shaft vibrated like a tuning fork. LOL He's like, "I don't know, maybe it's worth $50". My friend laughed thinking that this guy had no idea what he was talking about.
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Great story. Hilarious...
 
Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
sjm said:
I played with a Brunswick cue from 1969-78, given to me by my dad, but the first cue I actually purchased was an Adams that Jim Rempe sold me when he tired of competing with it.
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Wow, Stu... you are a WELLSPRING of information. I had NO IDEA Rempe ever played with an Adam. Geez...

I LOVED "my" Brunswick ( house ) cue. I was heartbroken when the original owner sold the room and the new owner got new house cues and I came in one day, looked for the Brunswick ( the new owner was a grumpy old man who told me "my" cue was a house cue and didn't belong "behind the counter" ) and it was gone. I was like... WHERE'S MY CUE???. The new owner said "I threw them all away".

Man, I did NOT LIKE that old man. I was REALLY happy when HE sold the room, years later.
 
hurricane145

hurricane145

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
1981 vertical logo Huebler H1 with black butt and joint.

Sold it later to one of the local regular players for $75. He came by the tavern and picked it up, went home and leaned it up by his dresser in his room and had to go out on errands.
When he got back home, his dog had found the new wood chew toy and destroyed it. He never got to hit a single ball with it.:eek:

Saddest pool story ever!:frown:
 
sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Michael Andros said:
Wow, Stu... you are a WELLSPRING of information. I had NO IDEA Rempe ever played with an Adam. Geez.
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Adams was Rempe's sponsor back in the late 1970's and well into the 1980's and Jimmy competed very successfully in the years in which he played with an Adams.
 
G

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
hurricane145 said:
1981 vertical logo Huebler H1 with black butt and joint.

Sold it later to one of the local regular players for $75. He came by the tavern and picked it up, went home and leaned it up by his dresser in his room and had to go out on errands.
When he got back home, his dog had found the new wood chew toy and destroyed it. He never got to hit a single ball with it.:eek:

Saddest pool story ever!:frown:
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That is BRUTAL.
 
Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
sjm said:
Adams was Rempe's sponsor back in the late 1970's and well into the 1980's and Jimmy competed very successfully in the years in which he played with an Adams.
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He wasn't down here every winter like a lot of other NE players ( Sigel, Hubbard, Hopkins, Miz, etc ) but he definitely was here a few times and I only remember him with a Meucci. But, it's not like I walked around tournaments, asking world beaters what kind of cues they had.. :D

He gets SO little recognition these days in conversations about "Retro" great players. It's always Sigel and Hopkins and Miz and Varner... but Rempe was a SUPERSTAR. He won so many tournaments it was a joke. And he played ALL games. I think 1 hole was his weakest game and he STILL played it pretty damned sporty. He deserves to be front and center when talk comes up about those days.
 
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Sealegs50

Sealegs50

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Michael Andros said:
Here is my first "good" cue, ( my first few cues were not "good" cues by any stretch ), a National Tournament ( Gandy ). I had never heard of weight bolts back then and it was too heavy ( 22 oz ), so I sold it @ year later. I sure wish I still had it. I LOVED that cue. It hit balls solid as a rock.
/QUOTE]

My first good cue was a custom-made catalog Joss from 1985. I ordered a non-stained BEM MW 19.0 oz with13 mm shafts. The cue I received was stained, 20.4 oz. and had 13.2 mm shafts. I received it the day before going into back surgery and had to decide whether or not to accept the cue under those difficult conditions of extreme back pain. Guys in the pool hall convinced me that I would learn to love the 20+ oz. weight, so I kept it. Unfortunately, I did not learn to like the cue, because it always felt so dead in my hands. Like Michael, I didn’t know about weight bolts or other modifications that could be made. I asked a local cue dealer, past pro player if it could be changed to be more to my expectations. He told me that once they were completed, there wasn’t really anything I could do and “the cue is all wrong” and “you need to buy a new Meucci” that he just happened to be selling. That started my down the path of seeking cue nirvana. I kept the Joss because it was a gift from someone dear to me and it was only worth the original $200 that was paid.

Fast forward quite a few years, after learning a lot about cues and after a lot more experience with different cue styles, I contacted Dan Janes who sent me an aluminum weight bolt for the cue. It brought the overall weight down to 19.1 oz. and of course, the balance point moved way forward. I had already learned to prefer thick, stiff shafts. And now this cue is my league playing cue. The bumper and bolt were replaced to accept a carbon fiber extension that can be attached and removed as needed. I own two custom cues that I prefer to this Joss, but the difference in performance is not in line with the difference in investment. I could sell off the more expensive cues, play only with the Joss and have nothing to complain about.
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Poolhall60561

Poolhall60561

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The model number was something 90 and it cost $90
I talked to I believe Gordon Hart, the owner, to make the. 2nd shaft.
Viking offered a variety of joints, some with a double thread


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Maniac

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
I'm not sure what the criteria for a "good" cue is, but here goes:

I started shooting real pool (not infrequent, casual "banging") 13 years ago at the age of 53. I had started playing in an APA league and was shooting "off the wall". I knew that eventually I'd need to buy myself a cue, but had zero experience with cues. A teammate had a Cuetec, so that was the first 2-piece cue I bought/owned. It later actually turned out to be a nice cue once I bought an R360 shaft for it (my wife uses it for league play).

So once I realized that the SST fiberglass-cladded shaft was a POS I went and bought this:
https://www.amazon.com/LUCASI-Antiq...=lucasi+cues&qid=1563121479&s=gateway&sr=8-75 Now this was actually what I would consider to be a "good" cue, depending upon what the definition of "good" is. It had nice BE maple in the butt, a decent leather wrap, a Uni-loc joint, and the 13mm shaft was made from a very nice piece of maple. I still have it in a spare case.

Once again feeling the need for a better cue, I got this:
https://www.jacobycustomcues.com/cuesdetail.php?ID=1177
This cue is undeniably a "good" cue. Really it is better than good, it's a damn fine cue. I will own it until I draw my final breath.

Obviously I have moved on to different and nicer cues, but that's just an edited story of my first "good" cues.

Maniac
 
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HNTFSH

HNTFSH

Birds, Bass & Bottoms
Silver Member
Now retired McDermott WC2. Being a bird hunter it made sense and as a production cue had everything I wanted. Cue played great for me, should never have traded it for the 4 doz goose field decoys although I did have a lot of fun shooting birds over them. Have a new McDermott on the way that's more southwest motif and look forward to it. I doubt I'll become a "custom" guy cause there's just too many things to spend money on. But I get the romance of it and enjoy seeing everyone's.
 

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Runner

Runner

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Palmer here, as well.. Titlist points with
with the clear window in the butt sleeve..
wish I still had it, won my first tournament
with it... like the one on the left.
 

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Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Sealegs50 said:
Michael Andros said:
Here is my first "good" cue, ( my first few cues were not "good" cues by any stretch ), a National Tournament ( Gandy ). I had never heard of weight bolts back then and it was too heavy ( 22 oz ), so I sold it @ year later. I sure wish I still had it. I LOVED that cue. It hit balls solid as a rock.
/QUOTE]

My first good cue was a custom-made catalog Joss from 1985. I ordered a non-stained BEM MW 19.0 oz with13 mm shafts. The cue I received was stained, 20.4 oz. and had 13.2 mm shafts. I received it the day before going into back surgery and had to decide whether or not to accept the cue under those difficult conditions of extreme back pain. Guys in the pool hall convinced me that I would learn to love the 20+ oz. weight, so I kept it. Unfortunately, I did not learn to like the cue, because it always felt so dead in my hands. Like Michael, I didn’t know about weight bolts or other modifications that could be made. I asked a local cue dealer, past pro player if it could be changed to be more to my expectations. He told me that once they were completed, there wasn’t really anything I could do and “the cue is all wrong” and “you need to buy a new Meucci” that he just happened to be selling. That started my down the path of seeking cue nirvana. I kept the Joss because it was a gift from someone dear to me and it was only worth the original $200 that was paid.

Fast forward quite a few years, after learning a lot about cues and after a lot more experience with different cue styles, I contacted Dan Janes who sent me an aluminum weight bolt for the cue. It brought the overall weight down to 19.1 oz. and of course, the balance point moved way forward. I had already learned to prefer thick, stiff shafts. And now this cue is my league playing cue. The bumper and bolt were replaced to accept a carbon fiber extension that can be attached and removed as needed. I own two custom cues that I prefer to this Joss, but the difference in performance is not in line with the difference in investment. I could sell off the more expensive cues, play only with the Joss and have nothing to complain about.
Click to expand...


Pretty cue. Reminds me of my Tillis Merry Widow. I love the way my Joss ( east ) looks. it's GORGEOUS. But when I got it, I didn't like the way it hit balls with any of the original 3 shafts. But now, since I had one shaft turned down to meet my wants for taper and a long ( 1 1/4" ) ferrule, it hits them almost perfect. But, first impressions last so I have a hard time "accepting" it, mentally. If I had gotten a great "1st" impression, I would've been playing with it all this time ( bought it in summer 16 ). But, I didn't... so I've found I just can't use it. It's almost brand new. I hate to sell it 'cause it's reallllyyyy pretty and I like looking at it, but it's been for sale for more than a year. But very "low-key" sales status.

Now, that said, my Joss *West*? MMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

:grin:
Click to expand...
 
Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Sealegs50 said:
Michael Andros said:
Here is my first "good" cue, ( my first few cues were not "good" cues by any stretch ), a National Tournament ( Gandy ). I had never heard of weight bolts back then and it was too heavy ( 22 oz ), so I sold it @ year later. I sure wish I still had it. I LOVED that cue. It hit balls solid as a rock.
/QUOTE]

My first good cue was a custom-made catalog Joss from 1985. I ordered a non-stained BEM MW 19.0 oz with13 mm shafts. The cue I received was stained, 20.4 oz. and had 13.2 mm shafts. I received it the day before going into back surgery and had to decide whether or not to accept the cue under those difficult conditions of extreme back pain. Guys in the pool hall convinced me that I would learn to love the 20+ oz. weight, so I kept it. Unfortunately, I did not learn to like the cue, because it always felt so dead in my hands. Like Michael, I didn’t know about weight bolts or other modifications that could be made. I asked a local cue dealer, past pro player if it could be changed to be more to my expectations. He told me that once they were completed, there wasn’t really anything I could do and “the cue is all wrong” and “you need to buy a new Meucci” that he just happened to be selling. That started my down the path of seeking cue nirvana. I kept the Joss because it was a gift from someone dear to me and it was only worth the original $200 that was paid.

Fast forward quite a few years, after learning a lot about cues and after a lot more experience with different cue styles, I contacted Dan Janes who sent me an aluminum weight bolt for the cue. It brought the overall weight down to 19.1 oz. and of course, the balance point moved way forward. I had already learned to prefer thick, stiff shafts. And now this cue is my league playing cue. The bumper and bolt were replaced to accept a carbon fiber extension that can be attached and removed as needed. I own two custom cues that I prefer to this Joss, but the difference in performance is not in line with the difference in investment. I could sell off the more expensive cues, play only with the Joss and have nothing to complain about.
Click to expand...


Pretty cue. Reminds me of my Tillis Merry Widow. I love the way my Joss ( east ) looks. it's GORGEOUS. But when I got it, I didn't like the way it hit balls with any of the original 3 shafts. But now, since I had one shaft turned down to meet my wants for taper and a long ( 1 1/4" ) Ferrule, it hits them almost perfect. But, first impressions last so I have a hard time "accepting" it, mentally. If I had gotten a great "1st" impression, I would've been playing with it all this time ( bought it in summer 16 ). But, I didn't... so I've found I just can't use it. It's almost brand new. I hate to sell it 'cause it's reallllyyyy pretty and I like looking at it, but it's been for sale for more than a year. But very "low-key" sales status.

Now, that said, my Joss *West*? MMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

:grin:
Click to expand...
 
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mikemosconi

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ha! My first jointed cue was in the 1970s- one of those cues, if you remember, with those metal discs that sat on the buttsleeve and you could remove them to change the cue weight and balance - not sure if they were imports - had no money then so I carried it around in the plastic sleeve it came in . First production cue was a Huebler Mexican Rosewood- still one of the nicest woods i have ever seen on a cue- wish i still had it! first custom cue was a Richard Black - still own it- the split diamond model- still my favorite playing cue after owning 50 +various customs/productions at one time or another
 
Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Runner said:
Palmer here, as well.. Titlist points with
with the clear window in the butt sleeve..
wish I still had it, won my first tournament
with it... like the one on the left.
Click to expand...

Nice, Run! I wish I still had MY Palmer ( *OR* my Rambow ). I loved that cue. So much for being young and dumb and broke...


:mad:
 
Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
mikemosconi said:
Ha! My first jointed cue was in the 1970s- one of those cues, if you remember, with those metal discs that sat on the buttsleeve and you could remove them to change the cue weight and balance - not sure if they were imports - had no money then so I carried it around in the plastic sleeve it came in . First production cue was a Huebler Mexican Rosewood- still one of the nicest woods i have ever seen on a cue- wish i still had it! first custom cue was a Richard Black - still own it- the split diamond model- still my favorite playing cue after owning 50 +various customs/productions at one time or another
Click to expand...

NIce. I like Hueblers but never owned one. Closest I got was my Huebler / Meucci that Meucci made when he was still working with / for Huebler in 72-73. I bought it in 78 and it was my only cue til 2016.

I'm just happy with what I have now. I'm getting one more soon and then I'm done acquiring cues. I'll basically have all the cues I've wanted ( or, almost ) for many years, plus a few more. So I'll be done soon.
 
Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
HNTFSH said:
Now retired McDermott WC2. Being a bird hunter it made sense and as a production cue had everything I wanted. Cue played great for me, should never have traded it for the 4 doz goose field decoys although I did have a lot of fun shooting birds over them. Have a new McDermott on the way that's more southwest motif and look forward to it. I doubt I'll become a "custom" guy cause there's just too many things to spend money on. But I get the romance of it and enjoy seeing everyone's.
Click to expand...

"Custom" is, really, just the act of "changing" anything on a production cue when you order it. Like, if it comes with a linen wrap and I tell them I want a leather wrap, then the cue is, technically, "custom". By most definitions, though, "custom" means built totally to *your* ( or anyone else's if you buy a used cue ) specs. I have a few of those and, yeah, they cost more. A matter of taste, really. I've had way more production cues than I have had "custom".
 
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