Good beginner cue brand and price?

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animatedvmaker

Banned
garczar said:
I used to tout these but my 2yr old sneaky has two warped shafts. They basically said to pound sand because i've had it 2yrs. Bullshit. Wouldn't buy another. Cue was always in a good case and upright. They just don't cure their wood enough. I've had Players and Lucasi's that were over 10yrs old that were still dead straight.
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Oh, that sucks. Thanks for letting the public know that.

Yeah, I assume that Players cues come with shafts that are just as high quality as the Lucasi cues.

I think I read someone that they let their shafts hang for like 5 years before they are finished? Very long curing of the wood process, I assume.
 
A

animatedvmaker

Banned
megatron69 said:
Get a McDermott cue GS1 series for about $200, IIRC. Solid company, manufacturing, and made in Wisconsin. Good enough quality that you may never need to buy another cue in your life. If you live another 20 years, that's 10 bucks a year.
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Yeah, Mcdermott cues are high quality, and hit very nice. I am talking about the American made ones, not their Star or Lucky lines, which I can't comment on, because I have never hit with one.

One of my 1st cues was a Mcdermott, when I was 14-15, and I really enjoyed playing with it.
 
A

animatedvmaker

Banned
megatron69 said:
That's interesting. Something must've changed.

Vikings are decent, at least the ones I've seen, but I haven't owned one in decades. Guess I'll bow out of this thread at this point because I really don't have an economic brand/model I can advocate anymore.

Personally not a fan of either Players or Lucasi, but that's just from a personal standpoint. Never liked how they played for me.
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Have you ever tried a Lucasi Hybrid shaft? I highly recommend you give one a try someday, if you have never hit with one.
 
J

JohnnyOzone

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There is NO reason to buy anything that is made in China over a US made product - especially given recent world events

Spend a couple of bucksx sand get McDermott or Joss, even if you have to get a used one.
 
M

megatron69

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animatedvmaker said:
Have you ever tried a Lucasi Hybrid shaft? I highly recommend you give one a try someday, if you have never hit with one.
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Thanks, but I'm out of my experimental phase at this point. I shoot Meuccis now, have for nearly 30 years. My favorite shooter is an old Meucci DH-2 with a solid maple shaft, then a somewhat newer HP-3 w/BD, and most recently a Meucci ANW-3. Between these cues I shot just about everything under the sun production-wise, but always ended up coming back to the Meuccis.

At this point, I'm just a casual player that sometimes plays a little league (on a table about once maybe twice a week), so I don't need a carbon fiber shaft, or anything fancy. I'm shooting just for pleasure of the game and to hang out with my friends. And a little friendly competition.

So I've come full circle, in that while I can still appreciate the performance of a well made low-deflection shaft, I have found or rediscovered the joy of a solid maple shaft such as the one on my DH-2. If that makes sense.

My next cue will have a solid wood shaft, and will be more about craftsmanship than performance at the highest level. And I'll likely never deign to put a low-deflection shaft on it.
 
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Johnny Rosato

Johnny Rosato

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McDermott about $200+. Pechauer about $300+.
Both have excellent warranty and customer service.
And I would buy it from Seybert's.
 
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A

animatedvmaker

Banned
megatron69 said:
Thanks, but I'm out of my experimental phase at this point. I shoot Meuccis now, have for nearly 30 years. My favorite shooter is an old Meucci DH-2 with a solid maple shaft, then a somewhat newer HP-3 w/BD, and most recently a Meucci ANW-3. Between these cues I shot just about everything under the sun production-wise, but always ended up coming back to the Meuccis.

At this point, I'm just a casual player that sometimes plays a little league (on a table about once maybe twice a week), so I don't need a carbon fiber shaft, or anything fancy. I'm shooting just for pleasure of the game and to hang out with my friends. And a little friendly competition.

So I've come full circle, in that while I can still appreciate the performance of a well made low-deflection shaft, I have found or rediscovered the joy of a solid maple shaft such as the one on my DH-2. If that makes sense.

My next cue will have a solid wood shaft, and will be more about craftsmanship than performance at the highest level. And I'll likely never deign to put a low-deflection shaft on it.
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Okay, well in that case, I would highly recommend you try out a Pat Diveney cue someday. Maybe a league player in your local region has one, and would let you hit a few balls with it. They are the best hitting cues I have ever had the opportunity to play with.

And the best part is that they are not too expensive. Probably the best value for a high quality custom cue, and they hit and feel amazing, in my opinion.

http://www.diveneycue.com/pool-cues/brand-new-sneaky-pete-2/
 
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M

megatron69

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animatedvmaker said:
Okay, well in that case, I would highly recommend you try out a Pat Diveney cue someday. Maybe a league player in your local region has one, and would let you hit a few balls with it. They are the best hitting cues I have ever had the opportunity to play with.

And the best part is that they are not too expensive. Probably the best value for a high quality custom cue, and they hit and feel amazing, in my opinion.

http://www.diveneycue.com/pool-cues/brand-new-sneaky-pete-2/
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I've shot one actually. A buddy of mine got one several years ago and let me pot a few balls with it before our match. Very sweet looking and playing cue. In fact, I think that was about the time that I decided to leave the HP-3 with the BD shaft at home for a season and just play with my DH. i just liked the feel of that solid maple. Felt 'livelier' if you will.
 
Ken_4fun

Ken_4fun

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People don't like to hear it, but IMO, the best thing is to get a used custom cue.

I bought a Rick Howard sneaky pete that is incredible looking and playing for $500. Used would be less than that.

IMO, that's hard to beat, because when you want to sell it, folks would be knocking down your door.

Ken
 
Type79

Type79

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pogmothoin said:
While Players cues are fine you might want to consider a Schmelke cue. While fairly priced they make a fine cue. There are even custom options if you so desire, Many of the blanks used by custom makers come from them.

Perhaps most importantly at this time they are Made in the USA!

https://www.schmelkecue.com
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I would not only second these comments but I would add that a basic Schmelke is a cue that you will suit you during and after you hone your playing skills.

EDIT Grammar
 
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C

Cron

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Type79 said:
I would not only second these comments but I would add that a basic Schmelke is a cue you that you will suit you even after you hone your playing skills.
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I will third that and say a Schmelke butt can be made almost any way you want. However, *if* you can only afford $100, I used a Players Sneaky Pete for 2 days and it hit very well (unfortunately the lightest it would go was 18.5oz). But, if you can afford $200, you might as well just e-mail Schmelke now with your specs.
 
magnetardo

magnetardo

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animatedvmaker said:
Yeah, I really do love this one that is made with Bocote wood.

https://www.schmelkecue.com/r030-4-prong-bocote.html

If only they had an option for a nice highly figured Birds Eye Maple forearm, then that cue would really look stunning, in my opinion.

They also have a free 3/8x10 joint pin option, which will give the cue a really great soft, but solid hit.

I would choose the Extended Pro taper option, which costs an extra $20.

They also give you an option for a longer cue, up to 62 inches, if you are a really tall player.
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They have that option, you just have to call them. I have an ebony into birdseye sneaky I've had about 6 years still dead straight.
 
HNTFSH

HNTFSH

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Since your original benchmark was Walmart, without a price range it's hard to suggest but you're best bet is $200.00 - $350.00. Value matters, not just price.
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
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jaime_lion said:
So What is a good beginner pool cue brand and price? If it is too difficult to give me one brand and price give me a range please.

Thanks
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Step out a little bit....buy a Joss sneaky pete...decent price range at Pool Dawg...$287
...I got one of these....27 years old...people keep trying to buy it...it’s a fourth cue...
...but I won’t sell it.

31644809-A8E0-41EA-B9A7-14C2E78F1EDC.jpeg

Here’s the link

https://www.pooldawg.com/joss-jossp01-sneaky-pete-cue

You can buy a lot of $100 cues in 27 years...and still not have a cue as good as this one...
...so a little more money is cheaper in the long run
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

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jaime_lion said:
So What is a good beginner pool cue brand and price? If it is too difficult to give me one brand and price give me a range please.

Thanks
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McDermott sells a beginners kit with cue and soft case plus chalk and some other stuff. It is about $70 plus shipping. If you get two of them, they pay the shipping. I have played briefly with two of the cues and they seemed solid and hit the ball the way I like.

http://www.mcdermottcue.com/mcdermott_pool_cue_kits.php

The particular one I shot with was in Kit 5. It is better to get a wrapless cue to start with which is good because the kits with wrapped cues cost more.

Until you form a better idea of what you want in a cue stick, I think this cue will serve you well. You may need no other cue.
 
HawaiianEye

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
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Cron said:
I will third that and say a Schmelke butt can be made almost any way you want. However, *if* you can only afford $100, I used a Players Sneaky Pete for 2 days and it hit very well (unfortunately the lightest it would go was 18.5oz). But, if you can afford $200, you might as well just e-mail Schmelke now with your specs.
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I agree with Cron.

I have a Players Rosewood Sneaky Pete that plays pretty good and it looks real good.

https://www.ozonebilliards.com/product/players-cue-sneaky-pete-rosewood-spspr

I don't know if it is the best cue out there for the price, but for less than $100 I don't think you can go wrong.

I'm not making a recommendation that you buy from this vendor, I'm just showing you the model and what it looks like. Shop around and see if you can get it cheaper before you buy one if this is what you decide to get. They also have the same cue in different woods.
 
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