First Cue Decision $150-$250

M

mcfly1955

Registered
Hi all.

I've read countless threads on here (mostly older), reddit, watched youtube videos, read articles, reviews, etc.

I've spent probably 5 hours researching what cue to buy and I'm not getting much closer to making a decision, so was hoping to get some fresh opinions.

I'm new to the game, just got a 7' Brunswick table in my home a few weeks ago after just moving to this house in October. I've played on the table daily and I have 4 kids under 10, so I see myself sticking with playing long-term --- I don't see myself joining leagues or going out of the house to play, but could see having people over on a biweekly or monthly basis to play.

Current equipment is basically just house cues I bought from pooldawg to have something playable:

18oz Action Cue x2 (one piece)
18oz 42" Action Cue

Also grabbed one of the training cues with a ball attached so the kids actually present a good challenge, and usually beat me at this point.

I'd like to keep the total under $250ish.


Here is what I've narrowed things down to:

-Cheaper Lucky/Mcdermott/Players cue and be on the lookout for an LD shaft for around $150 (not sure if OB still does blemish sales?)
-Schmelke and don't worry about LD, or potentially an LD shaft down the road
-Players Pure X - apparently sort of fake LD?
 
Texas Carom Club

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
a players sneaky pete, 75 bucks new will play as good as anything that has a maple shaft
lazer straight,seamless joint
its perfect

thats my suggestion,
 
Ratthead

Ratthead

Registered
You can't be a Schmelke for the money IMO. They build a solid product, many builders used there blanks for custom builds. I would also look for old McDermott D series, Hueblers, Mali's or Adams.
Good look on your search, it turned into an addiction for me.
 
M

MitchAlsup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Your first pool cue is going to be a "write off".

It will suffer from all kinds of abuse as you learn how not to have it run into things, how not to bang the shaft, the ceiling, the floor, the edge of the table,.....
No amount of instruction before hand can teach you how not to do these things. You have to develop a kind of self awareness with a cue in your hand.

After a couple of years of banging up your first cue nearly to death, you will have learned how to hold it, how to protect it, how to handle it, and how to care for it, so it no longer gets bangged up regularly. That is the point where you are ready for a <moderately> expensive cue.

So, with your first cue being a write off, just go to any store <or on the net> and buy a cue that your eye likes, and that your hand likes for $60-$90 and use it as your first cue.
 
Kickin' Chicken

Kickin' Chicken

Kick Shot Aficionado
Silver Member
search on eBay or here or Open Billiards Market and other FB cue groups for a Pechauer in the $250 range and you will be a happy camper. These are high quality made in USA and very very reasonable.

As an example you could offer $175 for this one and if they accept, you'd be in like Flynn. :thumbup:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Beautiful-...621822?hash=item36570bbffe:g:exYAAOSwAfhdvdmN

if it has to be new then maybe something like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pool-Cue-b...SA-ROSEWOOD/273821118752?44e7a79c9e8aad5ab373

and a little fancier:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PECHAUER-J...404126?hash=item1cd5951f1e:g:4qYAAOSwjaldMjBz

good luck!
 
brilliance

brilliance

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
hi

I would order LD shaft from Bob Denielson at BD Cues, it costs about $200 and send it to Schmelke to custom fit to their butt. You will get top playing cue that will last for years.
 
Snooker Theory

Snooker Theory

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like players too in that price point, although I'd probably get a dale perry off ebay, haven't tried them but heard good things, same as for Schmelke. good luck sir
 
Texas Carom Club

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
Shoot there are even 30 dollar new sneaky petes with maple shafts on ebay, with free shipping

Bought one for the step kid. He loves it
 
Kickin' Chicken

Kickin' Chicken

Kick Shot Aficionado
Silver Member
One other very High recommendation would be custom cue maker Dave Brainard of cuesdirectly.com

I recently purchased a custom Merry Widow from him for under $300 and it's extremely nice and plays great
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
mcfly1955 said:
... I'd like to keep the total under $250ish.


Here is what I've narrowed things down to:

-Cheaper Lucky/Mcdermott/Players cue and be on the lookout for an LD shaft for around $150 (not sure if OB still does blemish sales?)
-Schmelke and don't worry about LD, or potentially an LD shaft down the road
-Players Pure X - apparently sort of fake LD?
Click to expand...
I have a beginning student who wanted two identical cues for the two places he plays (a long flight apart). I went down to the local supply store that has a whole bunch of cues and they allow you to shoot on a table there with whichever ones you want to try. I finally settled on a McDermott for multiple reasons:

There were two of them in stock.
They had the lowest squirt (deflection) of any of the cues I tried.
They seemed to be solid.
They were $68 each.

If you order on-line, you get the cue in a kit: cue stick, soft case, tip scuffer, chalk, chalk holder. The on-line price is $70 but if you order two kits they pay for shipping.

http://www.mcdermottcue.com/kit5.php

There are some other styles available as well:

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

If you order, tell them "Bob" (no last name, please) sent you. They have no idea who that is.:grin-devilish:
 
Cadillac J

Cadillac J

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Don't buy anything...I'll GIVE TO YOU!!

Yo McFly!

Did not even read your whole post yet...but please don't purchase anything yet!

I have over 30 cues, and I wouldn't mind lending a few and giving one away to a new member looking for a new cue under $500.

Your cue will be free and come from me.
 
trob

trob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Texas Carom Club said:
a players sneaky pete, 75 bucks new will play as good as anything that has a maple shaft
lazer straight,seamless joint
its perfect

thats my suggestion,
Click to expand...

Agreed .. lucky brands cues shafts are really cheap honestly. I got one for my son and was disappointed. When Apa players that our new ask me the same question I always point them towards Lucasi or players. Good warranty, nice solid hit. It’s a good inexpensive start.
 
jeephawk

jeephawk

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wow, a great offer just a couple of posts up!

If you are still thinking Schmelke this is what I did a little over a year ago when I decided my old table had been ignored way too long. I called David Schmelke and had a conversation about what I thought I needed and he had some good options and suggestions. He sent me some pics of some cues that he had on hand in inventory and descriptions. I ended up with a Sneaky Pete that is a great cue, a break cue and another really nice cue, IMO. The Sneaky Pete and one other regular cue were around $215 for the two of them and I think I spend around $300 total (he gave me a little discount for taking all three off his hands, so to speak). Super nice guy. So for not very much, I had those three plus my one surviving made in Canada Dufferin that was still straight and a nice rack of cues. I was so impressed I splurged soon after and ordered a custom from him that was around $400, and a bargain, IMO. Here's a pic of all four I posted on here a year or so ago.

Anyway, that was my experience, but there are tons of cues around for not too much money and lots of places to go to find them. I would have never found Schmelke but for this site and couple of posts I stumbled on.

Good luck!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0097.jpg
    IMG_0097.jpg
    87.1 KB · Views: 397
Last edited:
M

mcfly1955

Registered
Cadillac J said:
Yo McFly!

Did not even read your whole post yet...but please don't purchase anything yet!

I have over 30 cues, and I wouldn't mind lending a few and giving one away to a new member looking for a new cue under $500.

Your cue will be free and come from me.
Click to expand...

Wow!

I'd feel a little bad about taking something for free - that was totally not my intention. I'd like to pay something for whatever you are offering, or I'll just be on the lookout for an opportunity to pay it forward - maybe gift something to people who come to play at my house when I eventually have to time to invite people over to play (life is busy right now).

I'll hold off on my purchase for now and stay tuned.

Thanks everyone for the input.
 
rossaroni

rossaroni

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Cadillac J said:
Yo McFly!

Did not even read your whole post yet...but please don't purchase anything yet!

I have over 30 cues, and I wouldn't mind lending a few and giving one away to a new member looking for a new cue under $500.

Your cue will be free and come from me.
Click to expand...

That’s very cool of you to do!!
 
jasonlaus

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Just play with your house cue for now and change the tip if necessary. If you're new to the game the $$$ would be better spent on a lesson or 2. Having a better cue will not help at all, but a few lessons will make the game much more enjoyable.

You can get a recommendation on a teacher in your area easily, AZers know everybody who gives lessons.

What an offer from Cadillac :thumbup:
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
mcfly1955 said:
Hi all.

I've read countless threads on here (mostly older), reddit, watched youtube videos, read articles, reviews, etc.

I've spent probably 5 hours researching what cue to buy and I'm not getting much closer to making a decision, so was hoping to get some fresh opinions.

I'm new to the game, just got a 7' Brunswick table in my home a few weeks ago after just moving to this house in October. I've played on the table daily and I have 4 kids under 10, so I see myself sticking with playing long-term --- I don't see myself joining leagues or going out of the house to play, but could see having people over on a biweekly or monthly basis to play.

Current equipment is basically just house cues I bought from pooldawg to have something playable:

18oz Action Cue x2 (one piece)
18oz 42" Action Cue

Also grabbed one of the training cues with a ball attached so the kids actually present a good challenge, and usually beat me at this point.

I'd like to keep the total under $250ish.


Here is what I've narrowed things down to:

-Cheaper Lucky/Mcdermott/Players cue and be on the lookout for an LD shaft for around $150 (not sure if OB still does blemish sales?)
-Schmelke and don't worry about LD, or potentially an LD shaft down the road
-Players Pure X - apparently sort of fake LD?
Click to expand...

Not playing anywhere but your house leaves you open for playing badly and not even knowing it. Or at least find someone you know that is a good player to start out teaching you and the kids how to play properly, before worrying about the cue. From your question I would guess you are not an experienced player, and the #1 issue with people I see is that they don't start out playing the right way so they never get past the beginner stage.

What area are you in? I know of a few great junior programs in new england if your kids like the game and want to stick with it.

Players Pure X is not fake LD, their shafts are pretty good, I have two in different diameters and like them both. There are a dozen or more good options in your price range. And you can actually get kid size cues from McDermott and others for not much money. You may want to get a McDermott kid cue since they also use the 3/8x10 joint that is common in a lot of shafts so you can stuck and LD shaft on the short cues if you like.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top