*******************UPDATE*******************
Thanks to Will Prout for speaking with Dan Janes about this
Cue returned to Joss on December 28, 2013
New cue received on August 8, 2014 pics here
********************************************
I got this cue over six months ago. I am writing this thread now because someone remarked on here in another post that Joss will still make a handmade cue with razor sharp points if you ask them. The phrase "like they used to make" was thrown around and I have to say I had a very different outcome. They definitely DO NOT make them like they used to. Let me share my experience with you.
I contacted Dan Janes at Joss cues in October 2012 and asked if they would make me a sharp-pointed cue. I was expecting him to say "Nope, all we do is CNC these days" but to my delight he said they still do roughly a dozen or so "handmade" cues a year in the old school style with razor sharp points. I was excited so I explained my design in an email. Five ebony points with four veneers (black, blue, orange, yellow), irish linen wrap, ebony butt sleeve, and classic bushka style slotted diamonds (in ivory) and dots (in abalone) in the points and the butt. He really liked the design, we talked about it on the phone a couple times, and he eventually quoted me a price of $1,800 total with a ~4 month turnaround. I made a $500 deposit, and they got started on the cue. I did not get any pictures during the build, which was fine, but I did call Dan on occasion to inquire on the progress of the cue and Dan was always gracious enough to talk about it. I satisfied the remaining balance before the cue was completed. I received the cue May 1, 2013.
The first thing that I was disappointed with was ivory notched diamonds. The "notches" were huge, and I specifically asked for the tiny slots because I had seen Joss cues with this shape before and I thought it looked cheap. I even sent a picture of the exact diamonds I wanted (from a Scruggs cue that I own), and Dan acknowledged it and said it is a standard guitar inlay and "no problem" for him to replicate in ivory. The diamonds in the butt ended up being a completely different shape, and much larger than I anticipated. I also couldn't help but notice that some of the diamonds had what appeared to be "filler" around the edges. The abalone dots looked great and had lots of depth, but unfortunately a lot of them were not lined up with the diamonds like they were supposed to be.
The color of the veneers was vibrant and exactly what I was going for, but unfortunately there is all sorts of odd little hairlines on the edges. There is tons of glue where the points come together, I do not know how to make cues but I don't think any cue maker would deem this as high quality work. Additionally, the outside black veneer appears to be two to three times as thick as the others, which I do not understand at all because I never asked for it. Overall it was just a super messy veneer job that did not resemble anything of the classic Joss cues. In my opinion this work is subpar, it definitely was not what I expected for nearly two grand.
Initially, I really was not overly pissed off with the result. The cue still was decent, and I was ultimately concerned about the playability, so I refrained from contacting Dan until I had a chance to put some hours onto the cue. I took it to a pool table that evening and played for three hours straight. It played lights out. I believe I ran my first three racks with the cue. It has nice balance and a provides a crisp hit. But obviously I wanted to have the best of both worlds, a cue that plays great and has my design.
The following morning I wrote Dan an email. I described what I really liked about the cue (feel of the wrap, balance, figure of the curly maple forearm, talking me out of ivory ferrules and choosing juma instead) and then I explained what I did not like about the cue (messy veneers, wrong diamond inlay shape, dot misalignment). After going a few days without a reply, I was somewhat puzzled so I called him up. He was real grouchy and it sounded like he did not want to talk to me. I told him the diamonds weren't like the picture I sent and he replied "I make the inlays how I want to make them". Already baffled by this statement, I asked about all the messy glue lines on the veneers, and he pretty much said the cue was perfect when it left his shop and hung up on me. I was flabbergasted. I actually laughed out loud for a bit, then I brushed it off and went back to work.
In the end, do I feel I got ripped off? Not exactly. But I do not think this cue is worth $1,800, maybe half of that. And if I had been making cues for that long, I would probably do a little more to uphold my reputation, especially when it comes to serious buyers who want fancier "top shelf" cues. I am not going to say anything bad about Dan, the communication was fantastic up until the point he was met with constructive criticism. But I would never recommend one of these "handmade" Joss cues to anyone who has a keen eye for detail and craftmanship.
What do you guys think about all this? Would you be satisfied with this cue? For the record, these pics were taken with a cell phone.
Thanks to Will Prout for speaking with Dan Janes about this
Cue returned to Joss on December 28, 2013
New cue received on August 8, 2014 pics here
********************************************
I got this cue over six months ago. I am writing this thread now because someone remarked on here in another post that Joss will still make a handmade cue with razor sharp points if you ask them. The phrase "like they used to make" was thrown around and I have to say I had a very different outcome. They definitely DO NOT make them like they used to. Let me share my experience with you.
I contacted Dan Janes at Joss cues in October 2012 and asked if they would make me a sharp-pointed cue. I was expecting him to say "Nope, all we do is CNC these days" but to my delight he said they still do roughly a dozen or so "handmade" cues a year in the old school style with razor sharp points. I was excited so I explained my design in an email. Five ebony points with four veneers (black, blue, orange, yellow), irish linen wrap, ebony butt sleeve, and classic bushka style slotted diamonds (in ivory) and dots (in abalone) in the points and the butt. He really liked the design, we talked about it on the phone a couple times, and he eventually quoted me a price of $1,800 total with a ~4 month turnaround. I made a $500 deposit, and they got started on the cue. I did not get any pictures during the build, which was fine, but I did call Dan on occasion to inquire on the progress of the cue and Dan was always gracious enough to talk about it. I satisfied the remaining balance before the cue was completed. I received the cue May 1, 2013.
The first thing that I was disappointed with was ivory notched diamonds. The "notches" were huge, and I specifically asked for the tiny slots because I had seen Joss cues with this shape before and I thought it looked cheap. I even sent a picture of the exact diamonds I wanted (from a Scruggs cue that I own), and Dan acknowledged it and said it is a standard guitar inlay and "no problem" for him to replicate in ivory. The diamonds in the butt ended up being a completely different shape, and much larger than I anticipated. I also couldn't help but notice that some of the diamonds had what appeared to be "filler" around the edges. The abalone dots looked great and had lots of depth, but unfortunately a lot of them were not lined up with the diamonds like they were supposed to be.
The color of the veneers was vibrant and exactly what I was going for, but unfortunately there is all sorts of odd little hairlines on the edges. There is tons of glue where the points come together, I do not know how to make cues but I don't think any cue maker would deem this as high quality work. Additionally, the outside black veneer appears to be two to three times as thick as the others, which I do not understand at all because I never asked for it. Overall it was just a super messy veneer job that did not resemble anything of the classic Joss cues. In my opinion this work is subpar, it definitely was not what I expected for nearly two grand.
Initially, I really was not overly pissed off with the result. The cue still was decent, and I was ultimately concerned about the playability, so I refrained from contacting Dan until I had a chance to put some hours onto the cue. I took it to a pool table that evening and played for three hours straight. It played lights out. I believe I ran my first three racks with the cue. It has nice balance and a provides a crisp hit. But obviously I wanted to have the best of both worlds, a cue that plays great and has my design.
The following morning I wrote Dan an email. I described what I really liked about the cue (feel of the wrap, balance, figure of the curly maple forearm, talking me out of ivory ferrules and choosing juma instead) and then I explained what I did not like about the cue (messy veneers, wrong diamond inlay shape, dot misalignment). After going a few days without a reply, I was somewhat puzzled so I called him up. He was real grouchy and it sounded like he did not want to talk to me. I told him the diamonds weren't like the picture I sent and he replied "I make the inlays how I want to make them". Already baffled by this statement, I asked about all the messy glue lines on the veneers, and he pretty much said the cue was perfect when it left his shop and hung up on me. I was flabbergasted. I actually laughed out loud for a bit, then I brushed it off and went back to work.
In the end, do I feel I got ripped off? Not exactly. But I do not think this cue is worth $1,800, maybe half of that. And if I had been making cues for that long, I would probably do a little more to uphold my reputation, especially when it comes to serious buyers who want fancier "top shelf" cues. I am not going to say anything bad about Dan, the communication was fantastic up until the point he was met with constructive criticism. But I would never recommend one of these "handmade" Joss cues to anyone who has a keen eye for detail and craftmanship.
What do you guys think about all this? Would you be satisfied with this cue? For the record, these pics were taken with a cell phone.
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