300-600 dollar cue advice

Mezz all day. But if you find a nice Joss , itcs also a good option.
Maybe, but how about a Ned Morris with no custom pieces, just a merry widow cue. Absolutely the best player cue you can buy. About in the price range. Comes with his 3/8 X 10 pin, so much better than the quick joints. JMO.
 
It plays extremely close to my wooden wx900 tapered down to 11.5mm.
Why taper it, I thought it didn't matter what you used?
i was really disappointed with the quality of the wood when i bought a 3rd gen. went back to the ol' trusted pre-cat 1st gen 314.
I used a 314-3 for a two weeks and it never clicked. Picked up a Siege and was better the next day. I don't understand, I was told the equipment didn't matter. I don't think anyone has doubted Earl's talent in decades, he's got a 15mm tip with a 20" parallel taper. Maybe someone should tell him he'd be just as good with a house cue off the wall.
 
Currently I shoot with a Schmelke, it's 19oz but it feels kinda heavy and clumsy, I'm assuming it has to do with the balance of the cue. I've really only played with my cue so i don't have a lot of comparison. I think it hits a bit soft for my liking so I think I need something a bit stiffer. Is the stiffness of the cue primarily a tip issue or does it have more to do with over all construction of the cue?
Check the balance point. I have a couple of Schmelkes, They started putting the weight bolt a bit further into the butt, shifting the weight forward. When you hold the cue in your grip hand, the further the balance point is in front of your hand, the heavier the cue will feel.

As for the soft hit, I'd start with a firmer tip. A still cue can have a crisper hit but I think the hardness of the tip is just as important to the feel of the hit.
 
That is also what I play with currently, I think they might hit a bit soft for my liking.
I like a softer hit, so I've been quite happy with mine. Their stock tip is quite soft though. If you haven't tried a firmer tip, you might give that a try before chucking the cue. Though, I must admit, I've been eying their keilwood shafts. If I order one, I'll share my experiences here.
 
I like a softer hit, so I've been quite happy with mine. Their stock tip is quite soft though. If you haven't tried a firmer tip, you might give that a try before chucking the cue. Though, I must admit, I've been eying their keilwood shafts. If I order one, I'll share my experiences here.
Thank you for the advice, it is the original tip, maybe I'll try a firmer one and see how much that changes the feel. I agree, in general i like the cue, feels solid
 
I suppose I am quite late to this thread, but I LOVE my J. Flowers cue. You CAN get a VERY NICE cue with REAL INLAYS and a CF shaft in that price range. I bought it from KoinKid here and am absolutely pleased with my beautiful cue and CF shaft! Starting at $319.

Please check out my review:

 
Thank you for the advice, it is the original tip, maybe I'll try a firmer one and see how much that changes the feel. I agree, in general i like the cue, feels solid
One of my Schmelkes had the Ultraskin Medium tip. It wasn't the same cue, but it hit much crisper than the stock tip. If the weight bolt is deep in the butt, you can back it out to shift the balance. I did that with one of my Schmelkes.
 
Currently I shoot with a Schmelke, it's 19oz but it feels kinda heavy and clumsy, I'm assuming it has to do with the balance of the cue. I've really only played with my cue so i don't have a lot of comparison. I think it hits a bit soft for my liking so I think I need something a bit stiffer. Is the stiffness of the cue primarily a tip issue or does it have more to do with over all construction of the cue?
What is the individual weight of the cue butt & the shaft and does the butt
have any weight bolt? If so, what’s the weight of the bolt? There’s a weight
relationship between the cue’s two halves after being assembled. It can, and
usually does, exert influence over your stroke and how may seem light or heavy.

The weight relationship between the cue butt and cue shaft is pretty important.
Stiffness has to do with the tip and cue shaft construction, especially diameter
and taper. There’s also the type of joint to consider, ex. piloted steel vs. wood to
wood. A pool cue’s anatomy is often not fully contemplated by a lot of players.
 
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What is the individual weight of the cue butt & the shaft and does the butt
have any weight bolt? If so, what’s the weight of the bolt? There’s a weight
relationship between the cue’s two halves after being assembled. It can, and
usually does, exert influence over your stroke and how may seem light or heavy.

The weight relationship between the cue butt and cue shaft is pretty important.
Stiffness has to do with the tip and cue shaft construction, especially diameter
and taper. There’s also the type of joint to consider, ex. piloted steel vs. wood to
wood. A pool cue’s anatomy is often not fully contemplated by a lot of players.
Thanks, I'm gonna take a look at and weigh both halves when I get a chance. This is the first more expensive cue I'm going to purchase and i want it to be my player for years to come so I am looking into all aspects to hopefully end up with my ideal cue. I'm thinking 18.5 - 19 oz, maybe a 12.5 - 12.75 diameter with a medium tip. I think I like a lighter and stiffer cue. Now I'm contemplating wrap. Most people seem to agree that wrap less is the way to go. Any thoughts on that and the specs Im looking into?
 
I'm in the market for a new cue, around 300 to 600 dollar budget. So far I've narrowed it down to Pechauer and Joss, but am open to other possibilities. If you play with or have experience with either of those brands what are some positives or negatives you feel about them? Thanks in advance for any help. -Beto-
Cuetec Cynergy
 
Thanks, I'm gonna take a look at and weigh both halves when I get a chance. This is the first more expensive cue I'm going to purchase and i want it to be my player for years to come so I am looking into all aspects to hopefully end up with my ideal cue. I'm thinking 18.5 - 19 oz, maybe a 12.5 - 12.75 diameter with a medium tip. I think I like a lighter and stiffer cue. Now I'm contemplating wrap. Most people seem to agree that wrap less is the way to go. Any thoughts on that and the specs Im looking into?
There are so many different elements when comes to buying a cue.
Buying a cue without trying it out is hard as hell.
No wrap takes out most of the cues from the picture.
Balance point is sort of important, and it also ties into weight.

Mezz Avant butt is a little outside your price range.
However, no wrap, you can adjust weight at the front and the back which would give someone who doesn't know what they want the ability to change balance point easily.

For shaft WX700 has 12.5mm tip and is sort of LD.

470 + 245 = $715
 
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Thanks, I'm gonna take a look at and weigh both halves when I get a chance. This is the first more expensive cue I'm going to purchase and i want it to be my player for years to come so I am looking into all aspects to hopefully end up with my ideal cue. I'm thinking 18.5 - 19 oz, maybe a 12.5 - 12.75 diameter with a medium tip. I think I like a lighter and stiffer cue. Now I'm contemplating wrap. Most people seem to agree that wrap less is the way to go. Any thoughts on that and the specs Im looking into?
As far as wrap or no wrap, that’s just a judgement call. It depends whether you’ve ever enjoyed playing with any wrap?
Linen is just not as good as it used to be & that’s a reason to consider leather. But have you ever tried a cue that had a
wrap you felt was nice? Personally, my favorite is Cortland Linen but it’s become so scarce it’s not worth considering.

As far as a different linen wrap, I’ve not found any I’d use. In terms of leather, it comes down to texture and feel. There’s
also old school cork wraps and of course, no wrap. What’s been your overall experience so far? I recently tried a cue
that just had a Spanish Bull leather wrap installed. I was pleasantly surprised by how it felt. I have two cues with leather
wraps. I’d prefer the cues had Cortland Linen but just couldn’t get it. So it really depends on your past experience.

Try to score a cue that doesn’t have a hefty weight bolt. The lighter the better if it has one. Strive for a shaft that weighs
around 20% of the cue’s playing weight. The overall target range should be 19-24% of the cue’s weight. If you look at the weight of shafts on custom cues produced by the best named cue makers, this rule of thumb seems pretty steadfast.

As far as shaft size, 12.5 is a reasonably smaller shaft than a 13mm. Some players prefer smaller. My favorite is 12.75
with a pro taper of 15-17”. But I always also have at least one 13mm shaft for every cue as well. It seems to be the
universal standard most cue makers will default to using unless their client specified otherwise. Tip hardness & brand
is a reflection of what you’ve used or tried. Whenever in doubt, a medium hardness is always a solid option to use.
 
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