advice about buying/ trying cues

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dcb1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello. I'm an intermediate player getting back into the game after about a 10 year layoff. I'm thinking of buying a decent cue int the <$500 range. (New or used.) My question is this...how does anyone try cues? The advice I've been getting is that I should try a bunch of cues and see what I like but it is very hard to find a decent store in the Boston area with a good selection that lets you try the cues.

I've narrowed it down by brand to include the decent brands in my mind (McDermott, Joss, Mezz, Schon, Pechaur, Viking)

Some people say the specs matter (joint type, stiffness, weight, tip diameter, taper, weighting) and other people say it is all "personal preference" and one type of cue is not better than another cue.

It's all a bit confusing and very different than buying other types of equipment where there are reviews and test results, etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
dcb1 said:
Hello. I'm an intermediate player getting back into the game after about a 10 year layoff. I'm thinking of buying a decent cue int the <$500 range. (New or used.) My question is this...how does anyone try cues? The advice I've been getting is that I should try a bunch of cues and see what I like but it is very hard to find a decent store in the Boston area with a good selection that lets you try the cues.

I've narrowed it down by brand to include the decent brands in my mind (McDermott, Joss, Mezz, Schon, Pechaur, Viking)

Some people say the specs matter (joint type, stiffness, weight, tip diameter, taper, weighting) and other people say it is all "personal preference" and one type of cue is not better than another cue.

It's all a bit confusing and very different than buying other types of equipment where there are reviews and test results, etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Typically even the stores that may let you hit with their cues will not let you chalk them. Add to that the fact that you're knocking balls around for a very short period of time. I'm not sure that going in that direction is worth the effort, since I don't think you can learn very much doing that.

You say you're an intermediate player, so where you should start is your preferences back when you were playing. Wrap or wrapless? Weight preference-heavy, medium, or light? Shaft thickness? Tip type? If you can answer these questions then you can get started.

Using these preferences as a baseline, my suggestion is to buy a sneaky pete style cue from a quality cuemaker such as Lee Peppers or Jon Spitz, both of whom post here. This type of maker can create something to your specs without breaking the bank. A full-spliced cue made the way you want will almost certainly be one you'll like playing with. You can then go about getting back into playing, and refining your knowledge of what you like. If you join a league you can be exposed to a lot of different cues that other players use, and get a chance to try them out in a real-world setting. If you end up outgrowing your sneaky pete, you'll find a ready market for it here, and you can try something else without having lost very much money.
 
You can get a nice cue in the $500 range. All the cues on your list are good choices. You can also look in the Wanted/For Sale section on here and find some nice customs around that price. All cues will shoot well if the player does his/her part, but some will just deliver a certain feel and sound that eventually you will come to know as your preference. I would advise you to hit with as many as you can before purchasing one. And....start with something that is more about the playability moreso than the looks. The reason I say this is because somewhere down the line you WILL buy a cue to replace the one you are looking for now. Keeping the decorations to a minimum now will get you more cue for the money playing-wise. You can always go for the pretty inlays and such with your next cue (and believe me, there probably will be one ;)).

Good luck in your search!!!

Maniac (agrees with previous poster about a Lee Peppers cue)
 
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Personally, I'd choose a production cue you're comfortable with and buy it from Seyberts or one of the retailers that offer 100% refunds for cues returned within 90 days. That way you can get your money back if you don't like it and try something else. (I have no experience of doing this, however, so if anyone has and there are elephant traps, chime in)

The only brands I'd consider dropping $500 on would be a Mezz or Predator, although all the manufacturers produce top quality cues. You need to decide if you want a low deflection shaft or not.
 
As mentioned, you may want to look into low deflection shafts as options. I'd say this is a very viable way for you to go since you have been off for ten years, the lack of deflection will not throw you off too much. Research that, and if you are sold, go with a nice OB1 (great customer service), or predator (great products but i prefer OB1 at this point).

What I did is I had a cuemaker fit a butt he made onto a 314 blank shaft, and he told me if i didn't like it i could ship it back to him and get a refund. I don't care what others are doing nowadays, I will not buy unless I can play with it first. The other think I did noteworthy to you, I bought two cues at one point (an andy gilbert and a mace), tried each, found the one i liked best and sold the other one on here without really taking a loss.

Hope that helped. Key is just don't let this industry tell you that you can't hit b4 u buy, there are ways around it. I hate the way the cuemarket is set up now, collectors have made it a nightmare for actual pool players to buy. Nobody's fault just the way it is.
 
It can be confusing for sure, but it really does come down to personal preference. Whats right for you may not be for another (weight, balance, hit etc). In other words, the specs do matter, because this is what contributes to a cue that you feel comfortable with and obviously each brand has it's own feel.
 
If you find a place to try a few cues hit a few with a one piece house cue first. That is the feel you are looking for, solid without a lot of vibration or buzz.

A good test is to hit a ball medium/soft speed, then hit one hard with a tip of english. If there is a big difference in feel, the cue may have a problem.
Repeat this test with several cues and you will find one that feels right to you.

Even the best cue makers will have a dog escape once in a while. Production makers have the numbers working against them.

Put two balls on the foot rail four inches apart. Hit the cue ball to the rail in between the two using a tip of english. This will show you how much deflection
a shaft has and if you pay attention to how the cue ball comes off the rail it will tell you more about how the cue will play.

A sneaky Pete from a respected cue maker will be hard to beat.
 
I think you can tell a lot about a cue and how much you'll like it just by picking it up, stroking it through your bridge hand and even taking one or two un-chalked hits. You'll get a feel for balance, weight, taper, grip hand feel and yes even the hit by doing that. Every cue I've loved I've known it right away and it didn't change after playing hundreds of racks.
 
There are custom makers in your neck o' the woods as well...who are typically more than happy to let you try out their cues at their shop. Quite often they may have some sneaky pete and plain jane type cues in stock, ready for sale. Worth a try.

Lisa
 
the bottom line for me is, i can't get a feel for a stick until i have had it a week or two. BTW i play every day, have a pool table at my house. Kind of like you, i was out of pool for 5 yrs. Just made a come back last year. I went through 4 cue's. A mcdermott, a custom phillipino cue, 2 z2 shafts, 2 lucasi's, and finally found my cue - a jacoby with a jacoby edge hybrid shaft on it. BTW - i picked it up slightly used for less the half the original price.....

I recommend buying a good used cue that you like and the reason is the resale value will be the same. So when you don't like the cue you can sell it for atleast what you paid. i have had very good luck on ebay doing this.

good luck!
 
The Chinchilla said:
I hate the way the cuemarket is set up now, collectors have made it a nightmare for actual pool players to buy. Nobody's fault just the way it is.
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I agree, but think it's because we let them. I hate seeing used production cues on here priced for more than they cost brand new. It is poor etiquette to say anything to the seller, apparently. We pay through the nose for all pool equipment - it's theft and we let them get away with it. We do so because we are addicts - and manufacturers know it. They know we'll pay ANYTHING for something what will help our game, no matter how marginally.
 
TheThaiger said:
I agree, but think it's because we let them. I hate seeing used production cues on here priced for more than they cost brand new. It is poor etiquette to say anything to the seller, apparently. We pay through the nose for all pool equipment - it's theft and we let them get away with it. We do so because we are addicts - and manufacturers know it. They know we'll pay ANYTHING for something what will help our game, no matter how marginally.
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Well, not only is it poor etiquette, but against the Wanted/For Sale Forum rules to mention anything about pricing issues within the body of the original FS thread. Now, you can contact the seller via PM and voice your concerns...which will likely go ignored by the seller. However...you are more than welcome to start a thread of your own, in likely the Cue Reviews or Main Forums...not sure about the W/FS Forum...where you can point out what the relative value of cue XXX is.

It's not that you can't do it....there's just a right and wrong way to do it. ;)

Lisa
 
Maybe you can ask people you are playing against to try a few shots with their cues?
That way you atleast can get a feel for different cue manufacturers philosophy.
But mostly i think you should just find a cue with a weight and balance you are comfortable with. Don't think too much about what joint it is and stuff like that.
Just find a decent cue with a 13mm +/- tip diameter and go from there.
If you feel you need a smaler tip or stiffer shaft try a low deflection shaft from one of he many produsers.
Here in Oslo the guy imporing OB shafts has a coupple og loaner shafts, so you can try before you buy.

Best of luck :)
 
poolshrk said:
the bottom line for me is, i can't get a feel for a stick until i have had it a week or two. BTW i play every day, have a pool table at my house.
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I have tried to make myself get used to a cue in the past, and the results were a disaster. I am at the point in my game where I know almost immediately if a cue is gonna play well for me or not. Often before it ever strokes the CB. You just KNOW when you pick up the right cue.....the weight, the balance, it just feels very natural to be in your hand. What follows is usually a big fat smile after pocketing a few balls.

I guess my point here is that when you have to spend so much time acclimating to a cue....in effect, the cue is training YOU. I prefer my cues to 'disappear' in my hand...so I never have to think about it, but rather the task at hand.

JMHO.

Lisa
 
ridewiththewind said:
I have tried to make myself get used to a cue in the past, and the results were a disaster. I am at the point in my game where I know almost immediately if a cue is gonna play well for me or not. Often before it ever strokes the CB. You just KNOW when you pick up the right cue.....the weight, the balance, it just feels very natural to be in your hand. What follows is usually a big fat smile after pocketing a few balls.

I guess my point here is that when you have to spend so much time acclimating to a cue....in effect, the cue is training YOU. I prefer my cues to 'disappear' in my hand...so I never have to think about it, but rather the task at hand.

JMHO.

Lisa
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Well put, indeed! I've known what I liked from hitting one ball but I've always made it a point to handle as many cues as I could to see the differences. Soon as I saw someone in the pool room with a new cue I went to them and asked to try it.
 
For $500 you can get a really nice custom made cue by Mike Gulyassy (in Greenville, SC) or Sheldon Lebow (in Eugene, OR). Mike's number is 864-458-7662. I don't have Sheldon's number anymore, but his website is sheldoncue.com. Both make superb cues.
 
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