Barioni cues
- Thread starter RSCA HOOLIGAN
- Start date
I just ordered a Barioni cue.
I just ordered a John Barioni custom cue. For what I have seen I think that he makes some of the most beautiful cue that I have ever seen. I have many custom cues, I play with them I'm also a collector. I look at all of my cues as art work. Price aside I think if a person wants to shell out alot of money for a cue he likes I say go ahead. You only live once. If I never bought a Barioni cue I would never be able to say anything about it. For all I know it might play like shit thats for me to find out. I will be getting back to AZ when my cue is done. I will not trash anybody unless I try it out, and then I will call it what it is. Thank you Ziggylee
I just ordered a John Barioni custom cue. For what I have seen I think that he makes some of the most beautiful cue that I have ever seen. I have many custom cues, I play with them I'm also a collector. I look at all of my cues as art work. Price aside I think if a person wants to shell out alot of money for a cue he likes I say go ahead. You only live once. If I never bought a Barioni cue I would never be able to say anything about it. For all I know it might play like shit thats for me to find out. I will be getting back to AZ when my cue is done. I will not trash anybody unless I try it out, and then I will call it what it is. Thank you Ziggylee
wtf?
why in the hell are people stuck on the fact that his HIGH end shaft cost 400 bucks? you have to understand wood and its characteristics and science and machinery to understand what hes doing with his building and why the shaft costs more. first off is the highest quality you can get as far as rings , growth, age so you know it wont change over time. then he dials it in over mooonths so for the leaast possible deflection. theres much to be said about this and we could argue forever about price but what im basically baffled about is the fact that he has some serioulsy pretty sticks, none of which cost more than 2500 bucks.....yet someone shows a tasc or bb for 25000 dollars and everyone stops and nuts all over their computer screens, kisses ass all over the forums about how awesome it is and never says one thing about these forums turning into a high end used car dealership with the same people flipping the same high cost sticks over and over and over again for seemingly no reason other than to hold it once and show people what they can afford , then they sell it. im not comparing barionis to any of those makers but why pick out one maker to say his stuff cant be worth a couple grand??? i dont get it.
why in the hell are people stuck on the fact that his HIGH end shaft cost 400 bucks? you have to understand wood and its characteristics and science and machinery to understand what hes doing with his building and why the shaft costs more. first off is the highest quality you can get as far as rings , growth, age so you know it wont change over time. then he dials it in over mooonths so for the leaast possible deflection. theres much to be said about this and we could argue forever about price but what im basically baffled about is the fact that he has some serioulsy pretty sticks, none of which cost more than 2500 bucks.....yet someone shows a tasc or bb for 25000 dollars and everyone stops and nuts all over their computer screens, kisses ass all over the forums about how awesome it is and never says one thing about these forums turning into a high end used car dealership with the same people flipping the same high cost sticks over and over and over again for seemingly no reason other than to hold it once and show people what they can afford , then they sell it. im not comparing barionis to any of those makers but why pick out one maker to say his stuff cant be worth a couple grand??? i dont get it.
This is easy. I'll take care of it!
Tasc? BB? LOL! Barioni has practically claimed to walk on water, they never have. He goes on and on as if he is the greatest cue building genius while everybody else is a idiot. Such things seem to rub people the wrong way. If his stuff is so great, why worry about the reactions anyway?
Can you please tell me about your Barioni cues? How about the shafts? Did you get the top one? How does it play? Please be specific. I would love to see a thorough review.
You mention how nice looking his cues are. Please post some examples you own. I really love cue pictures!
Tasc? BB? LOL! Barioni has practically claimed to walk on water, they never have. He goes on and on as if he is the greatest cue building genius while everybody else is a idiot. Such things seem to rub people the wrong way. If his stuff is so great, why worry about the reactions anyway?
Can you please tell me about your Barioni cues? How about the shafts? Did you get the top one? How does it play? Please be specific. I would love to see a thorough review.
You mention how nice looking his cues are. Please post some examples you own. I really love cue pictures!
http://barionicues.com. Nice looking cues.
I just ordered a John Barioni custom cue. For what I have seen I think that he makes some of the most beautiful cue that I have ever seen. I have many custom cues, I play with them I'm also a collector. I look at all of my cues as art work. Price aside I think if a person wants to shell out alot of money for a cue he likes I say go ahead. You only live once. If I never bought a Barioni cue I would never be able to say anything about it. For all I know it might play like shit thats for me to find out. I will be getting back to AZ when my cue is done. I will not trash anybody unless I try it out, and then I will call it what it is. Thank you Ziggylee
I would never trash anybody's cue without trying it either! Great minds think alike. :grin:
Since you just ordered one, please tell us, did you order the top shaft? Also, when you get the cue, please post pictures and a review!
.
Re:Barioni cue
I will be glad to post a review when I get the cue. Talking with John Barioni I have a few cues in front of me. He is a one man show, he said it would be around 12 to 18 months for my cue. I cannot wait, Oh and yes I orderd the top of the line shaft, I want to see if it's all what he says it is. If you want to go check out the forearm of my new Barioni cue check to his site it's being built right now. The name on the forearm is Chris G. Like I said if it plays like shit I will say so. Stay tuned. Thanks Zig....
I will be glad to post a review when I get the cue. Talking with John Barioni I have a few cues in front of me. He is a one man show, he said it would be around 12 to 18 months for my cue. I cannot wait, Oh and yes I orderd the top of the line shaft, I want to see if it's all what he says it is. If you want to go check out the forearm of my new Barioni cue check to his site it's being built right now. The name on the forearm is Chris G. Like I said if it plays like shit I will say so. Stay tuned. Thanks Zig....
So NBRUSS joins AZ Forum on 1-7-13 and his first post on that same day is Baroni cues are fantastic...Next post right after is Baroni tips are fantastic...Ummmmmm....And no posts since????
Sounds great!
I know a lot of people will look forward to seeing the pics and the review.
.
Anybody who play with Barioni cue??
I would like to read a serious review.
I would like to read a serious review.
I watched all of the Barioni Youtube videos over the weekend.
Looking forward to actual reviews of the cues with pictures, especially of the top shaft.
So far there seems to be limited response here and they all stop short of satisfaction especially when considering the price of the top shaft and the terms in which the maker presents it.
.
Looking forward to actual reviews of the cues with pictures, especially of the top shaft.
So far there seems to be limited response here and they all stop short of satisfaction especially when considering the price of the top shaft and the terms in which the maker presents it.
.
douglas cues
Registered
they may play ok but what is that crap on the end of the shaft. looks like my 4 yr old girl went nuts in the shop with her markers. everybody has there own style. apa players would love them ???? doug
Mine is on it's way as well...
Joey hi, Buddy mine is on it's way as well. I should get mine after you get yours. I'm so happy to get mine I also am getting a A+A+ tuned shaft. I ordered a matching jump stick. I will post a review after I shoot with it. I want you to do the same. Thanks Ziggy:wink:
Joey hi, Buddy mine is on it's way as well. I should get mine after you get yours. I'm so happy to get mine I also am getting a A+A+ tuned shaft. I ordered a matching jump stick. I will post a review after I shoot with it. I want you to do the same. Thanks Ziggy:wink:
Barioni Cue Review
I have been using a Schon as my personal cue which I purchased in 1984 with a Predator 314 shaft added in the late 90's. After adjusting my game to the Predator shaft I have since been unable to use any other type of cue or shaft with any decent amount of success. Around mid December 2012 after reading through the "A Closer Look at L.D. Shafts" thread here on AZBilliards http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=296415&highlight=barioni and viewing John's video of his robot comparing the deflection(squirt) properties of his corked cue shaft to those of Predator I decided to give one of his shafts a try to see if it would improve my game. I contacted John and he informed me that it would take at least a month to complete the shaft and that I should send in my cue to have the pin changed to a 3/8-10 Joint pin. As I didn't want to make changes to my custom Schon or do without it for over a month I decided to purchase a complete cue. Not wanting to wait up to a year and a half for a personalized model I decided to order one of his in progress cues that would only take about 4 months to complete with a $1000 price tag. I placed the order on December 20th and added upgrades to the shaft to an A++ tuned shaft and custom joint protectors. This brought the price to $1460 and pushed the completion date up another month or so. I received the cue on June the 14th late in the afternoon which was right in line with the scheduled due date.
The specs for the cue are as follows:
Butt Joint Dia: 0.840"
Handle Dia: 1.103"
Butt Weight: 431.8g or 15.23101oz
Shaft Weight: 86.1g or 3.0370311oz
Total Weight: 518.0g or 18.271569oz
Shaft Length: 30 5/16"
Butt Length: 29 11/16"
Shaft Tip Dia: 12.70 mm
Water Buffalo Hide Tip(Durometer reading for this tip is a 76)
Short Wood Ferrule
Pics of the cue are below.
Upon removing the cue from it's shipping container I was gratified to see that it looked even better in person that the great pics of it that John had posted on his website just before it was shipped. I didn't purchase the cue however for it looks but rather for it's supposed low squirt and other claimed performance qualities of greater accuracy, more consistency and more spin. I quickly assembled the cue and shot a few racks and ended up being very impressed with the results. The cue just feels good in you hand when you hold it, when you stroke it and when the tip contacts the cue ball. I let 3 other advanced players try the cue and all 3 immediately fell in love with it. I also played in a scotch doubles 9 ball tournament on the 15th and even though my partner and I didn't end up in the winners circle the cue performed very well. We did manage to defeat 2 of the toughest teams in the competition. For a cue to perform that well with only a couple hours to adjust to it says a lot to me. It is the only cue or shaft that I have ever tried since I got a Predator shaft for my Schon that I didn't have to make any adjustments for squirt from my normal aim and I have tried a bunch of different cues and shafts over the years. The feel of the hit is far superior than any low deflection shaft I have tried. I also like the Master taper more than the taper on the Predator. The taper on my cue started at 12.7 millimeters at the tip end and at 12" back the diameter was 13.0mm and 13.15mm at 18". This type of taper feels like the same diameter throughout the complete length of the stroke which allows a far more consistent feel as the cue slides back and forth when using a closed bridge.
I did have some trouble drawing the ball as well as I do with my Schon/Predator but I attribute that to the difference in weight(19.5oz vs 18.2oz) between the 2 cues and a different tip than I normally use. I have run across this phenomenon with drawing before when changing from one brand of tip to another and usually it is simply a matter of adjusting to it over a few days. The other problem I initially encountered was the ability to move the cue ball around the table 3 or more rails. I also attribute that to the difference in cue weight.
I did find that John's claim of greater accuracy, consistency and spin certainly do appear to be true from my perspective. The accuracy comes from making english shots without having to adjust for squirt thus leading to more consistency. I can use more tips of english on the cue ball at the same stroke speed than when using the Predator shaft without having to adjust my aim on the object ball. English off the rail creates a greater cue ball rail exit angle than my Predator shaft does with the same stroke speed and spin.
By day 4(June 17) I have finally mastered the cue to play at the same level that I play at with my Schon/Predator. My draw is performing much the same and I can easily move the ball 3 or 4 rails around the table whithout having to power the shot like I have to do with the Predator shaft. One of the most pleasant surprises was the cue's ability to let me shoot stun shots when the cue ball is on or near a rail or when shooting over a ball and I have to jack up my cue. With my Predator shaft I had to wrap the cue with a tight closed bridge to keep from overcutting the object ball. With the Barioni cue these type of shots are almost effortless and I can even shoot them with an open bridge. Another area where the cue shines for me is when it comes to banking. I already bank fairly well but for some unexplainable reason my banking is more consistent with this cue.
Would I recommend this cue?
If you like low deflection technology or are at a less than advanced level then the answer is a definate yes. An experienced LD shaft player can easily adjust to the cue and bring their game to a higher level. A begining to average level player can learn to play english shots without having to adjust their aim to compensate for squirt thus shortening their learning curve significantly as squirt practically becomes a nonissue. If you use a non LD shaft at an advanced level you might find it difficult to learn to shoot without having to adjust your aim when using english but then on the other hand you might just fall in love with it.
Please note that this is my experience with the cue that John Barioni made for me. You may or may not have the same results if you decide to buy one. I probably shouldn't offer this to the competition but if you live in the Phoenix area I would be glad to meet with you and let you shoot a couple racks with my cue to verify what I have written in my review. I see that John has completed another cue at the same time he finished mine and has it for sale for $1200 at this link(http://barionicues.com/barioni_cues_in_progress_for_sale_1). If I had the spare cash I would buy it immediately for my wife who plays a pretty strong game herself and has been trying to take mine away from me.
I have been using a Schon as my personal cue which I purchased in 1984 with a Predator 314 shaft added in the late 90's. After adjusting my game to the Predator shaft I have since been unable to use any other type of cue or shaft with any decent amount of success. Around mid December 2012 after reading through the "A Closer Look at L.D. Shafts" thread here on AZBilliards http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=296415&highlight=barioni and viewing John's video of his robot comparing the deflection(squirt) properties of his corked cue shaft to those of Predator I decided to give one of his shafts a try to see if it would improve my game. I contacted John and he informed me that it would take at least a month to complete the shaft and that I should send in my cue to have the pin changed to a 3/8-10 Joint pin. As I didn't want to make changes to my custom Schon or do without it for over a month I decided to purchase a complete cue. Not wanting to wait up to a year and a half for a personalized model I decided to order one of his in progress cues that would only take about 4 months to complete with a $1000 price tag. I placed the order on December 20th and added upgrades to the shaft to an A++ tuned shaft and custom joint protectors. This brought the price to $1460 and pushed the completion date up another month or so. I received the cue on June the 14th late in the afternoon which was right in line with the scheduled due date.
The specs for the cue are as follows:
Butt Joint Dia: 0.840"
Handle Dia: 1.103"
Butt Weight: 431.8g or 15.23101oz
Shaft Weight: 86.1g or 3.0370311oz
Total Weight: 518.0g or 18.271569oz
Shaft Length: 30 5/16"
Butt Length: 29 11/16"
Shaft Tip Dia: 12.70 mm
Water Buffalo Hide Tip(Durometer reading for this tip is a 76)
Short Wood Ferrule
Pics of the cue are below.
Upon removing the cue from it's shipping container I was gratified to see that it looked even better in person that the great pics of it that John had posted on his website just before it was shipped. I didn't purchase the cue however for it looks but rather for it's supposed low squirt and other claimed performance qualities of greater accuracy, more consistency and more spin. I quickly assembled the cue and shot a few racks and ended up being very impressed with the results. The cue just feels good in you hand when you hold it, when you stroke it and when the tip contacts the cue ball. I let 3 other advanced players try the cue and all 3 immediately fell in love with it. I also played in a scotch doubles 9 ball tournament on the 15th and even though my partner and I didn't end up in the winners circle the cue performed very well. We did manage to defeat 2 of the toughest teams in the competition. For a cue to perform that well with only a couple hours to adjust to it says a lot to me. It is the only cue or shaft that I have ever tried since I got a Predator shaft for my Schon that I didn't have to make any adjustments for squirt from my normal aim and I have tried a bunch of different cues and shafts over the years. The feel of the hit is far superior than any low deflection shaft I have tried. I also like the Master taper more than the taper on the Predator. The taper on my cue started at 12.7 millimeters at the tip end and at 12" back the diameter was 13.0mm and 13.15mm at 18". This type of taper feels like the same diameter throughout the complete length of the stroke which allows a far more consistent feel as the cue slides back and forth when using a closed bridge.
I did have some trouble drawing the ball as well as I do with my Schon/Predator but I attribute that to the difference in weight(19.5oz vs 18.2oz) between the 2 cues and a different tip than I normally use. I have run across this phenomenon with drawing before when changing from one brand of tip to another and usually it is simply a matter of adjusting to it over a few days. The other problem I initially encountered was the ability to move the cue ball around the table 3 or more rails. I also attribute that to the difference in cue weight.
I did find that John's claim of greater accuracy, consistency and spin certainly do appear to be true from my perspective. The accuracy comes from making english shots without having to adjust for squirt thus leading to more consistency. I can use more tips of english on the cue ball at the same stroke speed than when using the Predator shaft without having to adjust my aim on the object ball. English off the rail creates a greater cue ball rail exit angle than my Predator shaft does with the same stroke speed and spin.
By day 4(June 17) I have finally mastered the cue to play at the same level that I play at with my Schon/Predator. My draw is performing much the same and I can easily move the ball 3 or 4 rails around the table whithout having to power the shot like I have to do with the Predator shaft. One of the most pleasant surprises was the cue's ability to let me shoot stun shots when the cue ball is on or near a rail or when shooting over a ball and I have to jack up my cue. With my Predator shaft I had to wrap the cue with a tight closed bridge to keep from overcutting the object ball. With the Barioni cue these type of shots are almost effortless and I can even shoot them with an open bridge. Another area where the cue shines for me is when it comes to banking. I already bank fairly well but for some unexplainable reason my banking is more consistent with this cue.
Would I recommend this cue?
If you like low deflection technology or are at a less than advanced level then the answer is a definate yes. An experienced LD shaft player can easily adjust to the cue and bring their game to a higher level. A begining to average level player can learn to play english shots without having to adjust their aim to compensate for squirt thus shortening their learning curve significantly as squirt practically becomes a nonissue. If you use a non LD shaft at an advanced level you might find it difficult to learn to shoot without having to adjust your aim when using english but then on the other hand you might just fall in love with it.
Please note that this is my experience with the cue that John Barioni made for me. You may or may not have the same results if you decide to buy one. I probably shouldn't offer this to the competition but if you live in the Phoenix area I would be glad to meet with you and let you shoot a couple racks with my cue to verify what I have written in my review. I see that John has completed another cue at the same time he finished mine and has it for sale for $1200 at this link(http://barionicues.com/barioni_cues_in_progress_for_sale_1). If I had the spare cash I would buy it immediately for my wife who plays a pretty strong game herself and has been trying to take mine away from me.
Attachments
Yes I only was on for one day to give my quick opinion. With the busy life I have and the need to practice pool I just don't find much time to sit on websites just to argue with people. The ones who ordered their cues have commented on how happy they are with them. Remember one thing, a custom cue or shaft does not come to you in the next week or same day like a production cue. It takes time and John individualizes every shaft. There is a stock option for his shafts that will speed it up, but I highly recommend the tuned shaft. I have three playing cues, a break cue and a jump cue from John already and two high end playing cues on order. Those are on order because of how pleased I am with the ones that I have. These cues are really nice to play with and I believe them to be the best all around and low deflecting sticks out there. There is always one cue you have not seen or heard of, but that does not mean you put the guy down right away because you can not comprehend what they are saying. Give them all a try and form a good opinion that is not bias. Just pay attention to what is happening with the ball when you hit it. I do not need to be convinced that these cues play well and are worth the money. They have already proven it to me.
Nathan
Nathan
Last edited: