Best All-Around Production Cue for ~$1000 (Value, Playability, Durability, Support)?

[july9x]

Setting aside fancy custom builds and expensive limited production cues, what’s the best production cue overall if you want the whole package: great value, solid playability, consistent quality, long-term durability, a design that doesn’t look too crazy, easy maintenance, good manufacturer support, and it has factory-made accessories like extensions?

Looking to spend around $1000, shaft included. Would love to hear from people who’ve owned or played with cues in this range for a while, not just what hits nice out of the box, but what holds up over years of use. You can use below template if you would like, or just shoot your comment.

Cue Brand / Model:
Butt: (Material, weight etc.)
Wrap: (Irish linen, leather, no wrap, rubber grip, etc.)
Shaft: (Standard maple, low-deflection, carbon fiber, model name if known)
Tip: (Brand, hardness, diameter)
Extension: (Factory extension available? Yes/No, length)
Joint: (Type, pin size, material)
Weight Adjustability: (Yes/No)
Approx. Price:

Comments on Playability & Durability:
Post pictures of your cue if possible:

 

[Bavafongoul]

If you are talking about durability when asking about how a cue holds up, it depends on the pool cue’s anatomy that must be known before answering the question. However, if you are referring to resale value, you can customarily expect to take a loss.

 

[skor]

Some of the specs that you're asking about can't really be addressed, such as:
- Long-Term Durability - really up to the user; a $50 cue could last a lifetime if cared for, and a $5000 one would not survive a year if not cared for.
- Consistent Quality - that will require owning a few cues from the same brand for a few years. No one can promise you or assure you that the quality of a maker from 10 years ago still holds with today's cues. Take a look at Meucci, which had quality issues at certain eras. Today's Schon is not up to par with what they used to be. McDermott and Viking have lines of cues made in Asia that are not up to par with their reputation, etc.


For about $1000, you have good options like:
1. Pechaur - you can find a nice cue for under $1000; if looking to upgrade the shaft to a low deflection, carbon fibre or kielwood, then you'll have to look into a more basic butt. They have extensions available and a weight screw system. They have a proprietary joint which will make it harder to match a 3rd-party shaft.

2. Joss - Pretty much as the Pechaur, they have a whole section of cues under $800, and they have a weight system and extensions available. The Joint is more standard than the Pechaur, so you can get it with any of the Joss shafts or save $100 and get it without a shaft and match any 3rd-party shaft that you may like.

I was looking for the same thing a few months ago. I was getting back to the game, and I have a bunch of nice cues, but none of my "players" could take an extension. I was looking into Joss, as I have a bunch of shafts (314 & CF) that will fit a 5/16x14 joint. But I really didn't find a design that I liked at my price point.

I ended up going with a JFlowers cue; I got the JF10-22F, I like its design (not crazy) and that it has inlays and not overlays. It has a bumper that is ready for their extension, and they offer 6 lengths to choose from, and they are stackable. They have a weight system (I don't use or change it); it comes with a radial pin. I've upgraded the basic CF shaft to the SMO, which is one of the best CF shafts on the market, and added an 8-inch extension, and the total was just under $700 – great value!! It's been my main player for the last 3 months or so; it has a nice, solid hit and plays great. The build is really nice. I wasn't a big fan of the wrap at first, but I got used to it.

As for service, some manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty for warpage or other defects; I don't care too much about it. I live overseas, and it's a pain in the butt to send stuff back... I just take care of my cues, and most of them served me well for many years (some custom cues failed).

So to summarize the JFlowers with your template:
Cue Brand / Model: JFlowers JF10-22F
Butt: Ebony cored with maple and carbon (look at their website to see the costruction) with abalone and white zuma inlays
Wrap: Genuine leather
Shaft: SMO CF shaft + $219 upgrade
Tip: Default Taom Fusion (med-hard) - I didn't like it and replaced it with the G2 medium which is great for me
Extension: Yes, I got the 8 inches
Joint: radial
Weight Adjustability: Yes but I think that the lowest is 19oz
Approx. Price: $693

​

 

[iusedtoberich]

Any Predator butt with a Revo shaft.

 

[june-bug]

Can't go wrong with a Joss.

 

[Biloxi Boy]

Predator Sneaky Petes, if you can fade the logo on the forearm.

 

[tripl3rrr]

 

[garczar]

Mezz. Hands down the best prod. cues out there. Nothing wrong, AT ALL, with Joss/Schon/Pechauer/etc i just think Mezz's QC is the best in the business. I don't like their Mezz-only pins bit other than that i'm all in.

 

[skor]

Mezz. Hands down the best prod. cues out there. Nothing wrong, AT ALL, with Joss/Schon/Pechauer/etc i just think Mezz's QC is the best in the business. I don't like their Mezz-only pins bit other than that i'm all in.

Cheapest Mezz is around $600 with a standard wooden shaft. If looking for LD or CF + add extension and you are past the $1000 mark.
I've hit a Mezz with Ignite shaft next to my JFlower, I don't think that the Mezz feels better, both have a nice solid hit.

 

[skor]

Any Predator butt with a Revo shaft.

Plus extension and you are past the $1000 mark

 

[lakeman77]

CueTec Avid and pop for the Cynergy shaft. $700 give or take a bit.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Why do you need spend a GRANDon a Cue, it will not make you play better, you cant buy skill.

PRACTICE Builds Skill.

 

[skor]

Why do you need spend a GRANDon a Cue, it will not make you play better, you cant buy skill.

PRACTICE Builds Skill.

Even with skill and practice, still need a cue to play....
Have you checked cue prices lately? any cue worth playing with is north of $400 and about $1000 with a good low deflection shaft and the ability to connect an extension.

 

[Biloxi Boy]

CoCo is absolutely correct, but 1000 now delays an update for quite a while.

 

[JPB2]

I don’t know how well all the imports do on the support part of the question. There have been threads on different brands. I like CueTec as far as the import brands for playability, value, accessories etc…. As they say in football, the best ability is availability. Some of the imports seem to be less available or have stuff out of stock more often.

For support I would think Pechauer and McDermott would be up there. I like how the new Meuccis play though. Pechauer quality is great. I haven’t had to send anything to Meucci for repair. I think the new management has improved that situation from what I hear.

so for support and availability I would go with one of their American companies. Some depends on what you want as far as how they play and design.

 

[7stud]

Check out a Cuetec Truewood II along with a Cuetec Duo extension.

Cue Brand / Model: Cuetec
Butt: Epoxy resin over various woods.
Wrap: Really nice leather wrap or no wrap
Shaft: Cynergy carbon fiber shaft 11.8mm or 12.5mm
Tip: Tiger Sniper Soft (can pay to have a different tip installed at Pooldawg, Seyberts before they ship it out)
Extension: Cuetec Duo (two stackable pieces: 3" and 6") I play with the 3" permanently attached.
Joint: proprietary Cuetec joint
Weight Adjustability: 19oz (adjustable in 0.25 oz, increments)
Approx. Price: $1k + $110 for extension

Alternative for $350 + $110 for a Cuetec Duo extension: Cuetec Avid 4 Point Sneaky Pete

Each AVID Sneaky Pete comes standard with Cuetec's newest shaft innovation, a 12.75mm glass composite-bonded hard maple shaft that features Cuetec's Air Light front-end construction for reduced mass and less cue ball deflection. Each shaft is topped off with a 3/8" sighting ferrule and a laminated Tiger Everest Medium tip.

 

[garczar]

Kind of a curveball here but if you want a really good basic player the J&J sneakies(one is $80, the other $90) are tough to beat. Half the price of what Actions/Players are bringing today.

 

[Chopdoc]

I don’t know how well all the imports do on the support part of the question.

I am not sure what "support" even means in terms of a cue. Warranty?

I mean, it's not a computer. Are they supposed to help with your stroke?

Anyway, there are simply many dozens of answers to the original questions.

IMHO, the first priority is to buy US made if you are in the US, unless you happen to be after a specific product made elsewhere for whatever reasons you have.

 

[Chopdoc]

Why do you need spend a GRANDon a Cue, it will not make you play better, you cant buy skill.

PRACTICE Builds Skill.

He never said he NEEDS to. If he wants to spend a grand that's his prerogative.
He also never even implied it would make him play better pool or that the price related to that.

 

[garczar]

I am not sure what "support" even means in terms of a cue. Warranty?

I mean, it's not a computer. Are they supposed to help with your stroke?

Anyway, there are simply many dozens of answers to the original questions.

IMHO, the first priority is to buy US made if you are in the US, unless you happen to be after a specific product made elsewhere for whatever reasons you have.

Agree on the US deal. If i was ordering a custom i'd go USA all the way. I have five wands currently: Jensen/Schon/Schmelke(all US), a Crical and a J&J j/b(both imports). For just a daily player i'd be looking more at price than country of origin. The reason i said Mezz is i've had a few and all were stone cold PERFECT.