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

[Briantime]

View attachment 845647


All EC-9 models have been sold out since Mezz put them on sale a year (2 years?) ago. And, all their other offerings have been listed as sold out for awhile.

I bought my EC-9 in April last year. Great cue. Sold out is not the same as discontinued. These models or others may be discontinued but if you go by the sold out label than the entire lineup of Mezz cues are discontinued,

 

[skor]

The Mezz website is not updated.
Better to reach out to dealers and see what they got in stock

 

[manwon]

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:
View attachment 844050

I don’t understand For the amount of money you are able to allocate to a cue, why don’t you want to buy a custom build?