best cues or cue makers
- Thread starter mark tadd
- Start date
mark tadd said:well when i used to play i didnt have much money so i got what i could. and there were times in my pool life that i could afford it but that was because i played poker and would make good scores. but when i played poker i didnt play pool so it didnt matter to . then i would lose come back to pool and have to get cheap stick or use old one so i made them work.
but i never really thought much about it till after i quit . but now that im back i really just want a really good hitting cue cause i would like to see the difference in my game
there are so many things you can consider before buying a cue. length, weight, balance point, cue measurments, butt woods, shaft wood type, ss joint flatface collar, ss joint piloted, ivory full/collar/piloted, phenolic, wood joint, ferrule type, tip type, stiff hit/hard hit/soft hit it goes on and on, and any good cuemaker can do this for you.
there are certain cuemakers who have very distinctive hits. if this impresses you, then take all the info you've gathered over to a particular one and get him to do a plain jane or simple 4 point.
it's easy! 1...decide on your specifics, detailed down to the choice of woods. 2...try different cues of different cuemakers. 3...pick that cuemaker and have him make your cue. EASY!
i once saw you playing with a shaft with a spliced ebony butterfly...that has a particular hit. that and all the years you've spent working with different bridges etc as you've stated! an artist in tune with that kind of specific knows what he's all about.
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Mark, I'm sure that you know that some outside factors affect shots and that you learn to deal with these things. For the same stroke with the same tip to CB contact point you can get varying results on different tables, cloth, balls, condition of the balls, humidity in the playing environment, etc. right?mark tadd said:
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PoolSleuth
Banned
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Define the the word “BEST†I think it is like asking someone what is the “BEST†French Restaurant in the USA. It is like BEAUTY it IMO. It is MANY TIMES in the Eyes of the Beholder.
I personally have had the unique opportunity to hit with an Original George Balabushka Cue, it had the MOST UNIQUE HIT I M O, that I would love to have any of my Cues Duplicate that Hit.
But I think that is impossible as that Balabushka had the Most Unique Growth Pattern of any Cue I have ever hit with.
The hit was created by the Old Maple Shafts with DENSE GROWTH PATTERNS...
Any good Cuemaker should be able to make you a Great Hitting Cue with Shaft Design, & and Good TIP (like a Tigr, Morri, etc) IMO.
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mark tadd said:
Define the the word “BEST†I think it is like asking someone what is the “BEST†French Restaurant in the USA. It is like BEAUTY it IMO. It is MANY TIMES in the Eyes of the Beholder.
I personally have had the unique opportunity to hit with an Original George Balabushka Cue, it had the MOST UNIQUE HIT I M O, that I would love to have any of my Cues Duplicate that Hit.
But I think that is impossible as that Balabushka had the Most Unique Growth Pattern of any Cue I have ever hit with.
The hit was created by the Old Maple Shafts with DENSE GROWTH PATTERNS...
Any good Cuemaker should be able to make you a Great Hitting Cue with Shaft Design, & and Good TIP (like a Tigr, Morri, etc) IMO.
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bruin70 said:there are so many things you can consider before buying a cue. length, weight, balance point, cue measurments, butt woods, shaft wood type, ss joint flatface collar, ss joint piloted, ivory full/collar/piloted, phenolic, wood joint, ferrule type, tip type, stiff hit/hard hit/soft hit it goes on and on, and any good cuemaker can do this for you.
there are certain cuemakers who have very distinctive hits. if this impresses you, then take all the info you've gathered over to a particular one and get him to do a plain jane or simple 4 point.
it's easy! 1...decide on your specifics, detailed down to the choice of woods. 2...try different cues of different cuemakers. 3...pick that cuemaker and have him make your cue. EASY!
i once saw you playing with a shaft with a spliced ebony butterfly...that has a particular hit. that and all the years you've spent working with different bridges etc as you've stated! an artist in tune with that kind of specific knows what he's all about.
i understand what you are saying but not easy. because you have listed many things to choose from above if im not cue maker how would i know what makes it hit good i can inly see the outside not the inside. the only way i could find a good cue maker is by reputation. meaning a great player plays to his potencial with it and tells me it plays well . then i know it must play well so i have a lead. then i say to the cue maker make me one like his and it will probaly play the same right?
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
mark tadd said:
Check your PM's
bruin70 said:there are so many things you can consider before buying a cue. length, weight, balance point, cue measurments, butt woods, shaft wood type, ss joint flatface collar, ss joint piloted, ivory full/collar/piloted, phenolic, wood joint, ferrule type, tip type, stiff hit/hard hit/soft hit it goes on and on, and any good cuemaker can do this for you.
there are certain cuemakers who have very distinctive hits. if this impresses you, then take all the info you've gathered over to a particular one and get him to do a plain jane or simple 4 point.
it's easy! 1...decide on your specifics, detailed down to the choice of woods. 2...try different cues of different cuemakers. 3...pick that cuemaker and have him make your cue. EASY!
i once saw you playing with a shaft with a spliced ebony butterfly...that has a particular hit. that and all the years you've spent working with different bridges etc as you've stated! an artist in tune with that kind of specific knows what he's all about.
i mean i know there are alot of choices probaly to many. but im not trying to reinvent the wheel .just what great players have been using for years. nothing fancy dont care about looks . but if im playing great and my stick is not im in trouble
mark tadd said:
I'll take a stab. High end cues aren't for you. You're a player first. You liked the South West, so if you don't get yourself a South West, I think you should be looking for a plain cue with a flat-faced joint that hits very solid.
You're in the West, so I'll suggest a cue maker in the West, who can make a plain cue that would give you the solid feel and balance. And, the time proven fact that Efren Reyes has been playing with one for several years. A JT-1 from Judd Fuller (Judd Cues) and a his "catalog." http://www.juddcues.com/prod1.html#
If you want more of a production model, I'll have a hard time to suggest anything. Some would suggest a McDermott. For you, I'd suggest a Meucci.
Fred
Cornerman said:
well i dont mind south west but there are better cue makers i think. its hard to know with players nowdays if they really really like the cue cause it hits good or cause there getting paid . but efren seems to not be missing a ball so they must have designed it to his specs. just trying to get all the info and oppinions so i can then sort through
but as far as mucci or mcdermott had them and they hit awful imo specialy mucci thanks for input
I think you may have answered your own question. You have to shop around for a Southwest.mark tadd said:so a friend of mine was out and said mark you want to use my south west cause i was mentioning that i was putting alot of time and effort on every shot and my stick doesnt seem to react correctly. so i had to win the three matches to win the tourney and i took a few shots and the cue ball did what it was supposed to.
i hardly missed a ball and beat everyone easly. so when i came back home i said i aint playing no more till i get a good cue . cause here i thought i wasnt playing very well when actualy i wasnt playing really bad at all. so a friend said lets play in the ipt and i said ok practiced 3 days and my same cue i struggle with held up so im glad but now i need a better cue if im going to start playing again so we shall see
However, Southwest has a few different shafts, so you will have to make sure which shaft is on your friends cue and get the same thing.
Also, because of the Southwest waiting list, you don't have time to get one new.
If you like stiff, low deflection shafts, you may want to try a cue by Mike Lambros, especially if you can get one with one of his flat laminated shafts.
Also, try a cue by Mike Capone if you get a chance.
Mike,
The cues I make are 59", and I have faith that they shoot as good or better than any cue out there. It sounds like you are not interested in anything fancy, so tell you what I'll do. PM me with your address and I will send you one of my Sneeky Petes. Try it for a couple of weeks. If you like it we will work something out, and if you don't, just send it back. The most you can be out if it doesn't suit your style is shipping.
Chris
The cues I make are 59", and I have faith that they shoot as good or better than any cue out there. It sounds like you are not interested in anything fancy, so tell you what I'll do. PM me with your address and I will send you one of my Sneeky Petes. Try it for a couple of weeks. If you like it we will work something out, and if you don't, just send it back. The most you can be out if it doesn't suit your style is shipping.
Chris
Mark Tadd Is Looking For A New Cue To Play With On The Ipt.
Hi Mark,
There are so many "good" cue makers these days it is hard to choose just one.
One of the things that I really enjoyed doing was hitting some balls with virtually every one of Jim Wright's collection of cues. He was a cue dealer who brought 40-60 cues everywhere he went. At the U.S. OPen One Pocket Championship in 1999. He asked if I would like to hit some balls with his cues that he had for sale. I told him I wasn't in the market for purchasing a cue at that time and he said it was OK to go ahead and hit some balls on one of the practice tables. I hit balls with about 40 different cues and liked the fat pin, flat face jointed cues like Mike Bender, Cognosenti and Ernie Martinez cues. However for spinning the cue ball, I liked the cue that Buddy Hall let me use one day. He said it was an old Meucci that he had kept all those years and yes you could make certain shots with it that you couldn't make with other cues but I think it was primarily due to the taper rather than the cue itself. I would concentrate on hitting balls with as many different cues as you can find. When you find one that you like, write down ALL of the specifications, especially concerning the JOINT, SHAFT, TIP & BALANCE POINT.
Any SMART CUEMAKER should jump at the chance to make you a playing cue for cheap or free. The problem is that preference of cues is a VERY personal matter and what matters to you will not necessarily matter to others and vice versa.
Many cue makers would be happy to let you hit some balls with their cues in the making so you might want to visit some of the cue makers in your local area as they may be able to "tweak" the cue to meet your individual needs.
I would appreciate you letting us know the specs that you decide on.
In no order of importance:
CUE LENGTH.
CUE WEIGHT.
BALANCE POINT.
WOOD TYPE.
SHAFT DIAMETER
SHAFT TAPER
TIP BRAND/type, HARDNESS AND SHAPE.
Oh yeah, cue maker.
Welcome back. Howard Ikeda said you were the best natural talent he had ever seen and he said that before you came out of retirement.
MAY YOU SHOOT WELL ON THE IPT!
JoeyA -New Orleans-(shoots with a Mike Bender, Mike Gullyassy and once upon a time a Mark Moore cue) but likes the hit of Southwest cues and Ernie Martinez cues but have never owned a SW or EM.
Hi Mark,
There are so many "good" cue makers these days it is hard to choose just one.
One of the things that I really enjoyed doing was hitting some balls with virtually every one of Jim Wright's collection of cues. He was a cue dealer who brought 40-60 cues everywhere he went. At the U.S. OPen One Pocket Championship in 1999. He asked if I would like to hit some balls with his cues that he had for sale. I told him I wasn't in the market for purchasing a cue at that time and he said it was OK to go ahead and hit some balls on one of the practice tables. I hit balls with about 40 different cues and liked the fat pin, flat face jointed cues like Mike Bender, Cognosenti and Ernie Martinez cues. However for spinning the cue ball, I liked the cue that Buddy Hall let me use one day. He said it was an old Meucci that he had kept all those years and yes you could make certain shots with it that you couldn't make with other cues but I think it was primarily due to the taper rather than the cue itself. I would concentrate on hitting balls with as many different cues as you can find. When you find one that you like, write down ALL of the specifications, especially concerning the JOINT, SHAFT, TIP & BALANCE POINT.
Any SMART CUEMAKER should jump at the chance to make you a playing cue for cheap or free. The problem is that preference of cues is a VERY personal matter and what matters to you will not necessarily matter to others and vice versa.
Many cue makers would be happy to let you hit some balls with their cues in the making so you might want to visit some of the cue makers in your local area as they may be able to "tweak" the cue to meet your individual needs.
I would appreciate you letting us know the specs that you decide on.
In no order of importance:
CUE LENGTH.
CUE WEIGHT.
BALANCE POINT.
WOOD TYPE.
SHAFT DIAMETER
SHAFT TAPER
TIP BRAND/type, HARDNESS AND SHAPE.
Oh yeah, cue maker.
Welcome back. Howard Ikeda said you were the best natural talent he had ever seen and he said that before you came out of retirement.
MAY YOU SHOOT WELL ON THE IPT!
JoeyA -New Orleans-(shoots with a Mike Bender, Mike Gullyassy and once upon a time a Mark Moore cue) but likes the hit of Southwest cues and Ernie Martinez cues but have never owned a SW or EM.
mark tadd said:
Rich R. said:I think you may have answered your own question. You have to shop around for a Southwest.
However, Southwest has a few different shafts, so you will have to make sure which shaft is on your friends cue and get the same thing.
Also, because of the Southwest waiting list, you don't have time to get one new.
If you like stiff, low deflection shafts, you may want to try a cue by Mike Lambros, especially if you can get one with one of his flat laminated shafts.
Also, try a cue by Mike Capone if you get a chance.
ive tried a few sw in past years to see how they hit and there dont seem bad but i really never liked them but his cue hit much better than mine so i was bothered cause i thought it was me struggling but it was the cue and i knew that . but to play two balls or more better after switching sticks is rediculous. so it made me think that i dont want to play serious pool till i get a real cue . thanks for input
bigpocket said:
That is a good recommendation. Especially if you like the Southwest hit....I've heard his stuff feels very close. Maybe a plain Coker, made to your specs would be in your price range.
Do you like a steel joint? Perhaps you've hit with a TAD before (being that you were big out in the west coast). What about one of those?
JoeyA said:Hi Mark,
There are so many "good" cue makers these days it is hard to choose just one.
One of the things that I really enjoyed doing was hitting some balls with virtually every one of Jim Wright's collection of cues. He was a cue dealer who brought 40-60 cues everywhere he went. At the U.S. OPen One Pocket Championship in 1999. He asked if I would like to hit some balls with his cues that he had for sale. I told him I wasn't in the market for purchasing a cue at that time and he said it was OK to go ahead and hit some balls on one of the practice tables. I hit balls with about 40 different cues and liked the fat pin, flat face jointed cues like Mike Bender, Cognosenti and Ernie Martinez cues. However for spinning the cue ball, I liked the cue that Buddy Hall let me use one day. He said it was an old Meucci that he had kept all those years and yes you could make certain shots with it that you couldn't make with other cues but I think it was primarily due to the taper rather than the cue itself. I would concentrate on hitting balls with as many different cues as you can find. When you find one that you like, write down ALL of the specifications, especially concerning the JOINT, SHAFT, TIP & BALANCE POINT.
Any SMART CUEMAKER should jump at the chance to make you a playing cue for cheap or free. The problem is that preference of cues is a VERY personal matter and what matters to you will not necessarily matter to others and vice versa.
Many cue makers would be happy to let you hit some balls with their cues in the making so you might want to visit some of the cue makers in your local area as they may be able to "tweak" the cue to meet your individual needs.
I would appreciate you letting us know the specs that you decide on.
In no order of importance:
CUE LENGTH.
CUE WEIGHT.
BALANCE POINT.
WOOD TYPE.
SHAFT DIAMETER
SHAFT TAPER
TIP BRAND/type, HARDNESS AND SHAPE.
Oh yeah, cue maker.
Welcome back. Howard Ikeda said you were the best natural talent he had ever seen and he said that before you came out of retirement.
MAY YOU SHOOT WELL ON THE IPT!
JoeyA -New Orleans-(shoots with a Mike Bender, Mike Gullyassy and once upon a time a Mark Moore cue) but likes the hit of Southwest cues and Ernie Martinez cues but have never owned a SW or EM.
thanks for all the info and as far as hitting with many cues it would seem you would have to do a lot of traveling . not much in utah and even if i hit with a cue makers cue it may not be the one i want. so i would have to hit with someones cue thats similar to what i like and i havent seen to many 60 inch cues but i havent been out there either. it would be depressing to order a cue only to get it and it doesnt hit well .
thats why i never done it . so this may be a interesting project for me
i guess. thats why ive always bought cheap cues no more than 130 or less cause if i didnt like them it would not cost me much . just throw away and get another . sending cues back and fourth till they are right would be a nightmare and thats only if they let you if not then you might not be to happy. so i avoided it . but they always advertise at tourneys so i may have to talk to them at one of them and mabey they will have some of their work there. as far as specs go ithats hard to say i would have to ask them or someone who has played with a 60 cue what weight is best for that cue and go from there . thanks joey