hi again so much good inf on this thread, but it reminds me of a R.Black I Bought i shot 3-4 balls it felt great that was enough, and I AGREE good players must use good tools,I swear by COGNESCENTI love mine like my family! Good luck buy what feels good after afew shots your body knows!
best cues or cue makers
- Thread starter mark tadd
- Start date
ok,,,,you want a cue that brings out the best in you but you don't want to shell out cash on a cue that might not be what you want.
the first step is to find a cuemaker who makes a cue that you feel right about the minute you hold the cue in your hands. the perfect cue for you will feel like it's part of you by simply holding it with both hands. find that cuemaker.
find the shaftwood yourself. at every pool hall you visit, try all the house cues. find one or more with a great hit. offer to buy the housecue from the owner. that should cost maybe $30 at most. chop the thicker part of the shaft area and save it for a cuemaker to make a shaft for you. after a while, you may have collected a bunch of these housecue woods.
take the cue you currently play with and one of these woods and have a cuemaker build you a shaft. if you have a normal cue(29" butt) then you will have the cuemaker build you a 31" shaft. now,,,a cue with a 29" butt + 31" shaft will hit differently from a 30"x30", but i'm trying to let you off with the cheapest solution possible. the cue with the longer shaft will have more action. the only thing remaining after that is to change the tip and ferrule.
by picking your own shaftwood from housecues, you will at least be assuring yourself that the shaft will be to your liking. you will be amazed at the type of hits you'll get from trying all the house cues.
some rooms have very good housecues. i happen to love the housecues at broadway billiards in nyc. the woods are old with prominent grain, which delivers a sharp stinging hit. of course, finding a straight piece of wood is more difficult, which is why i suggested cutting the THICKER part of the cue to give the cuemaker enough wood to work with.
this is the cheapest solution i know. this will all take some time.
the first step is to find a cuemaker who makes a cue that you feel right about the minute you hold the cue in your hands. the perfect cue for you will feel like it's part of you by simply holding it with both hands. find that cuemaker.
find the shaftwood yourself. at every pool hall you visit, try all the house cues. find one or more with a great hit. offer to buy the housecue from the owner. that should cost maybe $30 at most. chop the thicker part of the shaft area and save it for a cuemaker to make a shaft for you. after a while, you may have collected a bunch of these housecue woods.
take the cue you currently play with and one of these woods and have a cuemaker build you a shaft. if you have a normal cue(29" butt) then you will have the cuemaker build you a 31" shaft. now,,,a cue with a 29" butt + 31" shaft will hit differently from a 30"x30", but i'm trying to let you off with the cheapest solution possible. the cue with the longer shaft will have more action. the only thing remaining after that is to change the tip and ferrule.
by picking your own shaftwood from housecues, you will at least be assuring yourself that the shaft will be to your liking. you will be amazed at the type of hits you'll get from trying all the house cues.
some rooms have very good housecues. i happen to love the housecues at broadway billiards in nyc. the woods are old with prominent grain, which delivers a sharp stinging hit. of course, finding a straight piece of wood is more difficult, which is why i suggested cutting the THICKER part of the cue to give the cuemaker enough wood to work with.
this is the cheapest solution i know. this will all take some time.
After all the d!cking around with cues I have done in the last couple of years I have settled on two, 1 production and 1 custom.
Right now I have a Joss with a Universal shaft that plays as well as anything I have ever picked up. Not to mention the entire setup cost me under $400.
I am also on order with Mike Webb because of all the customs I have shot with, his play the best and most consistent from cue to cue (personal preference of course).
Right now I have a Joss with a Universal shaft that plays as well as anything I have ever picked up. Not to mention the entire setup cost me under $400.
I am also on order with Mike Webb because of all the customs I have shot with, his play the best and most consistent from cue to cue (personal preference of course).
mark tadd said:
Ariel Carmeli
Hey Mark, I've got a 60" wrapless Lew Stone with one flat laminated shaft and a regular shaft that you might like. I also have a Rick Howard that George Breedlove played with for ten years. If your interested maybe we could meet down at the Ritz and you can try them out.
-Andy
-Andy
mark tadd said: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 mei 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
If you want to talk to someone who shoots at a relatively high level and plays with a 60" cue, you might consider talking to Dave Bollman. He passed through New Orleans a dozen years ago and if I remember correctly his custom cue was 60" or more. Someone on this forum might have his phone number. He was also a professional golfer at one time and he is a nice guy who would probably share a lot of NEEDEd information with you about 60" cues.
Good luck in your quest. I like your style. Get a consensus then decide for yourself what is best for YOU.
If someone doesn't post Dave Bollman's phone number let me know and I will get it for you.
By the way (BTW) how tall are you? Do you know any players who play with a 60" cue? Who?
Thanks,
JoeyA
Dave Bollman is the house pro, and does cue repair, at Q-Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, Va.JoeyA said:
That is the room owned buy Barry Behrman, who runs the U.S. Open.
Here is contact information.
http://www.q-masters.com/cue_repair_dave_bollman.php
Yo Mark,
You´ve gotten a lot of good feedback here. One cuemaker not mentioned is Keith Josey. He makes awesome playing cues that are not to pricy. He´s out of Savannah, GA. Shawn Putnam plays with a Josey, among others.
Good luck in your second pool career. Maybe I´ll see you later this month. I´ll be out for the WSOP at the Rio.
Jay
You´ve gotten a lot of good feedback here. One cuemaker not mentioned is Keith Josey. He makes awesome playing cues that are not to pricy. He´s out of Savannah, GA. Shawn Putnam plays with a Josey, among others.
Good luck in your second pool career. Maybe I´ll see you later this month. I´ll be out for the WSOP at the Rio.
Jay
I agree with Jay too. I have a friend that had two Joseys and they were both solid hitters. He can make you a basic Sneaky Pete to your specs for about $270-$320.jay helfert said:
-Andy
No good answer 4 this 1? :~)
I really don't think there is a really good answer for this one?
I would calculate a lot of my experience would say, it depends on the cues construction and materials. I have owned and played with several cues over the last 29+ years. I have played in establishments and tournaments off and/on for the last 25 years. If I drop names of cue manufactures from the past to my present hitter, it may give you an idea what kind of style of cue I fancy? My first non-bar cue was a Huebler and I still have her. She has been with me the longest a H-13. I had her upgraded to an ivory ferrel some years back. I think she performs much better with this improvement, but that could just be me? Since then, I have had several cues. I find cues with the SS insert joint and ivory ferrel work/perform the best for me. I like the focused energy of that style of cue. As I get older, I want the cue to do more of the work and me less of it. I like the cue to draw/masse with little or no effort. For me, I find the composite ferrel (ones on old Schon's) and the ivory work best for me over the plastic ones. Currently in my favorite list would be cues made by Richard Black, Jensen or Skip Weston to my specs, like an old Hoppe or Bushka style cue. I like a cue with points, it maybe just mental, but I think it focuses the energy better to the tip of the cue? I think production cues are great for beginners and I have a few, when I want to fly under the radar of the local bar flies (Joss’s and Schon’s).
I find the best way to find a good hitter, is to play with as many as I can (different makes, production and special order), as often as I can. I ask local players what they have, when I see one hit a ball. My friends have always let me take testdrives of theirs and I will do likewise. In time you will find your favorite and it will make your day!
I really don't think there is a really good answer for this one?
I would calculate a lot of my experience would say, it depends on the cues construction and materials. I have owned and played with several cues over the last 29+ years. I have played in establishments and tournaments off and/on for the last 25 years. If I drop names of cue manufactures from the past to my present hitter, it may give you an idea what kind of style of cue I fancy? My first non-bar cue was a Huebler and I still have her. She has been with me the longest a H-13. I had her upgraded to an ivory ferrel some years back. I think she performs much better with this improvement, but that could just be me? Since then, I have had several cues. I find cues with the SS insert joint and ivory ferrel work/perform the best for me. I like the focused energy of that style of cue. As I get older, I want the cue to do more of the work and me less of it. I like the cue to draw/masse with little or no effort. For me, I find the composite ferrel (ones on old Schon's) and the ivory work best for me over the plastic ones. Currently in my favorite list would be cues made by Richard Black, Jensen or Skip Weston to my specs, like an old Hoppe or Bushka style cue. I like a cue with points, it maybe just mental, but I think it focuses the energy better to the tip of the cue? I think production cues are great for beginners and I have a few, when I want to fly under the radar of the local bar flies (Joss’s and Schon’s).
I find the best way to find a good hitter, is to play with as many as I can (different makes, production and special order), as often as I can. I ask local players what they have, when I see one hit a ball. My friends have always let me take testdrives of theirs and I will do likewise. In time you will find your favorite and it will make your day!
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Cue suggestions
Hi Mark,
You know a friend of mine named MAMU from UTAH! I mention one cue maker that comes to mind Ted Harris! Teddy because he has worked travelling from tournament to tournament on PRO players cues for years. NO ONE knows more about the tapers the PRO's use and ETC. Plus, little is it known teddy is one hell of a player!!!
I would suggest you tell teddy the type of thread and have him make you a shaft for your cuetec. His shafts are GREAT! He can ship you out one that will fit. That way you have your cue modified to prevent the deflection. Teddy's shafts are low in deflection and are 3/4 an inch melamine ferrulle. This is very important because the hardness of the ferrulle means the more deflection. So, melamine is the softest and deflects less. This fact is illustrated on www.ivor-x.com web site. Additional info on deflection is on the meucci website a great read.
With out boring you on BS. I would suggest you find a few house cues and see how they feel in terms of weight. Example: ebony is heavy and may not feel right. Tulipwood and Purple heart too light. When you find out what type of wood naturally!!! weights correctly for you then tell the cue maker to take a good house cue blank out of "Wenge wood" and make you a 60" cue with a flat face joint 3/8 big pin. Tell the cue maker Brass or titanium or Stainless for the pin. The primary difference is weight. Forward balance would tell you to go with the heavier pin up front. I.E. suggest getting the Stainless steel. As far as collars or joints since you like southwest I would go with a plain Phenelic collar no stainless and Ivory is expensive and cracks you do not want it for a players cue.
Oh well, hope this helps and best of luck. Another cue maker I have good things to say about the hit of his cues is Lambros. He makes jam up stuff. Just hit with his break jump cues and love them. Very solid. Have heard his playing cues are great. Just some suggestions. But, really believe the sneaky with a leather wrap, 3/8 pin 3/4 ferrulle is the way to go and last but not least a sniper tip. Get a laminated tip with the fewest layers. The more layers the more glue and the more miscues!!! They only have 5 layers and either the cheap triangle layered tip or triumpth tip have 5
layers as well.
One more thing stay away from the predator shafts and the laminated shafts. They are way to stiff. The ferrulle material and ferrulle length change is all you need to get you with in the acceptable deflection range and still allow you to whip the ball around.
Sincerely,
Kid Dynomite
Hi Mark,
You know a friend of mine named MAMU from UTAH! I mention one cue maker that comes to mind Ted Harris! Teddy because he has worked travelling from tournament to tournament on PRO players cues for years. NO ONE knows more about the tapers the PRO's use and ETC. Plus, little is it known teddy is one hell of a player!!!
I would suggest you tell teddy the type of thread and have him make you a shaft for your cuetec. His shafts are GREAT! He can ship you out one that will fit. That way you have your cue modified to prevent the deflection. Teddy's shafts are low in deflection and are 3/4 an inch melamine ferrulle. This is very important because the hardness of the ferrulle means the more deflection. So, melamine is the softest and deflects less. This fact is illustrated on www.ivor-x.com web site. Additional info on deflection is on the meucci website a great read.
With out boring you on BS. I would suggest you find a few house cues and see how they feel in terms of weight. Example: ebony is heavy and may not feel right. Tulipwood and Purple heart too light. When you find out what type of wood naturally!!! weights correctly for you then tell the cue maker to take a good house cue blank out of "Wenge wood" and make you a 60" cue with a flat face joint 3/8 big pin. Tell the cue maker Brass or titanium or Stainless for the pin. The primary difference is weight. Forward balance would tell you to go with the heavier pin up front. I.E. suggest getting the Stainless steel. As far as collars or joints since you like southwest I would go with a plain Phenelic collar no stainless and Ivory is expensive and cracks you do not want it for a players cue.
Oh well, hope this helps and best of luck. Another cue maker I have good things to say about the hit of his cues is Lambros. He makes jam up stuff. Just hit with his break jump cues and love them. Very solid. Have heard his playing cues are great. Just some suggestions. But, really believe the sneaky with a leather wrap, 3/8 pin 3/4 ferrulle is the way to go and last but not least a sniper tip. Get a laminated tip with the fewest layers. The more layers the more glue and the more miscues!!! They only have 5 layers and either the cheap triangle layered tip or triumpth tip have 5
layers as well.
One more thing stay away from the predator shafts and the laminated shafts. They are way to stiff. The ferrulle material and ferrulle length change is all you need to get you with in the acceptable deflection range and still allow you to whip the ball around.
Sincerely,
Kid Dynomite
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Josey Cues
Keith Josey's cues are among the best made today for their playability and how consistent the cues play along the wide veriety of looks he does, just ask Shawn Putnam. Joe Gold's (Cognoscenti) cues are another great choice for great playing cues. you can't go wrong with either one. my 2 cents
Keith Josey's cues are among the best made today for their playability and how consistent the cues play along the wide veriety of looks he does, just ask Shawn Putnam. Joe Gold's (Cognoscenti) cues are another great choice for great playing cues. you can't go wrong with either one. my 2 cents
JoeyA said:
bollman shoots with an old black boar
Thanks for the plug Andy! I just received 5 AC merry widow cues of various woods. Need to take pics. 2 more AC cues coming within a week. The AC I play with as good or better than any cue I recall owning.
Ariel Carmeli cues are very well made and AC is distinguishing himself as master cuebuilder. Parts are threaded and epoxied on. High quality woods are used throughout and the shaftwood available right now is downright superb.
If Mark Tadd is interested in a simple but attractive merry widow 60" AC player, we can accomodate him and make the shaft adjustments as needed to help get him locked in. If interested PM me and I will be glad to give you the Pro Program details.
Since many cues and shafts are in progress AC can have a cue in your hands to your specs in a matter of weeks. I'll be glad to help that happen.
Martin
Ariel Carmeli cues are very well made and AC is distinguishing himself as master cuebuilder. Parts are threaded and epoxied on. High quality woods are used throughout and the shaftwood available right now is downright superb.
If Mark Tadd is interested in a simple but attractive merry widow 60" AC player, we can accomodate him and make the shaft adjustments as needed to help get him locked in. If interested PM me and I will be glad to give you the Pro Program details.
Since many cues and shafts are in progress AC can have a cue in your hands to your specs in a matter of weeks. I'll be glad to help that happen.
Martin
1-pocket-player said: