Best Production Cue for $400-$500??

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el_h3fe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just looking for some opinions. I got 400.00 in giftcards at work and am getting them to amazon.com because they are the only website I could get that has a decent selection of pool cues. There are Joss, Schon, Predator, Pechauer, Jacoby, Meucci, Viking, Lucasi etc... pool cues. Nothing custom but all production cues.

My question is... In your opinion, what is the best bang for your buck for production cues in the 400-500 price range. I could always toss a few hundred towards it to get a nicer stl schon or ikon predator but I would rather just say I got a middle-end production cue that cost me absolutely nothing. So far, I've been looking at the predator 6 point roadlines (wrapless of course), some of the joss and some of the lower end schons. Also been looking at the Pechauers. I have Pechauer and am a huge fan of them and even though there are tons of nice ones, I kinda want to get soemthing else to try out. However, if you would get the Pechauer, feel free to explain why.

If it was you and you had the giftcards to get a cue, what brand would you get and why? I know there are some relatively unique responses to some of the questions posed here so lets assume that you HAVE to use the giftcards at amazon.com and it HAS to be on one of the cues on the amazon website. I appreciate everyones opinions.

Thanks alot for your opinions.

-Justin B.
 
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I don't care for the WD700 shaft so I would go with a Schon.
I am sure there area arguments that can be made for each.
The only other two I like would be the Pechauer and Jacoby.
 
I suspect that you could get many different answers. I might say Predator, but I'm a Predator person, I know there are people that post here that wouldn't get anything but a Joss, and the same with Schon or Mezz. Then is a group that would tell you to look for a custom sneaky, you might be able to pick up a Scruggs or Frey sneaky for that price and there are certainly several other cuemakers that you could look to. I think you should find one you like the look of since you really won't be able to test it out and go with that one. Schon, Joss, and Mezz seem to resell pretty well if you don't like it
 
Out of those, I'd go with Schon or a Mezz or maybe a Predator if you have played with their shafts before. McDermott is not bad either, it really depends on the type of hit you like. If you like a wood to wood hit, McDermott, if you like a more dense feeling hit, Schon, Mezz or Predator.
 
For $400, I would get a set. I'd buy a Cuetec R360, break cue, jump cue and case. you'll be hard pressed to find something in the production world worth paying the extra for. It plays well enough, and with a full set of cues, you should be ready for anything!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

All the best,

Justin
 
el_h3fe said:
Just looking for some opinions. I got 400.00 in giftcards at work and am getting them to amazon.com because they are the only website I could get that has a decent selection of pool cues. There are Joss, Schon, Predator, Pechauer, Jacoby, Meucci, Viking, Lucasi etc... pool cues. Nothing custom but all production cues.

My question is... In your opinion, what is the best bang for your buck for production cues in the 400-500 price range. I could always toss a few hundred towards it to get a nicer stl schon or ikon predator but I would rather just say I got a middle-end production cue that cost me absolutely nothing. So far, I've been looking at the predator 6 point roadlines (wrapless of course), some of the joss and some of the lower end schons. Also been looking at the Pechauers. I have Pechauer and am a huge fan of them and even though there are tons of nice ones, I kinda want to get soemthing else to try out. However, if you would get the Pechauer, feel free to explain why.

If it was you and you had the giftcards to get a cue, what brand would you get and why? I know there are some relatively unique responses to some of the questions posed here so lets assume that you HAVE to use the giftcards at amazon.com and it HAS to be on one of the cues on the amazon website. I appreciate everyones opinions.

Thanks alot for your opinions.

-Justin B.
Click to expand...

Put a bid on my cue for sale. $1.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mcdermott-P...590?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c735fd9fe
 
Ya Gotta start somewhere

If you'd never driven a car and your dad said, here's $4,000 BUT you have to buy either a Chevy/Ford/Dodge pickup truck to get paid, how would know ;). Those high priority choices will surface.

Jump into the Pool everyones already Wet,
 
If it were me, I'd get whichever cue had a radial pin. I'm hooked on the flat faced radial joint. Of the makers listed I think only jacoby will use a radial
 
I prefer the stiffer hit of my Pechauer to be honest. I've never hit with a Mezz cue in my life but I have hit with all of the others mentioned. How do Mezz cues play?
 
Celophanewrap said:
I suspect that you could get many different answers. I might say Predator, but I'm a Predator person, I know there are people that post here that wouldn't get anything but a Joss, and the same with Schon or Mezz. Then is a group that would tell you to look for a custom sneaky, you might be able to pick up a Scruggs or Frey sneaky for that price and there are certainly several other cuemakers that you could look to. I think you should find one you like the look of since you really won't be able to test it out and go with that one. Schon, Joss, and Mezz seem to resell pretty well if you don't like it
Click to expand...

If it has to be production I'd play with the OB Classic shaft no matter cue it was. That Classic plays great. If not, I picked up my Frey sneaky pete for around what you're planning to spend or less and I wouldn't pick any of them over that cue but that's me.
 
I didnt list any custom makers because I assumed there werent going to be any of them on amazon however, I guess it might be a good thing to look to see. Ive never used amazon as tough as that may be to believe but I just didnt think to look for any custom cue makers cues on there. I do agree that the OB cues are nice and I had an OB classic pro shaft that I bought for my Pechauer. Granted, it was terrible because I was having a tough time adjusting to it so I ordered the 314-2 and planned to switch back later on down the road.... That is until it got stolen the other day after using it only 3 times.
 
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To subjective of a question for anyone to answer for you. But I have bought a Joss for less than $400.00 and I absolutely love it, you may hate it. Just try a bunch and buy whatever feels right and is in your price range.

But if I was going to toss around 500 bucks I would check out the used custom market here. It's amazing what you can get right now for not much money.


Good luck.
 
I think those mentioned so far are all good cues...Joss, Schon, Mezz. However if it were me I would definitely go with a Schon in that price range.

There are a LOT of very nice production and custom cues out there now a days. I've personally tried numerous custom cues and production cues since I started playing pool again last year and I am back to a Schon again. Definitely the best bang for the buck in my opinion. I do admit that I'm a Schon fan too, I actually don't really consider them 'production' cues so to speak but I don't really consider them 'custom' cues either. I think they walk a line somewhere in between. I believe they have 4 or 5 guys working there and I suspect their volume isn't anywhere close to Joss, Mezz, McDermott, Meucci, etc...

I think it is nice though that we have soooooo many nice cues in the less than $1000 range now, even less than $500. Back when I was in college in the late 80s the choices were much more limited. It's very nice for players these days to have such a wide range of cues available without breaking the bank.
 
el_h3fe said:
I didnt list any custom makers because I assumed there werent going to be any of them on amazon however, I guess it might be a good thing to look to see. Ive never used amazon as tough as that may be to believe but I just didnt think to look for any custom cue makers cues on there. I do agree that the OB cues are nice and I had an OB classic pro shaft that I bought for my Pechauer. Granted, it was terrible because I was having a tough time adjusting to it so I ordered the 314-2 and planned to switch back later on down the road.... That is until it got stolen the other day after using it only 3 times.
Click to expand...

I thought Jacoby was a custom maker.
You're able to find these on amazon.com? I see them on ebay, but not on amazon.
 
You might want to check out the OB sneakys. Although I personally shoot with a Predator Z2 I thought the OB was well put together. I shot a bit with the OB Sneaky with a Classic Pro shaft during the BCA in Vegas and thought they made the balls go in the hole just fine too.

If you're wondering, the only reason I am not recommending a Predator sneaky is because I think they're ugly. I have my Z2 on a custom butt instead.
 
Yeah, cdryden, I knew that it was going to generate alot of varying opinions which is why I asked. I havent been in the pool scene for an extremely long period of time and I really like hearing the opinions of other people and why they feel their choice is a better one than someone elses. not to cause arguments but just to make sure that I am getting a cue of note that plays well even at the 400-500 range.

So, Jalan, Why Schon? What keeps bringing you back to Schon? I know that with my Pechauer, so far, all the other cues I've really hit with are not as stiff as the one that I have and I absolutely love that stiff hit. I guess so far, considering the kind of cues that I think feel best to me, I cant go wrong with a joss or a schon. So far, I'm really leaning toward a schon. I do, however wish that I had the opportunity to play with a mezz before. can anyone give a quick synopsis on how mezz cues play? Stiffness, vibration, how does the shaft/ferrule combination feel etc...
 
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