Biggest Factor in Choosing a New Cue
- Thread starter DJSTEVEZ
- Start date
What i can afford at the time.
If it's too pricy, I can't buy it.
If it's good looking and too pricy, I can't buy it.
If it's ugly but priced well and I can play well with it, I can't buy it.
If it's good looking, priced well but I don't like how it plays, I can't buy it.
If it's good looking, priced well, I like how it plays, but I like the cue I have now, I can't buy it.
So I need four factors to buy a cue, one won't cut it.
Although if I could afford anything, I would have to say equal parts how I play with it and how it looks. If it only plays well but I don't like how it looks, I won't get it, because I know that sooner or later I will find a cue that matches both of those qualities, looks good to me AND how it plays.
I really don't care what my player "looks" like so much as, I care what it "SOUNDS" like. The sound a cue makes when hitting a ball is my #1 concern because it tells you very much about the construction of the cue/shaft. For me the perfect sound you ask? it is almost like a hammer hitting very hard rock like granite. IT has a ping to it.
G.
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There isn't just one factor that over shadows the others. It's a combination of a few different factors but the problem is when you order a custom cue, you know what you are getting at least from an aesthetic standpoint but the hit/feel may not be exactly what you wanted. With that being said IF you know what you like and can convey it to the cuemaker and they have the knowledge and expertise to execute the design then you're on the right track.
For me the two biggest factors are feel/play-ability and aesthetics. This is why I almost always spend my money with Paul Drexler. Paul is capable of executing just about any design you can think up and I know it's going to play well. Unfortunately I can't afford most of the designs that I dream up but I have be fortunate to have some very nice cues built by him.
For me the two biggest factors are feel/play-ability and aesthetics. This is why I almost always spend my money with Paul Drexler. Paul is capable of executing just about any design you can think up and I know it's going to play well. Unfortunately I can't afford most of the designs that I dream up but I have be fortunate to have some very nice cues built by him.
Hm, tough question. For me, if the question is what I buy then it comes down to the rep of the builder to a large degree because I often don't have a chance to try everything I'm interested in first.
When it comes to what cue or cues I actually keep and play it comes down to the hit, feel, and balance. I went through four Schons before finding one that felt right to me, and even then it took a weight adjustment from Schon to get there. Others weren't bad, just not quite right for my personal preference.
The Schon is a placeholder until my Runde is done. I ordered that having never hit a Runde but I have since hit one and loved it. It was ordered purely on reputation and the belief that it would provide the type of hit, feel, and balance I like based on all the feedback I read about all sorts of cues.
When it comes to what cue or cues I actually keep and play it comes down to the hit, feel, and balance. I went through four Schons before finding one that felt right to me, and even then it took a weight adjustment from Schon to get there. Others weren't bad, just not quite right for my personal preference.
The Schon is a placeholder until my Runde is done. I ordered that having never hit a Runde but I have since hit one and loved it. It was ordered purely on reputation and the belief that it would provide the type of hit, feel, and balance I like based on all the feedback I read about all sorts of cues.
performance
I'm not surprised that less than half of those voting know enough to base their decision first on how the cue plays in their hands.
For me it's performance, followed by looks. I pay attention to what pros use only as a suggestion as to what cues to try.
I'm not surprised that less than half of those voting know enough to base their decision first on how the cue plays in their hands.
For me it's performance, followed by looks. I pay attention to what pros use only as a suggestion as to what cues to try.
I dont like your opitions
What I don't want is some cue that was slammed together when the wood had only been dried for 90 days, < that takes out a majority of productions >
and almost every laminated LD shaft maker
I want a cue that is going to hold together for 20 or 30 years or more.
Once again narrowing down the options to pretty much 3 or 4 production cue makers and a 100 or so custom cue makers.
There are allot of custom cue makers who have been sitting on their cue wood for decades waiting for it to stop moving .
If the cue will not hold up I don't want it... I don't care how well it shoots I don't want any damn cues that last about as long as a bic lighter.
balance point is important 20 to 22 inches from the but is what I like.
I like a 3/8x 10 pin wood to wood joint an 3 or 4 shafts .
I like natural wood color or cue that the wood is not stained....
Even though allot of cue makers stain their Gabon ebony I like gabon ebony the best and black and whit ebony second best....
I shoot allot in bars and a real fancy cue makes me nervous, so like a 1200 to 1400 dollar cue MAX for my main players.
I like a stiff hit and either Irish linen or a stacked leather wrap the best. leather wraps are ok and I have 4 or 5 wrapless custom cues too.
I repair cues and I am starting to make cues too so tips ferrules wraps are not all that important.
I have some cues with lots of inlays but any more a plain jane works just fine.
What I don't want is some cue that was slammed together when the wood had only been dried for 90 days, < that takes out a majority of productions >
and almost every laminated LD shaft maker
I want a cue that is going to hold together for 20 or 30 years or more.
Once again narrowing down the options to pretty much 3 or 4 production cue makers and a 100 or so custom cue makers.
There are allot of custom cue makers who have been sitting on their cue wood for decades waiting for it to stop moving .
If the cue will not hold up I don't want it... I don't care how well it shoots I don't want any damn cues that last about as long as a bic lighter.
balance point is important 20 to 22 inches from the but is what I like.
I like a 3/8x 10 pin wood to wood joint an 3 or 4 shafts .
I like natural wood color or cue that the wood is not stained....
Even though allot of cue makers stain their Gabon ebony I like gabon ebony the best and black and whit ebony second best....
I shoot allot in bars and a real fancy cue makes me nervous, so like a 1200 to 1400 dollar cue MAX for my main players.
I like a stiff hit and either Irish linen or a stacked leather wrap the best. leather wraps are ok and I have 4 or 5 wrapless custom cues too.
I repair cues and I am starting to make cues too so tips ferrules wraps are not all that important.
I have some cues with lots of inlays but any more a plain jane works just fine.
Haven't heard of any production cues falling apart. Maybe a few MEUCCI's. Maybe few predator shafts with issues. However I have also heard of custom cues with issues. Maybe you have to wait 20 years on wood. Don't really know. Kinda think with today's technology you dont. custom means they can make you a cue unique to you and there may not be many in circulation. Production means making lots of the same product. You know to make lots of money. Crazy idea but some have tried it.
I'm not sure the proper option was available for me to vote on. I chose hit/feel, but I did not experience it before purchasing. I have had several Schon cues in the past, and have a general idea of what it would play like. Since the hit of the one I now have is the best of the Schon cues I have had, I consider myself lucky. I have, or have had, several custom made cues, and dozens of production cues. This is the one I will stick with, because it is the feel/hit I have wanted for years. Looks were somewhat important, but were a distant second.
P.S. The sound of the hit is somewhat important to me also. This one has the right sound.
P.S. The sound of the hit is somewhat important to me also. This one has the right sound.
For most folks it's price, unless they have plenty of money, or just don't care about money. I would bet most have a "maximum" they are willing to spend. I know I did.
You have 10 choices to chose from, but I can only pick from one choice.
I'd probably look by choosing in this order picking from your list. 2-1-7-8
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