Broadening Horizons

1ab

1ab

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
While striking a ball, recognizing and describing the effects of "feedback" gives me pause. The term is not only open to interpretation, it's most tangible sense is vibration and sound. When I read about cue makers that are in great demand, there still is great disparity in views of components and structure that make me wonder not only what is most important in a cue, but what I can expect from the variety of tips, ferrules, joints, pins, shafts, etc., etc. Is there a consensus or majority of desirable elements in a cue that give the best "feedback" ?
 
cue feedback

I am not an authority on the construction or performance aspects of a cue stick but I have heard that there is some benefit in designing a cue stick based on multiple components as opposed to a single piece butt and shaft.

Apparently, cues made from many components more readily absorbe and dissipate the energy as it flows through the cue, providing less vibration and a more consistent hit.

I'm not sure how accurate that assessment is but I can certainly see the logic in it.
 
A cue must vibrate to provide good feedback. I'm super confused with products such as buttcap that screws in and absorbs vibration. If you eliminate all vibration from a cue, you have the deadest-feeling worst-hit you could ever imagine.

A great hit requires the cue to vibrate at a certain frequency, a certain harmonic.

There are so many variables that have to be factored in when it comes to the harmonics of a cue.
 
A good solid cue with the stiffness and balance you prefer will play pretty much the same as any other.

That having been said, I love the ping sound my cue makes when I hit the ball, and the amount of vibration which gets to my hand. I can feel and hear when I hit the ball well.

Personally, I think feedback (tone, harmonics) is what separates a good cue from a great one. It's been stated on here that some cuemakers match shafts to butts based on tone, and that seems to be a key element.

As to what makes good feedback, there are as many opinions as cuemakers. I vote for big pin, wood to wood joint, full splice, no metals, and parabolic taper.

Conversely, I have liked the hit of cues with stainless or ivory joints, small pins, half-splice, etc, etc. Some people just do good work in any medium.

-s

/hooked a tuner to my cue and it's a 'c' and in tune. strange but true.
 
It does not matter what kind of joint you have on a cue, as long as it is done right.

My 2 cents.
:smile:

steev said:
A good solid cue with the stiffness and balance you prefer will play pretty much the same as any other.

That having been said, I love the ping sound my cue makes when I hit the ball, and the amount of vibration which gets to my hand. I can feel and hear when I hit the ball well.

Personally, I think feedback (tone, harmonics) is what separates a good cue from a great one. It's been stated on here that some cuemakers match shafts to butts based on tone, and that seems to be a key element.

As to what makes good feedback, there are as many opinions as cuemakers. I vote for big pin, wood to wood joint, full splice, no metals, and parabolic taper.

Conversely, I have liked the hit of cues with stainless or ivory joints, small pins, half-splice, etc, etc. Some people just do good work in any medium.

-s

/hooked a tuner to my cue and it's a 'c' and in tune. strange but true.
Click to expand...
 
Some areas that affect a cue's feedback:

Joint: Stainless steel (solid, not rings) vs. flat faced/wood-to-wood joints: Stainless usually has more of a 'pingy' type feedback.

Tip: Hard vs. soft. Huge difference in both sound and vibration.

Shaft Taper: Sharp taper as with carom cues, vs. long taper as with a pro taper and everything in-between. The sharper tapered cues vibrate less.

Ferrule material: Older cues with ivory ferrules have a distinct feedback. Otherwise, I think the length of the ferrule is more of a feedback issue today as most are made with similar material.

Laminated cues, such as Predator cues with dug out shafts give a particular feedback.

For example: a Richard Black with a stainless steel joint and pro taper will give a player more vibration and pingy-type feedback as opposed to a Southwest flat-faced jointed cue with a phenolic joint, which will give more of a thud-type feedback. Both are high quality cues. It's just up to the individual player which he prefers.
 
Always the same procedere:
Take it, feel it, test it- good or not good. That s all.

Those things like joint-material etc are just personal things. I played so many cues and can say for sure: There are cues with stainless stell joint with a great "so called" hit- and on the other side there re wooden-joints or phenolic joints, which are just feeling *dead*

It s just about the cuemaker- if he knows his job, he can satisfy you with almost every material he is using.

And the *hit* itself is always just subjective. Atm i m playin a cue, which is MUCH heavier than any cue i ever played- and furthermore it has also a stainless steel-joint- and usualy i prefered always a 3-8/10 Joint/wooden joint.
But the cue doesn t feel that heavy, well balanced. And for me its hit is just great.


Test and buy is always the best choice.

lg
Ingo
 
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