^Expert level questions.
Buying a custom cue - What did you wish you knew?
- Thread starter broken
- Start date
^Expert level questions.
Thanks, I will have to bring this up.
I did some research on the forum. The main problem was delivery took longer than agreed upon. That's a typical problem with all custom goods. In my day job, I see people fight over custom homes all the time. Heck, I've got 2 dress shirts being made right now that are 5 days over due.
In terms of construction, quality, hit, and getting what you were promised - Cue Maker X comes out pretty good.
I'm curious to understand what motivates a cuemaker to complete cues on time.
Get ready to measure your wait in years, not days, weeks, or in most cases months.
Get ready to measure your wait in years, not days, weeks, or in most cases months.
I know I want my cue to weigh a hair over 20 oz when put together and I use an after market shaft.
The things I tell my cuemaker are:
Butt weight: 15.7 oz with weigth bolt. The shaft is 4.4oz that I use. It also gives the balance I want which is forward.
5/16x14 Stainless steel joint - adds to forward balance
Birdseye maple forearm - found I like it the best over harder woods
Pressed linen wrap
Butt thickness thin like Schon, not fat like Joss.
Anything after is just personal preference on looks for me.
The things I tell my cuemaker are:
Butt weight: 15.7 oz with weigth bolt. The shaft is 4.4oz that I use. It also gives the balance I want which is forward.
5/16x14 Stainless steel joint - adds to forward balance
Birdseye maple forearm - found I like it the best over harder woods
Pressed linen wrap
Butt thickness thin like Schon, not fat like Joss.
Anything after is just personal preference on looks for me.
What I wish I knew before buying custom cue
That most custom cues play no better than some production cues.
That some custom cues are kit cues from prather and other sources and charge much more for the name custom.
That unless you really know what you like and what fits your style of play no cuemaker can tell you.
That a lot of cuemakers make beautiful works of art but only a few make great player cues. If you are buying a work of art thats one thing, but if you want a player cue recommendations from real players only should be considered.Even then without trying before buying its a shot in the dark.
That its better buying cheaper cues until your game is good enough to know what you like and want, then with your input purchase the big ticket cue from a reliable cuemaker that you have researched and played with his cues if possible.
That most custom cues play no better than some production cues.
That some custom cues are kit cues from prather and other sources and charge much more for the name custom.
That unless you really know what you like and what fits your style of play no cuemaker can tell you.
That a lot of cuemakers make beautiful works of art but only a few make great player cues. If you are buying a work of art thats one thing, but if you want a player cue recommendations from real players only should be considered.Even then without trying before buying its a shot in the dark.
That its better buying cheaper cues until your game is good enough to know what you like and want, then with your input purchase the big ticket cue from a reliable cuemaker that you have researched and played with his cues if possible.
TheThaiger
Banned
Yeah, it's an illness. It wouldn't be so bad if cues weren't so damned expensive.
The only question I'd ask a custom cue maker would be "can you lower the price a bit/lot"?
Welcome Broken,
I just received a new custom cue. some things that i did when i ordered it, i play with an OB shaft that i wanted to keep so made sure he knew this. described my style of play, what my weight preference was. he let me pick the wood for forearm and butt, i went with a black lizard wrap. we discussed his preferred joint type and how it would affect play. he added some trim rings which really made a difference which i didnt expect.
what part of the country are you in? if close to north Texas i would suggest you contact Don Wallace, he was great to work with and very patient with me.
Mike
I just received a new custom cue. some things that i did when i ordered it, i play with an OB shaft that i wanted to keep so made sure he knew this. described my style of play, what my weight preference was. he let me pick the wood for forearm and butt, i went with a black lizard wrap. we discussed his preferred joint type and how it would affect play. he added some trim rings which really made a difference which i didnt expect.
what part of the country are you in? if close to north Texas i would suggest you contact Don Wallace, he was great to work with and very patient with me.
Mike
The biggest problem when buying your first custom cue is knowing what you want.
The only real way to know what you want is to have shot with a variety of cues... noting their length, weight, balance point, shaft taper, butt diameter, pin type, grip material (linen, wrapless, leather, etc.), ferrule material and length, and tip.
All of those factors (and more) affect how a cue plays.
My suggestion is to buy a quality production cue (like a Schon, Pechauer, McDermott, etc.) and play with it for a good while.
Another good choice would be to buy a sneaky pete from a reputable cue maker... like Bob Frey, Jacoby, etc. I have several custom cues in the $1200 - $1500 range and I still like to grab my Frey SP and shoot with it.
And try playing with your friends' custom cues whenever possible as well.
Bottom line... wait until you KNOW what you want in a custom cue.
The only real way to know what you want is to have shot with a variety of cues... noting their length, weight, balance point, shaft taper, butt diameter, pin type, grip material (linen, wrapless, leather, etc.), ferrule material and length, and tip.
All of those factors (and more) affect how a cue plays.
My suggestion is to buy a quality production cue (like a Schon, Pechauer, McDermott, etc.) and play with it for a good while.
Another good choice would be to buy a sneaky pete from a reputable cue maker... like Bob Frey, Jacoby, etc. I have several custom cues in the $1200 - $1500 range and I still like to grab my Frey SP and shoot with it.
And try playing with your friends' custom cues whenever possible as well.
Bottom line... wait until you KNOW what you want in a custom cue.
I wish I had known 15 years ago that you can find well built custom cues for relatively cheap, instead of wasting hundreds and hundreds of dollars on production cookie cutter/generic stuff like meucci mcdermott and viking. 
I swear, every time I heard people discuss full custom cues they owned, they claimed they cost $1500+, so I just kind of assumed they ALL cost that much. Apparently that misconception still exists, you can see it in some of the 'recommend me a cue' threads where people recommend production cues to someone looking to spend an amount that could get them a decent custom!
I swear, every time I heard people discuss full custom cues they owned, they claimed they cost $1500+, so I just kind of assumed they ALL cost that much. Apparently that misconception still exists, you can see it in some of the 'recommend me a cue' threads where people recommend production cues to someone looking to spend an amount that could get them a decent custom!
Great points Mike. It has me thinking about bigger questions. I'm not even sure how to describe my style of play. (average, middling?, typical league banger with the rare flash of pool playing brilliance? he who chokes on the 9 ball?)
And speaking of Texas, The first custom I ever saw was at Clicks off Oltorf in South Austin. The cue was so cool looking I had to ask what it was.
"It's a custom cue from Bloodworth. "
Not sure which Bloodworth, but until then I didn't know you could have a cue made for you. That was probably 10 years ago. I've been playing much more seriously in the past 4 years, but that memory stuck with me.
butt size
I wish I would of double checked the size of the butt of my cue , I did send it back and have it taken down to specs at a later date .At the time I was so concerned with the shafts,tips ,ring work,wrap, and all the details that it slipped my mind to even think about getting the butt turned down to what feels just right in my hand.
I wish I would of double checked the size of the butt of my cue , I did send it back and have it taken down to specs at a later date .At the time I was so concerned with the shafts,tips ,ring work,wrap, and all the details that it slipped my mind to even think about getting the butt turned down to what feels just right in my hand.
How did you figure that out?
It's a shame they don't do pool fittings like they do fittings for bicycles or suits.
..*business opportunity...*
or like golf clubs
I wonder if someday cues will be sized and fit to us our strokes like golf clubs are....
Heck, most of us seek new cues the way golfers seek new drivers.
Karl
I wonder if someday cues will be sized and fit to us our strokes like golf clubs are....
Heck, most of us seek new cues the way golfers seek new drivers.
Karl
the original question
To answer your question, I really wish that I knew (and now know) exactly what I want from a cue. I've owned many (and lost money on many) and currently have far more than I need. I don't have one that really stands out from the crowd.
I have a good friend who just mentioned owning more than one to make it easier to adapt to conditions, such as table size, cloth, humidity, etc.
I'm currently shooting with a P2 heavy with a leather wrap. I have both a Z2 and 314-2 for it. You'll find that some folks swear by aftermarket shafts while others abhor them.
I wish I could test drive more cues or could try a variety of tips on the same shaft(s).
I'm enjoying this discussion, and I hope it helps you make a good decision.
Good luck!
Karl
To answer your question, I really wish that I knew (and now know) exactly what I want from a cue. I've owned many (and lost money on many) and currently have far more than I need. I don't have one that really stands out from the crowd.
I have a good friend who just mentioned owning more than one to make it easier to adapt to conditions, such as table size, cloth, humidity, etc.
I'm currently shooting with a P2 heavy with a leather wrap. I have both a Z2 and 314-2 for it. You'll find that some folks swear by aftermarket shafts while others abhor them.
I wish I could test drive more cues or could try a variety of tips on the same shaft(s).
I'm enjoying this discussion, and I hope it helps you make a good decision.
Good luck!
Karl
Agreed, well done broken ! There are some professional cue buyers giving you excellent advice
k:Oh, btw, I use the cigardave method of trying a friends customs :grin: .
I might suggest buying a cheap set of 6" calipers ($20 ones on sale, not the plastic things). Then you can measure, for example, the butt diameter of cues that feel right in your grip.
Dave
I wish I had known 15 years ago that you can find well built custom cues for relatively cheap, instead of wasting hundreds and hundreds of dollars on production cookie cutter/generic stuff like meucci mcdermott and viking.
I swear, every time I heard people discuss full custom cues they owned, they claimed they cost $1500+, so I just kind of assumed they ALL cost that much. Apparently that misconception still exists, you can see it in some of the 'recommend me a cue' threads where people recommend production cues to someone looking to spend an amount that could get them a decent custom!
And, since these were typical guys in a pool hall, most of their custom cues probably cost 1/4 of that at most...
I have a buddy who owns a Dale Perry that he bought for $200, and probably could sell for $150 if he found the right person. But he swears up and down he has a cue that's "worth" $1200.
Most people I've met in bars and pool halls have no idea how much a custom cue costs and they often think a custom cue is a schon, viking, mcdermott because you can order them with your preference of stain, weight etc.
I've had someone pick up my Richard Black and when I pointed out it was my cue, they said they thought it was just a house cue.
I heard someone the other day remark when they were being teased about why they were taking their cue to the bathroom: "Would you leave $10,000 laying out on the table while you went to the bathroom?" The person asking the question had no idea what the other player's Black Boar was worth. They had never heard of the cue.
People don't know what they don't know.
road player
A road player let me hit a few with a nova cue he had ,I fell in love with how the butt of that cue felt in my hand. So I took it to the cue man ,we measured it and I sent my cue back and had it taken down.Has to be one of the best things I have done to my cue.
A road player let me hit a few with a nova cue he had ,I fell in love with how the butt of that cue felt in my hand. So I took it to the cue man ,we measured it and I sent my cue back and had it taken down.Has to be one of the best things I have done to my cue.
I have a big hand, cuemaker made the butt bigger so I don't feel like I am shooting with a pencil. What type of joint do you prefer radial joint, stainless steel, uni lock? Balance point so the cue is balanced for you. Soft tip, hard tip, medium tip? Return policy and whether it is honored. Packing for shipping if not a local guy. My cue was damaged in shipment, post office is reviewing claim, made an issue of inadequate packaging. Not even bubble wrapped. PM sent. John