I liked this read .. well done.
Can we be honest about cues?
- Thread starter Mike81
- Start date
I liked this read .. well done.
so many myths, my fave is the whole "custom cue" thing, all these old timers whittling away in their make shift shops peddaling the same stuff that was being done for 50 years that plays the same a a $100 chinese made players
golf is really bad when it comes to equipment myths but it pales in comparison to pool
just to the research, or even better, apply a modicum of common sense, a straight stick can't play much better or worse than any other straight stick
i get preferences as I have mine too, and pros themselves range from having custom made to specs stuff to off the shelf crap , Earl won world titles with a cuetec, then claimed it was a shit cue when they dropped hm, now he has the most custom setup out there and wins nothing
golf is really bad when it comes to equipment myths but it pales in comparison to pool
just to the research, or even better, apply a modicum of common sense, a straight stick can't play much better or worse than any other straight stick
i get preferences as I have mine too, and pros themselves range from having custom made to specs stuff to off the shelf crap , Earl won world titles with a cuetec, then claimed it was a shit cue when they dropped hm, now he has the most custom setup out there and wins nothing
I can relate this to other things in life not just pool. Very good points! I enjoyed the kickstand pool case. That's funny because I saw a pool case last week that needed one!
People like me? I didn't say it was a waste of money or impractical. If you want a cue that will keep its value or continue to grow in value more power to you. I'm not knocking that at all. There's obviously different perspectives on this. I definitely can appreciate a custom cue and the maker of it who puts his heart and soul into it! I'm not disagreeing with you in that regard. Production cues aren't investments like a custom cue would be. My difference is I would by a cue to shoot with, I don't care about the value. If hits good and feels good then I'll like it and use it. Different strokes for different folks. Sounds like you have much more passion about it than I'd do and that's fine. Just don't think that I don't appreciate a craftsmanship, I do!
ive owned ford, chevy, VW, dodge, and BMW. the ford was practical and a beater, the chevy was a gas guzzler but good in the snow, the VW was convenient and good on gas byt the elctrical was a disaster, the dodge was a pickup and useul, but bad on gas and a ***** to park in NYC, we do something called parallel parking here, and space is premium, but my little 3 series, naturally aspirated inline 6 at 18 years old and close to 200k miles on it, is still a joy to drive. they all serve the same purpose, four wheels and gets us where we need to go, but you get a little more enjoyment when the car is built well and you actually enjoy the drive. maybe cars are a bad example, but im sure theres guys here who were able to own their dream car or a nice car and owned a ford aerostar as their first car and can make a comparison. now make schemelke a VW, practical, good ride, good on gas, and some guys here will tell you that a southwest, hercek, searing, schick, black, etc.... is like a porchse, or mercedes or BMW. they all have fout wheels, and the driver is the one that can make them do certain things, but the quality is obviuosly different.
Even the top builders today make "player" cues that are usually pretty plain by their standards, but still have the high level of work quality and material selection as their more ornate cues.
Most "production" cue material - for example, shaft dowels - are graded only by appearance, without much consideration for run-out which is not always visible to the naked eye especially when the wood is unfinished. Today's production cues are a lot better, but things like "pie"-laminations are really ways to "engineer" something that would normally take very careful selection and processing.
Another perspective is that there are custom makers that have "player" cues at not much more than most mid-level production cues. So for a few dollars more, instead of getting something off the shelf that is "customized" by having the shipping guy screw a weight bolt in, a custom builder would have already designed your cue based on your style of play, hand size, and preference.
So if the true "goal" is to just play and get better, why not spend the few dollars more, and seek a bespoke cue? Peruse the cue-making sections and ask about different cue specs, woods, joints, balance points, and how they can be combined to create something that is made to be an extension of you?
I agree with you and to your last paragraph that is what I have done. My goal is to get better and I ordered a custom schmelke with the taper, tip, weight, wood and balance that I feel suits me the best. I hope it helps me. I'm not ignorant to the custom cue market and values of such. I just don't fully understand the excess of It I suppose. My cue cost 280. For me that's fair. Others may not mine spending more and that fine too. Everyone has there own views and interests on the topic which is good. Variety is the spice of life and also pool cues
justinb386
Banned
You are partially wrong. A decent quality cue is needed to better your game. Also, you need to find the right cue that you are comfortable playing with, and feels and hits right to you. For the advanced player, not just any cue will feel right to them. To any beginner, that is true though, that any cue will work just fine for them, until they start to get better, and want to try out some better quality cues, and try to find one that feels really good to them. My 1st cue was a Players (back in the mid 90's), and then I moved on to a McDermott, and then a Joss. I have had many cues over the years, and most of them were unique in their own way. I had a Jackson cue for years as a kid, and I think I played the best pool of my life with that cue. So, my point is that not all cues are the same, and most of the cue brands are unique in their own way. The same goes for custom cues. For example, there is a very good reason why players choose Diveney cues. Because his cues have a certain feel, and hit that players love.
pool cues
My search for my main player is over ,,,, yours isn't ...
That's what I know , and you don't .
If you really knew about cues you wouldn't of posted this thread .
Sorry you don't have the experience.
Not trying to be negative but as of craftsmanship goes your cue is a good cue.
But it is still a production made cue.
Its not that all custom cues are better then production cues .
But a fair share of them are made with a higher grade of materials and a skilled craftsman VS factory worker and lower grade of materials that will fail in a matter of a couple years .
My search for my main player is over ,,,, yours isn't ...
That's what I know , and you don't .
If you really knew about cues you wouldn't of posted this thread .
Sorry you don't have the experience.
Not trying to be negative but as of craftsmanship goes your cue is a good cue.
But it is still a production made cue.
Its not that all custom cues are better then production cues .
But a fair share of them are made with a higher grade of materials and a skilled craftsman VS factory worker and lower grade of materials that will fail in a matter of a couple years .
This fact that you went out and UPGRADED to a Schmelke contradicts your entire thought against others and WHY they may do the same for whatever reason they choose.
I mean ask yourself this, "why did I buy a Schmelke?"... Your answer will tell you why others do what they do.
To answer your question...IT MATTERS TO THEM...just like it did to you.
Good rolls to ya :yeah:
I think you totally missed my point about value... And value is not all about how much is spent on a cue. You can pay a couple thousand for a factory cue. And most likely, they're using the same blanks and shaft dowels from their standard issue cues. Just like a "custom" cue from a production facility is a production cue, that has been modified to the buyer's preference.
Also you ordered a cue, giving the factory your specs as to what you feel suits you best. Which is in direct contrast to an independent maker, who can determine specs based on your play. Of course, experts know what specs they want based on their many years of experience. But if you're not an expert, how do you know what you really need based on your style of play and ability?
As to the pros... they likely would shoot lights out using whatever is available. But because they use a certain "factory" brand doesn't mean it is the same exact cue you can buy off the rack. The factories work closely with each of their players for input, with different prototypes, fitting, custom shaping, weighting and balance. The pro may even try a few shaft/tip combinations, and give the factory some input as to where some tweaking would be needed. That would be all but impossible for the average person buying a cue from the same company.
Reminds me of the novice guitarist, who brings his guitar in for repair because he believes the tuners are slipping and the saddle needs replacing, because the guitar no longer plays in tune and it didn't give a satisfying sound anymore. It's an entry level factory model, and hey - they're all the same, made of wood, with strings attached. Upon inspecting the guitar, the luthier finds the tuners and saddle in good working order. But what really was happening was that the novice player had improved very much since buying the guitar, and now he was able to "hear" the dissonance of the notes in the chords because of the inaccuracy of the placement and shape of the frets, saddle, and nut; and the "flatness" of sound because of the relatively inferior woods and untuned bracings.
In a way, but it does work. I ended up with one of Mike Dechaine's shafts in a trade with him, one of the OB ones that he colored in the ferrule black on. First 4 weeks I had it I won the local weekly 3 times and got second the other time.
Pretty much all mental changes since the players are the same I play with almost every week, and about 1/4 of the field can beat me on any given day.
If you were walking on a 2 inch wide plank between buildings but someone told you that you were in a harness with a net under you, you will do a lot better than if you were free to fall, same situation.
Maybe I totally misunderstood your original post, but sounds like this is exactly what you are saying, that it's useless to buy a fancy cue pricier than yours. So then what is your point if you agree that it's nice and fine to have a cue made by a known maker for a higher price? There is no question about how well you play with a cue, we all know that, that is all the shaft and tip, weight and balance, not the cost of details. Maybe you just though this was a new revelation by you LOL
Your thing about LD or not is not correct though, it makes a huge difference once you past past a low C player with shot making. Yes you can learn to play at a certain level with any shaft, but you don't know how well a shaft matches your game till you try several. I've seen players that use and LD shaft totally mess up shots when using a standard shaft and vice versa.
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Is it the need for a new or "better" cue....most of the time "no". I think it is the whish to own a new or maybe a custom cue.
I played 20 years with production cues (Huebler and Meucci). Did I played good with them...I think yes.
Than 8 years ago Bryan Mordt built me my first custom cue because it was my whish to own my own custom cue with my specifications. Did I play so much better with it....No...but I felt more comfortable with it and most of the time the little things makes your playing better and more constantly.
Half a year ago, Bryan built me my second custom cue. Did I need it.....no, but I wanted it.
I played 20 years with production cues (Huebler and Meucci). Did I played good with them...I think yes.
Than 8 years ago Bryan Mordt built me my first custom cue because it was my whish to own my own custom cue with my specifications. Did I play so much better with it....No...but I felt more comfortable with it and most of the time the little things makes your playing better and more constantly.
Half a year ago, Bryan built me my second custom cue. Did I need it.....no, but I wanted it.