Cue Price/Quality threshold... Aesthetics?

J

Junction

Registered
Is there a price point where anything above that is mostly about the aesthetics and not play quality? (Point of diminishing returns)
I'm aware that it's the arrow not the indian and Efren played with a $10 cue to beat basically everyone. I'm just curous if it's worth the extra in terms of playability, capability, longevity, etc.

Take for example the McDermott G230 that you an get for about $400. It seems to be very well made out of good woods, but has no points or inlays. Is that cue just as good as a Meucci Gambler in the $700-800 range or the even higher priced Casino for $1200+ as far as playability?

I suspect it's like guitars where the highest end guitars have much of the money going into aesthetics, but this also means the best builders at the company are making them and using the best materials so you get a very good result. If you get a custom guitar made with a brazilian rosewood fretboard, you're most likely getting an instrumnet that gets the other things right as well. Is that the case with pool cues?

Honestly, I would be perfectly content with an extremely well made sneaky pete and would be willing to spend some good money for it, if it was all about quality and playability.
 
Once a cue hits $500 or more it all becomes equal in playability in my opinion. Everything else is aesthetics, material, type of wood, builder's reputation etc..etc..etc...

If you have let say a $700 cue, it will play equal or better to high end cues.

I have played with EP and Manzinos and various other high end cues and they don't play any better than others. They look damn good and if you play with confidence then it may or may not help with your game. The saying goes....you look good you play good.

I even had the opportunity years ago to buy a fancy Scruggs and it was a fire sale. The guy who owned this beloved cue owe money to many. He wanted to sell it to me for very cheap. I didn't buy it because I just didn't like how they played. It was also on the heavier side like most cues of that time.
 
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This is very encouraging because I want to get 2-3 great cues for my boys and I, but don't want to pay for aesthetics - just for quality.
I've always believed in buying good equipment, so it's great to know I can get there for around $500 or less.
 
Junction said:
This is very encouraging because I want to get 2-3 great cues for my boys and I, but don't want to pay for aesthetics - just for quality.
I've always believed in buying good equipment, so it's great to know I can get there for around $500 or less.
Click to expand...
Absolutely you can get shooting cues for under $500.

The best playing cues are the sneakies or plain janes.

A lot of the wood from these fancy cues are "swiss cheesed" to death. A lot of cutting especially the more inlays. I'm a believer of its structural integrity can sometimes be lost from it. That could just be me.
 
I have a custom OB cue butt that was $375 that they made for me in their final months in business. A local cuemaker that i know told me it is one of the finest made cues with one of the finest finishes he has ever seen. So no, you dont need to spend a ton of money for a quality cue.
 
Junction said:
This is very encouraging because I want to get 2-3 great cues for my boys and I, but don't want to pay for aesthetics - just for quality.
I've always believed in buying good equipment, so it's great to know I can get there for around $500 or less.
Click to expand...
pechauer has lots of cues on their site for well below $500, and they are known for their quality.
 
Junction said:
This is very encouraging because I want to get 2-3 great cues for my boys and I, but don't want to pay for aesthetics - just for quality.
I've always believed in buying good equipment, so it's great to know I can get there for around $500 or less.
Click to expand...
Schmelke cues are a great value.
You can get 3 good cues for $500 or less.

Schmelke Pool Cues - Made in the USA

Schmelke Made in the USA Pool Cues are Made in the USA - 20% OFF Sale Now. Schmelke Cues off some of the best values in billiards.
www.billiardwarehouse.com
 
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Junction said:
Is there a price point where anything above that is mostly about the aesthetics and not play quality? (Point of diminishing returns)
I'm aware that it's the arrow not the indian and Efren played with a $10 cue to beat basically everyone. I'm just curous if it's worth the extra in terms of playability, capability, longevity, etc.

Take for example the McDermott G230 that you an get for about $400. It seems to be very well made out of good woods, but has no points or inlays. Is that cue just as good as a Meucci Gambler in the $700-800 range or the even higher priced Casino for $1200+ as far as playability?

I suspect it's like guitars where the highest end guitars have much of the money going into aesthetics, but this also means the best builders at the company are making them and using the best materials so you get a very good result. If you get a custom guitar made with a brazilian rosewood fretboard, you're most likely getting an instrumnet that gets the other things right as well. Is that the case with pool cues?

Honestly, I would be perfectly content with an extremely well made sneaky pete and would be willing to spend some good money for it, if it was all about quality and playability.
Click to expand...
I owned a Szamboti for 40+ years. It stayed in the case. A few times I took it out and tried playing with it, but the amount of deflection on it was ridiculous in comparison to the low deflexion modern cue shafts and I just could not adjust to it.
 
i am not sure the sneakies always get the most exact attention
purely speculative on my part
but 4 point ones
and merry widows
i think
play as good as anything out of the shop if you use an after market shaft
i think the wood shaft quality goes up as the price goes up
jmho
icbw
 
I think it’s about impossible these days to buy a bad cue, unless you get one from Walmart.

The higher price does get you the latest shaft technology, if that’s important to you. But the overall quality and fit and finish is excellent on nearly every cue, IMO.
 
You mean playing with a "Gus," having a CF shaft in a snake skin case doesn't make me play better? oh, I forgot the $30 chalk.
I think it is quite possible to get a bad cue. Thet can even be the expensive ones. A good sneaky or merry widow seems to fit the bill nicely. I would stay above $150 on up to say $800. Within that range you can get a good quality production cue, or a decent sneaky/merry widow with good wood. JMHO.
 
Junction said:
Is there a price point where anything above that is mostly about the aesthetics and not play quality? (Point of diminishing returns)
I'm aware that it's the arrow not the indian and Efren played with a $10 cue to beat basically everyone. I'm just curous if it's worth the extra in terms of playability, capability, longevity, etc.

Take for example the McDermott G230 that you an get for about $400. It seems to be very well made out of good woods, but has no points or inlays. Is that cue just as good as a Meucci Gambler in the $700-800 range or the even higher priced Casino for $1200+ as far as playability?

I suspect it's like guitars where the highest end guitars have much of the money going into aesthetics, but this also means the best builders at the company are making them and using the best materials so you get a very good result. If you get a custom guitar made with a brazilian rosewood fretboard, you're most likely getting an instrumnet that gets the other things right as well. Is that the case with pool cues?

Honestly, I would be perfectly content with an extremely well made sneaky pete and would be willing to spend some good money for it, if it was all about quality and playability.
Click to expand...

I guess you'd first have to define, 'playability'. I've played with sw cues and hated them. I could make balls and play shape, but they felt terrible. Same with ts. I had a bent pawn shop Adam that felt great and I played some of the best pool of my life with it.

I had a zachow that was probably among the top ten cues I've ever played with in terms of fit, finish, execution. I loved that cue and could play well with it, but the balance made me tired. It was weird. Had a buddy who also loved it, I made him a screaming deal and it was the only cue I saw him play with after that.

Playability is undefined, as I see it. Cost and quality are not fully codependent.

If you are on a strict budget, attempt to play with as many used cues as possible and but the one that feels the best to you that you like the best.

Or buy a quality cue you like and experiment with the tip and ferrule. Most of what you feel is highly affected by those.
 
Junction said:
This is very encouraging because I want to get 2-3 great cues for my boys and I, but don't want to pay for aesthetics - just for quality.
I've always believed in buying good equipment, so it's great to know I can get there for around $500 or less.
Click to expand...
PM sent.
 
I think a lot of people are confusing one's mindset when it comes to buying a cue. I have a friend and many others on here keep telling me it is the indian and not the arrow. Well, no shit, I am buying XYZ cue because I flat out want a fucking fancy ass cue that cost more than your car. This is the only reason why I would entertain a high end cue. It won't play better than any other cues out there.

There is the function aspect which is playability and there is the romantic aspect of owning an artwork piece.

The most romantic cue to me? Is my first plain Jane custom cue ($500) because it was the first and I won the most money in its career with me. LOL I think that 2 year of ownership I must have won thousands of dollars. My local pool room at the time had a money winning's list and I was up there and not including the other pool halls and gambling. That cue was magical.
 
Junction said:
Is there a price point where anything above that is mostly about the aesthetics and not play quality? (Point of diminishing returns)
I'm aware that it's the arrow not the indian and Efren played with a $10 cue to beat basically everyone. I'm just curous if it's worth the extra in terms of playability, capability, longevity, etc.

Take for example the McDermott G230 that you an get for about $400. It seems to be very well made out of good woods, but has no points or inlays. Is that cue just as good as a Meucci Gambler in the $700-800 range or the even higher priced Casino for $1200+ as far as playability?

I suspect it's like guitars where the highest end guitars have much of the money going into aesthetics, but this also means the best builders at the company are making them and using the best materials so you get a very good result. If you get a custom guitar made with a brazilian rosewood fretboard, you're most likely getting an instrumnet that gets the other things right as well. Is that the case with pool cues?

Honestly, I would be perfectly content with an extremely well made sneaky pete and would be willing to spend some good money for it, if it was all about quality and playability.
Click to expand...
I've heard about his "$10" cue, but if that refers to the one seen in many of Efren's earliest videos, that is no $10 cue.
 
Junction said:
This is very encouraging because I want to get 2-3 great cues for my boys and I, but don't want to pay for aesthetics - just for quality.
I've always believed in buying good equipment, so it's great to know I can get there for around $500 or less.
Click to expand...
How old are the kids and how much pool do they play?

I have direct experience in the matter.
 
Junction said:
This is very encouraging because I want to get 2-3 great cues for my boys and I, but don't want to pay for aesthetics - just for quality.
I've always believed in buying good equipment, so it's great to know I can get there for around $500 or less.
Click to expand...
My advice would be to explore Cuetec's various AVID series. Price point as low as $225 up to about $400-for pretty. Three low deflection shaft options in a 11.75,12.25, or 12.75, and they feature a weight system, are extension ready, and plays better than most cues costing hundreds more. IN terms of performance for your dollar, nothing comes close in my opinion.

www.cuetec.com

AVID Cues & Shafts

Cuetec's High-Perfromance AVID series of shafts and cues bring unparallelled performance and value thanks to their advanced technology and construction.
www.cuetec.com www.cuetec.com
 
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