Cue Ratings by brand ??

[Celtic]

Look at Earl Strickland and Allison Fisher. Both play with a $150 Cuetech. And there are only a handfull of people out there than can beat them.

Russell Killgo

Earl can lose to a hell of alot more people then a handful of people, and when he is watch how many of those Cuetec's he pulls out of that bottomless case trying to find one that he can run some racks with. I watched him get drilled by Fabian Lawson in Calgary and Earl had about 6 Cuetecs and was shooting with all of them at different times and switching shafts over onto different cues and generally giving off the impression that he needs a little more then "just a simple cuetec off the rack". He is a great player but he would likely be alot better if he had the cuemaker of his choice build him a cue he trusts 100% and to his exact standards. He has had better years as a pro then the ones he has had with Cuetec. With his style a cue he is not comfortable with is the last thing he needs. Allison on the other hand is the most technical player out there and does not work the cueball much at all or let out her stroke in the slightest, she is the exact opposite of a feel player like Earl and as such the cue does not matter as much for her, she would be no better and no worse with almost any other cue but that is not glowing praise to Cuetec either.

Low end cues: Dufferin, Lucasi, Meucii, Players, McDermot, Joss, Mali, Players, Falcon, Cuetec.

Mid end cues: Schon, not well known cue makers custom cues with no design.

High end cues: Custom cues with no design from "name" makers (Southwest, Gina, DPK, ect...), and fancy designed cues from not well known or collectable cue makers.

Collectable: Old collectables, AKA turn of the century Brunswicks, Fancy cues from the "name" cuemakers, custom cues from the golden age of custom cues (Szamboti, Bushka, Paradise, Rambo, ect...). Most anything in this class is special and will demand premium prices and hold their value or increase over time.


And as for the $250 cue maxing out in "hit" I disagree. I think that the point where you can get the best hitting cue is alot higher, $800-$1000 I would say is the point where you can get the best hit money can buy, and then from there the money you pay in addition is on design alone. The best hitting cue IMO is not a production cue for two reasons. A) the cue is not made to your exact specifications and normally a cue off the rack is not going to match your prefferences exactly to the level a custom cue can be made too, and B) certain custom cue makers are known to make cues that are known for their "hit", Southwest comes to mind, and I dont think their is any production cue that has come close to the extreme respect certain cue makers have for building simply phenomenal "playing" cues. Schon are the closest, they are very good but they are not as good as the best custom makers that aim at building a truely great hitting cue. There is just a point where production cues fail, and that is quality control. It is impossible for a production cue to have the same level of detail and quality control as a custom cue due to the very nature of waht defines them as "custom" or "production" in the first place.

 

[TheBook]

I'd take a Lucasi over a Meucci any day.

Beginner - cheap-mid production (cuetec, viper, McDermott, players, some Lucasi) $25-$300
Intermediate - Nice production/entry custom (Joss, Schon, Eurowest, Coker, etc) $300-750
Advanced - mid-high end custom (Bender, Southwest, Scruggs, Weston, Josswest, Eurowest, Richard Black, Cog, etc) $1000-infinity and beyond

At the beginning of the list before beginner I would have Meucci. Everything else is right on. Don't confuse Joss with Joss West. Joss West is a high end custom cue. Joss is a production cue.

I think players that are really serious will get a higher end cue. If you are just a casual league player that enjoys a night out one of the low end production cues is all you need.

Look at some of the links for cue sellers and you can get a feel for what is high end and what are production. Billiardwarehouse has a large selection of production, Pooltablemagic and Cueaddidts have the high end.

 

[DaveK]

I watched him get drilled by Fabian Lawson in Calgary

Fabian was playing with a Viking he borrowed from his backer, a good friend of mine ... Fabian played with a fair number of different cues that winter, none of them his as I recall. In this case it is even more relevant : it's not the arrow it's the Indian, a Plains Cree I believe

Dave

 

[MrLucky]

no name / game shooters with a big name cue!!!!

A friend of mine who worked in Japan for a while told me he saw some C players playing with SWs when he was at Tokyo. Those players had the money, but didn't really know how to play play. They bought the cues they could afford. I've also seen A or Pro players playing with $200 cues. I'd say the cue you play with coincide more with how much money you can spend on a cue, as you can make the same shots with a $400 cue, as you can with a $4000 cue.

I run into them all the time in the APA and in some of the halls here in Atlanta! they also drive souped up civics and subarus and bimmers come in carrying a nice bag and a $1,500+ cue but do not really know the game!!!! I think they believe the cues will earn them respect and a certain imtimidation factor to help give them an edge if that doesn't work they then try to hit you for high stakes ! I love them myself!

 

[Jersey]

I run into them all the time in the APA and in some of the halls here in Atlanta! they also drive souped up civics and subarus and bimmers come in carrying a nice bag and a $1,500+ cue but do not really know the game!!!! I think they believe the cues will earn them respect and a certain imtimidation factor to help give them an edge if that doesn't work they then try to hit you for high stakes ! I love them myself!

LOL...started playing APA in '03...saw a lot of this type of thing...but...then I caught it!...the pool bug that had layed dormant for so many years was awakened!...new cue, new case and cool accessories followed...hopefully the gray hair and old school ways will keep me from being lumped in with the young guns!...

 

[MrLucky]

Excellent answer from a excellent source!

Hello,

Cues are equiptment nothing more or less. The best players can play with any cue. I am not the best player I could be but my cues don't make me a better or worse player. Right now I am using a Fenalli it doesn't play any better or worse than my Falcon's, Fury's, or South West's or my Blud's I say bull to the play better crap that is for amateurs, pretty boys and collectors.

You have no idea in this day of restricted air travel for example the advantage I have being able to jump and break with my playing cue. I say to each his own and buyer beware. I would say I own about 40 mistakes when it comes to cues but who cares they are income tax deductions if need be.

Thanks for some good advice and knowledge ! Not that the people that need it will probably heed it! This is a world where everyone is lokking for the instant answer! instead of hard work we have been trained that there is always a shortcut! it takes wisdom to know that there is no shortcut to greatness!

 

[Jack Flanagan]

Thanks for some good advice and knowledge ! Not that the people that need it will probably heed it! This is a world where everyone is lokking for the instant answer! instead of hard work we have been trained that there is always a shortcut! it takes wisdom to know that there is no shortcut to greatness!

very true, Mr. Lucky,,,when I taught school, I freely gave out knowledge every day,,,unfortunately, few could see the need,,,"we get too soon old, and too late smart"

 

[Rackin_Zack]

Thanks for some good advice and knowledge ! Not that the people that need it will probably heed it! This is a world where everyone is lokking for the instant answer! instead of hard work we have been trained that there is always a shortcut! it takes wisdom to know that there is no shortcut to greatness!

This is not always the case. I know that there is no magic stick, regardless of what fifty has to say. I just like to play with a cue that plays well and is beautiful at the same time. I'm probably a high C/Low B player, whatever that means, and have no delusions that my expensive tastes in cues make me play any better. However, there is something to be said for having confidnece in your cue and that confidence spilling over into your game!

 

[MrLucky]

There is nothing wrong with liking nice things...

This is not always the case. I know that there is no magic stick, regardless of what fifty has to say. I just like to play with a cue that plays well and is beautiful at the same time. I'm probably a high C/Low B player, whatever that means, and have no delusions that my expensive tastes in cues make me play any better. However, there is something to be said for having confidnece in your cue and that confidence spilling over into your game!

I think the remarks were geared toward those that truly believe the newest shaft or most expensive cue will make them a GOOD player! IT just won't happen ! a already knowledgeable shooter will see and feel some difference between a predator Z and a wood shaft ! He or She will feel the subtle differences certain cue makers build into their sticks but these types of players can beat a average player if all they had was a house cue and many of the do it all the time! That is my point!

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

$-Lucasi or Mc Dermott
$$-Joss, Schon or EuroWest
$$$-Oleny, Bludworth or Omen
$$$$ and above-Searing, Showman, Haley, Szamboti, etc.....

 

[Barry Doc]

$-Lucasi or Mc Dermott
$$-Joss, Schon or EuroWest
$$$-Oleny, Bludworth or Omen
$$$$ and above-Searing, Showman, Haley, Szamboti, etc.....

HEY BIG DADDY,
how the hell are you!
we spoke at the sbe and i went on denis's list
i've got lots of great high end cues, all different hits,all good in
their own way.
its the craftsmanship that sucks you into collecting
and looking for that so-called mistical ? hit that matchs
your stroke.
well i'll be using my blk boar till i get my searing hopefully
in a couple of years
later, doc

 

[Celtic]

I cannot believe how overrated Joss are on this site. They are crap cues these days and easily fall in the range of the McDermot, Falcon, and other lower end production cues. That is if they are even straight and I know about 5 years ago finding one single straight Joss in a shipment of 10 cues was a difficult task.

 

[Shorty]

He asked how I would rate cue brands in relation to skill. I still haven't really seen a C-D player with a Scruggs or Southwest....

You're correct though, income usually correlates as well, however, not always....

Wanna hear something funny? We gotta APA 2 in our league that shoots with a Schon Elite...dang thing has to be worth 1000 and she won't let me get near it to make her an offer for it! GRRRRRRRRRRR

Shorty

 

[Shorty]

kind of off subject......i wonder if their cues are pretty much factory or seriously tweaked for them. I remember watching a match where earl had like.....5 cues, for all kinds of situations. Does anyone know if those are cuetec shafts on those cues? Im sure they are somewhat changed to match their personal preferences as to weight, length, action, etc....i just always wondered how much.
although i agree overall.....a great player is going to beat you with a house cue or a mophandle.

Earl's cues are seriously tweaked. The shaft has a totally different taper, totally different tip and does not have the fiberglass coating like a regular shaft. Why do I know all this? I played him at an exhibition in 1991 and he left some shafts behind to sell with the local pool room owner. I bought one and played with it for a short while. I ended up selling the cue in Memphis to gamble some more and lose. Cue was just not up to my speed. The fiberglass is just too hard to get to used to the feel when you are so used to a piece of wood.

Shorty

 

[cueman]

Earl's cues are seriously tweaked. The shaft has a totally different taper, totally different tip and does not have the fiberglass coating like a regular shaft. Why do I know all this? I played him at an exhibition in 1991 and he left some shafts behind to sell with the local pool room owner. I bought one and played with it for a short while. I ended up selling the cue in Memphis to gamble some more and lose. Cue was just not up to my speed. The fiberglass is just too hard to get to used to the feel when you are so used to a piece of wood.

Shorty

I am no cue tech fan but it is entirely possible earl is playing with an off the shelf shaft now. They make one with a real long pro type taper with a rod running through the middle of the shaft and bare wood exposed. They have had it for several years now. And it has no fiberglass coating.

 

[bud green]

Most of the top players I know use good shooting cues like black boars,schulers, Schons, but the people who own the most expensive cues seem to be business types who can't play too well.

I think any player who is battling it out all the time wouldn't bring a $$$$ cue around with him anyway because it's bound to get nicked up or knocked over. Why carry a 3K cue and watch it get banged up or stolen? That's another reason a lot of people end up playing with less fancy cues; almost everyone I know has had at least one cue stolen.

As far as "any cue will do" goes, its true that pros will drill you with most anything but I think the care cuemakers put into picking good wood, seasoning it properly, making solid joints,etc... makes a difference and is noticable by good players. In the future I think people will spend more effort to find a cue with the proper balance, weight, and taper for them. Most people pick on looks, then weight, then if they make the first three shots they try with it... Golfers spend a lot of time on swingweights,etc... and its a big part of their sucess.

 

[MrLucky]

Yep!

Most of the top players I know use good shooting cues like black boars,schulers, Schons, but the people who own the most expensive cues seem to be business types who can't play too well.

I think any player who is battling it out all the time wouldn't bring a $$$$ cue around with him anyway because it's bound to get nicked up or knocked over. Why carry a 3K cue and watch it get banged up or stolen? That's another reason a lot of people end up playing with less fancy cues; almost everyone I know has had at least one cue stolen.

As far as "any cue will do" goes, its true that pros will drill you with most anything but I think the care cuemakers put into picking good wood, seasoning it properly, making solid joints,etc... makes a difference and is noticable by good players. In the future I think people will spend more effort to find a cue with the proper balance, weight, and taper for them. Most people pick on looks, then weight, then if they make the first three shots they try with it... Golfers spend a lot of time on swingweights,etc... and its a big part of their sucess.

..... and I might add there are production cue makers that put as much into curing and wood selection as some of the custom cue makers !

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

HEY BIG DADDY,
how the hell are you!
we spoke at the sbe and i went on denis's list
i've got lots of great high end cues, all different hits,all good in
their own way.
its the craftsmanship that sucks you into collecting
and looking for that so-called mistical ? hit that matchs
your stroke.
well i'll be using my blk boar till i get my searing hopefully
in a couple of years
later, doc

Doc...it was nice meeting you at SBE...that is a place I will gladly return. "Sucks you in" is a great way to put it...more like "sucks your BankRoll dry". HAHAHAHAHA!!! Hope to see you sooner than later.

 

[PoolBum]

I have it on good authority that Earl uses a Cuetec right off the shelf. I also have it on good authority that there really is a Santa Clause, and that he recently had dinner with the Easter Bunny. (Yes, it is the same authority but I honestly don't know what that has to do with anything).

 

[Zagiflyer]

Cues don't help you play better.

You should find a decent quality cue that you like, maintain the cue properly (shaft and tip) and stick with it. Everytime you switch cues there is an adjustment period. I find that most of the people I know who are really into cues and are always buying new, expensive ones are average or worse players. The best players I know play with the same cue all of the time for the most part and don't own many cues. If you enjoy owning, collecting and experimenting with cues that's fine, but to play better the money would be better spent on lessons and/or table time. I'm also conviced that many of the special innovations like laminated tips, radially and flat laminated shafts, special joint designs, etc. do nothing but increase the price of cues and add very little to the playability.

To get back to the point of the thread, I'm not sure that cues correlate to the level of the player. Any top pro out there can win with a properly maintained, middle priced production cue of decent quality with a .75 leather tip if he/she is used to the cue.