Cue recommendations

Cue of Fury

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What cue would you recommend for a budget of $500-$600 and why? Playability, quality, and looks are to all be considered. Thanks for any input. :cool:
 
Cof

There are a lot of nice cues out there in that range. Get out there and see how you like the feel and playability of as many of them as you can. Then get what feels the best to you. You can ask 500 people and get 500 differant answers. I don't think anybody will disagree with this advice.
Don P. :cool:
 
What do you think of the Schon STL series? I like the STL-7 and STL-9. I have read some good reviews of Schon cues.
 
To tell you the truth, Schon is probably one of only a hand full I havn't played with. I have heard nothing but good things about them though. Pick one out, check on prices, and then PM me for the best deal anywhere! I insist you play with one before ordering one.
Don P. :cool:
 
I've never owned a schon, but I've played with a few. I would recommend one. I though they shot great.
 
Im sure that you have probably read this millions of times, but for that price range I would go for a custom. There are a lot of excellent cuemakers out there that will make you a decent cue for that money. There are cuemakers on these boards that make great cues in your price range. The reason I would suggest a custom cue is because when spending that kind of money on a cue you want something that will play well and you get to speak to the actual person making the cue. You can decide what it is made of and how its done (budget permitting at least!) and you cant get that out of a mass produced cue. Ask around and try a bunch out. Good Luck
 
donald purdy said it best, and let me add this, your OVERpaying, if you spend $500 on a cue. i could get a toothpick to clean my teeth for $50, but would it clean my teeth any better?-- NO! spend $200-250, and pocket the rest for lessons with allison fisher, at her academy, you'll be glad you did!
 
THE SILENCER said:
donald purdy said it best, and let me add this, your OVERpaying, if you spend $500 on a cue. i could get a toothpick to clean my teeth for $50, but would it clean my teeth any better?-- NO! spend $200-250, and pocket the rest for lessons with allison fisher, at her academy, you'll be glad you did!
I already own a $200 cue. It is a Fury NR-1 with a Moori M tip. I know that I do not really need a new cue, I am just looking for input on cues in the specified price range. Thank you.
 
Re schon v custom

On the outset let me say that the right cue for you is only the one that feels right when yo hit with hit. And, moreover, the feel you get is so subjective. With that said, I have owned two schons and a few custom cues. I went back to the schon after using a couple customs by some highly regarded makers. I still wanted a custom cue though. I went to a dealer and hit with about 10 different high end custom cues. Cues that if i mentioned the name you would know their names well. The plain 4 point cues start at 1500. I still didn't see the return on switching from my schon. Schons are great cues. Solid and consistent. Try one out though.
I could not agree with Don more!!! I would never buy a cue without hitting it first, even if I knew and loved the maker. Even cues by the same maker can differ considerably.
my 2 cents.
 
I understand that, I am no newb when it comes to knowing how the different parts of the cue affect the hit. From the tip, to the shaft/taper, the ferrule, the joint, down to the butt; they all affect the way the cue feels when making contact with the cue ball.
 
Cue of Fury said:
What cue would you recommend for a budget of $500-$600 and why? Playability, quality, and looks are to all be considered. Thanks for any input. :cool:


I don't know if you're referring just to production cues, but if you are, a Schon would be a good choice. I own a LTD and it's really solid, but also more than double the cost due to the inlays. For $500-$600 it'll be somewhat on the plain side and maybe that's what you're looking for. However, if you want something with a little more eye candy for the same money, go Joss or Helmstetter. Both of those are also super cues and play equally as well as the Schon and all have good balance and feel. I own those too. If I just had to pick just one between the three, I'd go with the spiffy Joss. Don't know if that's what you wanted to hear, but since I own all of them and regularly switch back and forth for the hell of it, that's my opinion.
 
Re: Schon cues - the diameter of their butts is generally too small for my extra large hands. Although I've only shot with two of them, one of the cues played well and the other one didn't. See for yourself, therefore.
 
I will have to test a Schon out. My hands are not huge so I do not think that the butt diameter will be a problem.
 
Cue of Fury said:
I will have to test a Schon out. My hands are not huge so I do not think that the butt diameter will be a problem.
Cue of Fury,

In my opinion, another reason to go custom, is resale value. Buy a $500 production cue, you would be lucky to get 1/3 of that back. Buy a $500 custom, and it's almost a sure thing you could get at least (at least) 1/2 of it back, if you ever wanted to sell it.

Thanks,

Jon <- swore off production cues after owning a Les Blevins Sneaky, now i just make my own, that's really custom :)
 
I owned an STL7 and regret getting rid of it. A great playing cue. Ask Keith McCready about it as well. He also owned an STL7. Best of luck.

Dave
 
BiG_JoN said:
Cue of Fury,

In my opinion, another reason to go custom, is resale value. Buy a $500 production cue, you would be lucky to get 1/3 of that back. Buy a $500 custom, and it's almost a sure thing you could get at least (at least) 1/2 of it back, if you ever wanted to sell it.

Thanks,

Jon <- swore off production cues after owning a Les Blevins Sneaky, now i just make my own, that's really custom :)

I prefer a Custom Cue. I have my preferences of weight & the balance point. I'm like everyone else, in that I like certain woods & certain designs. I also am partial to a pie-lam shafts with a stainless joint. John Parker generally makes me a Titanium Joint (screw & collar), Ivory Ferrules & Exotic woods & Ivory Inlays. Then he sends the final product to Tiger Products for a Leather Wrap. www.auerbachcustomcues.com
 
I have to disagree that you can get a great cue for $200. You can get an ok cue for $200, but not great. I do agree that above a certain price, you're paying for nothing but inlays and artwork. However, that limit is over $200. $500 maybe? Then again, you can buy a piece of crap for $500.

I also think there's nothing wrong with putting a little artwork into a cue. :)

Schon makes a very solid, reputable cue.

Joss makes a good production cue for a good price.

There's LOTS of CRAP custom cues out there. I'd guess that for every 1 good custom cuemaker, there are several that make garbage.

There's lots of custom and production cues to chose from in the $500 range. At that price, get something basic looking from a reputable maker, and it will likely be a fairly decent quality cue. Better than paying $500 for a crappy cue with lots of cheap detail work.

just my opinion
cheers,
jeremy
 
Actually, go check out Layani. Custom or production. Very interesting cues. Have a very solid hit, and Layani is building a good reputation.
 
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