Custom or Predator Cue? $600

A

adrianbrah

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Okay so im trying to buy my first nice player and I have $600 to spend. Please tell me what you guys think.

Option 1: Predator Ikon2-2 w/ 314^2 shaft w/ Kamui Black Medium Tip
I like the grey stain and the UL Luxe Leather wrap.

or (if this is possible in this price range)

Option 2: Custom Cue w/ OB Classic Uni-loc shaft w/ Kamui Black Medium Tip.
I would like to have a leather wrap, and a darker color scheme.

I can get the Ikon2 brand new for $580 now so im wondering if I should just wait for the custom or grab a used ikon if they ever come up in great condition.

Thanks for the input!:thumbup:
 
HueblerHustler7 said:
Custom... No uniloc, trust me...
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Why do a lot of people not like the uniloc? I'm truly curious. I've never had problems with it but always was suspicious of it being pretty weak since it only tightens on only a few threads. But supposedly it's 360 degrees of equal pressure.
 
thubosky said:
Why do a lot of people not like the uniloc? I'm truly curious. I've never had problems with it but always was suspicious of it being pretty weak since it only tightens on only a few threads. But supposedly it's 360 degrees of equal pressure.
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It really deadens feedback. ;(
 
thubosky said:
Why do a lot of people not like the uniloc? I'm truly curious. I've never had problems with it but always was suspicious of it being pretty weak since it only tightens on only a few threads. But supposedly it's 360 degrees of equal pressure.
Click to expand...
I'm with you on this one.Uniloc feels super firm and have never
had any issue with one.I find he older Predators made by Falon felt great when hitting the ball.In most cases the stiffer the cue or shaft the less feeling you may feel.Look
at Muecci,lots of feel cause the shaft was like a wet noodle.Uniloc is a great joint in my
opinion.Dennis Searing uses Uniloc,and the last time I heard,he knows a couple
of things about building a cue:wink:
 
scsuxci said:
I'm with you on this one.Uniloc feels super firm and have never
had any issue with one.I find he older Predators made by Falon felt great when hitting the ball.In most cases the stiffer the cue or shaft the less feeling you may feel.Look
at Muecci,lots of feel cause the shaft was like a wet noodle.Uniloc is a great joint in my
opinion.Dennis Searing uses Uniloc,and the last time I heard,he knows a couple
of things about building a cue:wink:
Click to expand...

Yup, I've no complaints about the feel of a uniloc either - in fact, I'm pleasantly surprised by it. I had a BK2 that came loose quite often, so can understand the criticism uniloc joints get from that point of view, but playing wise, they're fine IMO. Some people just plain don't like predators; don't like the idea of them, don't like the country they're manufactured in, and envy their success. They'll use anything they can latch on to in order to bash them.

As for the OP, I'd recommend getting a Pred all day long. There are several SPs on the for sale forum right now, and they hit better than the Ikons IME. Plus those second gen Ikons are fugly. Get one of those and pocket the $300+ difference.
 
adrianbrah said:
thanks for all the replies everyone. So what joint is the best and what are some good cue makers on az? Sorry im new.
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Be careful with that line of questioning - you'll get a thousand responses and still be non the wiser. Personal preference is all.

If you're going to drop that kind of dough, I'd advise playing with the cue first. Several of the bigger retailers offer a full refund guarantee if you don't like the hit.
 
Something I forgot to add was that this is actually an anniversary gift from my girlfriend so I've decided to go custom because its more personal and also something I wont be inclined to sell for the "next best thing".
 
Bd cues

If you want a very beautiful good hitting cue ask Bob Danielson of BD CUES to make you one , for 600 bucks you'll get a killer cue .
 
adrianbrah said:
Okay so im trying to buy my first nice player and I have $600 to spend. Please tell me what you guys think.

Option 1: Predator Ikon2-2 w/ 314^2 shaft w/ Kamui Black Medium Tip
I like the grey stain and the UL Luxe Leather wrap.

or (if this is possible in this price range)

Option 2: Custom Cue w/ OB Classic Uni-loc shaft w/ Kamui Black Medium Tip.
I would like to have a leather wrap, and a darker color scheme.

I can get the Ikon2 brand new for $580 now so im wondering if I should just wait for the custom or grab a used ikon if they ever come up in great condition.

Thanks for the input!:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Custom cue, no doubt. A good custom is far and above any Predator cue in my opinion. If you go custom just play with the custom shaft, not a LD shaft. You will love the results, I promise.
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys. I went with a Custom by Chris Hightower, It cost more then I originally planned but its an anniversary gift from my gf so she covered the first $600 haha. I stuck with the OB Classic shaft matched to my cue. When I receive it I'll post some pictures.
 
Custom! No question about it.
There are soooo many cue makers out there that make super good plane Janes at 400 that I see no reason to buy a mass manufactured cue for anyone looking at 400 and up.
And if your budget is 200 play with a house cue for a few more months and get a good custom plane Jane. Don't rush, get what you want, you won't regret it.
 
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