After reading all the numerous posts about which cues people use, it has come to my attention that almost everyone here owns and or plays with a custom cue. Now is there any reason that most players prefer a custom cue over a production cue. Is there something about a cue that it hand made that makes it better than a cue that is mass produced. I play with a production cue but have recently looked into buying a custom cue to see if there is any difference. I know that with a custom there is higher quality materials that are put into the cue but so are the high end production cues. It seems like a lot of the amateur players like to play with customs but the majority of the pros play with production cue. Now I know that endorsement dollars are a major reason why a lot of them play with those cues but do you think they would rather play with a custom cue if given the choice. What are some of the reasons why most players prefer a custom cue over a production cue?
Custom v.s Production
- Thread starter NOSAJ03
- Start date
pooltablemech
Banned
It is all what you like. Personal tastes, and personal likes and dislikes. It is like when you buy a car..........Red? or Black?............Chevy or Ford?............Gas mileage or POWER? ...........Minivan or Corvette? People have different reason for what they like. I always liked Schons when I was growing up. And after playing with all different kinds of cues.....Schon is my choice. The reason I don't like production cues is because the quality isn't there sometimes. I like to know somebody took alittle care in making my cue. But if you like the cue you play with.......and like the hit...etc...Why change because everybody else is doin it? See if you can hit some balls with a few different custom cues. And see if you want to change. You might like the hit of your cue better.
pooltablemech
Banned
Oh yeah....sometimes the production cue makers give Players cues to play with and money...... Sponsor them sorta. If I'm not mistaken....Earls Cuetec?....has a predator shaft? Am I wrong Earl Strickland?
R
RoninWhiteheart
Guest
I am going through the same thoughts right now. im putting 300 into a stick and my main 2 choices are either a joss production or a huebler custom. what do you think about that? anyone?
There are a gazillion cuemakers out there both large and small. When you say custom cue, are you referring to a c ue that is made with your preferences in mind? If so, this could be done by both the large cue maker and the small independent one. What I think you're really referring to is, hand made as opposed to mass produced, right?
If what I've said above is not correct and you are just referring to a cue that is made to adhere to your preferences then the answer is obvious. If you're going to spend a lot of time playing pool and you want your game to be the best it can be, get a cue that meets your needs. For example, leather wrap vs linen - your choice, length of the cue, type of wood, diameter of the tip, etc.
If what I've said above is not correct and you are just referring to a cue that is made to adhere to your preferences then the answer is obvious. If you're going to spend a lot of time playing pool and you want your game to be the best it can be, get a cue that meets your needs. For example, leather wrap vs linen - your choice, length of the cue, type of wood, diameter of the tip, etc.
Ronin, at the risk of getting into the argument over what distinguishes a production cue from a custom cue, that $300 Huebler wouldn't be considered a custom by most people.
An old geezer who didn't look like much but mopped the pool table with me once told me that if you can't do it with a house cue, you really can't do it at all. A decent production cue with a well maintained tip will give you all you need in terms of playability. If you want really nice wood, a cue that feels more comfortable in the hand because it's better balanced, and a cue like nobody else's (maybe you designed it yourself), you should look at customs.
I'm the kind of person who, once he experiences the best, has a hard time going back to mediocre. After seeing a few gorgeous plain jane birdseye customs, I thought I'd save a few bucks by having a prominent production cuemaker set me up with one of their plain janes with handpicked maple and natural stain. I asked around and learned that it wouldn't be what I wanted. Even though this company makes good cues, even their high end models don't use birdseye that approaches the beauty of what you find in most customs. The finish has a lot to do with it too. With custom cues, acceptable isn't good enough; the finish is amazing.
It's the same way with cigar humidors. There are rock bottom imported cheapos that look cheap and will probably develop leaks after a couple years ($20-100, depending on capacity); there are midrange and high end production boxes that are pretty nice and will give your smokes the TLC they need ($200-$1000); there are custom models made one at a time to the customer's specifications and are stunning heirloom-quality pieces that deserve to be passed down for generations ($600-how much ya got?). As with cues, it comes down to the quality you're looking for, how much individualized attention you want your piece to receive, and how much you're willing to pay for it.
An old geezer who didn't look like much but mopped the pool table with me once told me that if you can't do it with a house cue, you really can't do it at all. A decent production cue with a well maintained tip will give you all you need in terms of playability. If you want really nice wood, a cue that feels more comfortable in the hand because it's better balanced, and a cue like nobody else's (maybe you designed it yourself), you should look at customs.
I'm the kind of person who, once he experiences the best, has a hard time going back to mediocre. After seeing a few gorgeous plain jane birdseye customs, I thought I'd save a few bucks by having a prominent production cuemaker set me up with one of their plain janes with handpicked maple and natural stain. I asked around and learned that it wouldn't be what I wanted. Even though this company makes good cues, even their high end models don't use birdseye that approaches the beauty of what you find in most customs. The finish has a lot to do with it too. With custom cues, acceptable isn't good enough; the finish is amazing.
It's the same way with cigar humidors. There are rock bottom imported cheapos that look cheap and will probably develop leaks after a couple years ($20-100, depending on capacity); there are midrange and high end production boxes that are pretty nice and will give your smokes the TLC they need ($200-$1000); there are custom models made one at a time to the customer's specifications and are stunning heirloom-quality pieces that deserve to be passed down for generations ($600-how much ya got?). As with cues, it comes down to the quality you're looking for, how much individualized attention you want your piece to receive, and how much you're willing to pay for it.
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Pool Table Mechanic:
Unless he has changed recently, Earl plays with standard cutec shafts.
Unless he has changed recently, Earl plays with standard cutec shafts.
pooltablemech
Banned
I had heard that he had a standard line Cue Tec with a predator shaft. Not sure where I heard it. Made sense to me I guess at the time. I stands corected!
I play with customs because A - thats what I was raised on and B - I get alot of oppertunities now... BUT if I was to play with a production cue.. It would be a choice between either a R series Schon or an older Joss..
Joe
Joe
pooltablemech
Banned
Schons aren't production.
Yeah.. and neither are Vikings..
When I can go to a pool room and find 5 identical models, same inlays, same woods, same MODEL number... they are production.
Joe
When I can go to a pool room and find 5 identical models, same inlays, same woods, same MODEL number... they are production.
Joe
I have to agree with classiccues. If you can find many of the exact model with the same woods and inlay material, then it's production.
NOSAJ- If you're going to spend $300 for a cue that you plan on keeping for a while and shooting with, I would shoot with many different cue brands, some with points, some without, some with linen wrap, some with leather wraps, some wrapless (just a wood handle), some with flat face wood-wood joint, some stainless steel, all different pin sizes and then determine what you think feels good to you. Are you looking for something that you can feel the hit, something that hits softer or harder. Remember when any of the things mentioned above are changed on a cue, you'll get a different feel and hit. Find out what you like best, then go for it.
If there's anything I can do for you, let me know!
Zim
NOSAJ- If you're going to spend $300 for a cue that you plan on keeping for a while and shooting with, I would shoot with many different cue brands, some with points, some without, some with linen wrap, some with leather wraps, some wrapless (just a wood handle), some with flat face wood-wood joint, some stainless steel, all different pin sizes and then determine what you think feels good to you. Are you looking for something that you can feel the hit, something that hits softer or harder. Remember when any of the things mentioned above are changed on a cue, you'll get a different feel and hit. Find out what you like best, then go for it.
If there's anything I can do for you, let me know!
Zim
pooltablemech
Banned
Vikings?......come on now. They my make some custom cues, but they are production. Schons....I called him once and was talking about the people in his shop. And he said he had 4 people that worked there....and one just answered phones.
"Custom cues" have got to be the most abused term in pool.
A cueamaker and his staff make a thousand cues a year and call them "custom".
Schon would make a limited run of a cue design and call it LTD. Maybe it's limited but is it custom? When so many hands touched a cue to build it, is that still "custom-made."
I know my cowboy boots are custom-made. One guy measured my feet and sent it to his uncle. His uncle then made the boots.
Schon's no longer custom in my books. Not since the original owner sold it.
I shoot with a custom cue because I know what's in it and how it was built.
A cueamaker and his staff make a thousand cues a year and call them "custom".
Schon would make a limited run of a cue design and call it LTD. Maybe it's limited but is it custom? When so many hands touched a cue to build it, is that still "custom-made."
I know my cowboy boots are custom-made. One guy measured my feet and sent it to his uncle. His uncle then made the boots.
Schon's no longer custom in my books. Not since the original owner sold it.
I shoot with a custom cue because I know what's in it and how it was built.
pooltablemech
Banned
LOL I use the word custom loosely. Schon is more of a middle of the road type custom. They put more care in a cue than say Meucci of McDermott. But noting like Scruggs, Mottey, etc...! Or like my old South West. Schon makes no where near 1000 cues a year. I think more along the line of 400 maybe.
R
RoninWhiteheart
Guest
do you think that a used huebler has good resale value?
pooltablemech
Banned
I always liked hublers.....they made one of the first best break jump cues! I always thought they we under rated as cues. Very solid cues years back.....not sure about these days.
Joseph Cues said:
Personally.. I think the most abused term in pool is " I haven't played in weeks" or " I can't make a ball"... But once you have an established line of cues, or multiple lines of cues, you have pretty much crossed into the realm of production.
Joe (----limited edition