Does a "compression fit" do anything?

I mean so hard I don't look forward to putting it together or unscrewing it.

I think your being a bit dramatic here but that’s just my opinion. It’s really not that bad.

Every Tascarella cue I’ve owned over the last 15 years had the compression fit joint and I love it.

Does it make the cue play any better? Probably not. For me it’s not about the playability of the compression fit joint but more about the quality of fitment, craftsmanship, tolerances and the feel of a well made, hand built custom cue.

Was George Balabushka the greatest cue builder ever? A builder that didn’t even build his own blanks? No. Especially compared to today’s custom builders. What made George’s cues so popular with the top players back then? George understood tolerances and fitment. The Pete’s build their cues the same way.

When I screw together my Tascarella cue, I love feeling that compression joint for the last couple turns. It feels different. It feels like you have in your hands exactly what it is, a very solid, well made custom cue that was hand built to the tightest tolerances possible by one of the worlds best custom cue builders.

92ef2ed986cdd4ad443852b4fa1c128f.jpg

63f0444d77b7c00fead73c08d94d1302.jpg

b27517b6aab91535414abaa5ee04fcd6.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think your being a bit dramatic here but that’s just my opinion. It’s really not that bad.

Every Tascarella cue I’ve owned over the last 15 years had the compression fit joint and I love it.

Does it make the cue play any better? Probably not. For me it’s not about the playability of the compression fit joint but more about the quality of fitment, craftsmanship, tolerances and the feel of a well made, hand built custom cue.

Was George Balabushka the greatest cue builder ever? A builder that didn’t even build his own blanks? No. Especially compared to today’s custom builders. What made George’s cues so popular with the top players back then? George understood tolerances and fitment. The Pete’s build their cues the same way.

When I screw together my Tascarella cue, I love feeling that compression joint for the last couple turns. It feels different. It feels like you have in your hands exactly what it is, a very solid, well made custom cue that was hand built to the tightest tolerances possible by one of the worlds best custom cue builders.

92ef2ed986cdd4ad443852b4fa1c128f.jpg

63f0444d77b7c00fead73c08d94d1302.jpg

b27517b6aab91535414abaa5ee04fcd6.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You're the one that talked him into that compression stuff ain't you?

Wait till you're my age, you'll be trading that in for a quick release. I'm looking for a 60" case for mine.
 
I'm looking for a 60" case for mine.

FYI, my cue is a 60” cue. I’ve played with a 60” for years. Anyway, any standard JB case will fit a 60” perfectly fine with a 30”/30” split. Here’s my cue on the left inside my standard length JB case. Still room for JP’s too if that’s your thing.

000fe274aa6fb0d2c6e2fdbe19f109f2.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I also play with a Tasc sometimes, and I love the compression fit for the reasons listed above. I don’t really think there’s much of a hit or sound difference, I just like the snugness of it and the knowledge that there’s no way that thing is loosening while I play. Plus, yes. I get a workout taking it apart.

Conversely, I also play with Prewitt and Bluegrass cues, which are 3/8x10 and 3/8x11 flat faced. The difference in the hit between the three in my estimation boils down to tip, ferrule, and shaft taper much much more so than pin type and compression fit. And those joints might be flat faced, but they go together very snug as well. I don’t see much of a qualitative difference when it comes to playability.
 
The compression fit was originally done to minimize the side to side play of the 5/16 14 screw AFAIK.
Some makers like Scruggs and Stroud had their own versions of the 5/16 14 screw with a flat bottom that eliminated the side to side play.
 
Back
Top