What was your first custom cue?
I started playing pool seriously at 15 years old and saved up to buy a Meucci Sneaky Pete. I thought that was the hottest thing going, and I paid at the time $181 brand new. Next I bought a plain jane Schon which at that time I paid $400 for (I was about 16 then I guess) and that was a ton of money to me (when I had to win/earn it). Johnny Archer was my hero at the time (and still is I guess) and I HAD to have a Schon cue, the company that Johnny was sponsored by. I babied that cue to death. I cleaned it up and carefully tucked it away every time I was done playing. Later, I needed some cash so I traded it for a Bludworth Sneaky Pete plus $275, and ended up liking the Bludworth better. Played with that a few years....and went through several other cues. More Schon's mostly.......
Then in 2002 (10 years later) my friend George took me to Tim Scrugg's shop. We stopped by some special fish place and bought crab sandwiches to eat (and of course took some to Tim and the two guys that work for him), and sat around eating, chatting...and I was of course admiring the cues in progress and the completed cues.
George told Tim I was interested in a cue...but at the time I didn't really think they would have anything DONE that I would want. I really wanted something close to a Szamboti style. Tim pulled out a book and showed me some stuff, and I kind of told him what I liked. He then went into a case which was casually sitting over in the corner, that held quite a few cues. He pulled one out and said, "Would this do?". I loved everything about it except the wrap. He offered it to me for a very good price, and immediately changed the wrap (after I coughed up the dough of course) and from there I had what I "count" as my first custom cue. It's the only one worth remembering (except the Bludworth, because the sneaky shot exceptionally well).
Later on, I wasn't playing much, so our local hero Don Purdy (one of the most trustworthy guys you could ever know) sold it for me (pretty quickly too I might add). Don, do you have a pic of that cue you could post? Now, when I am able to play, I shoot with the homliest looking Bob Frey Sneaky pete thing that was half created by Poukey (a great player who does weird stuff to his cues..LOL). It's ugly as sin and wouldn't scare anyone away...and shoots almost as good as the Scruggs.
I have been itching to buy a Schon SL24 (is that correct?), the "Playboy" cue. I see them on ebay from time to time. I really like the look of that cue, and I'm sure it shoots fine.
OK...that wasn't a very incredible story, but it's the story of MY first custom cue. What is yours?
I started playing pool seriously at 15 years old and saved up to buy a Meucci Sneaky Pete. I thought that was the hottest thing going, and I paid at the time $181 brand new. Next I bought a plain jane Schon which at that time I paid $400 for (I was about 16 then I guess) and that was a ton of money to me (when I had to win/earn it). Johnny Archer was my hero at the time (and still is I guess) and I HAD to have a Schon cue, the company that Johnny was sponsored by. I babied that cue to death. I cleaned it up and carefully tucked it away every time I was done playing. Later, I needed some cash so I traded it for a Bludworth Sneaky Pete plus $275, and ended up liking the Bludworth better. Played with that a few years....and went through several other cues. More Schon's mostly.......
Then in 2002 (10 years later) my friend George took me to Tim Scrugg's shop. We stopped by some special fish place and bought crab sandwiches to eat (and of course took some to Tim and the two guys that work for him), and sat around eating, chatting...and I was of course admiring the cues in progress and the completed cues.
George told Tim I was interested in a cue...but at the time I didn't really think they would have anything DONE that I would want. I really wanted something close to a Szamboti style. Tim pulled out a book and showed me some stuff, and I kind of told him what I liked. He then went into a case which was casually sitting over in the corner, that held quite a few cues. He pulled one out and said, "Would this do?". I loved everything about it except the wrap. He offered it to me for a very good price, and immediately changed the wrap (after I coughed up the dough of course) and from there I had what I "count" as my first custom cue. It's the only one worth remembering (except the Bludworth, because the sneaky shot exceptionally well).
Later on, I wasn't playing much, so our local hero Don Purdy (one of the most trustworthy guys you could ever know) sold it for me (pretty quickly too I might add). Don, do you have a pic of that cue you could post? Now, when I am able to play, I shoot with the homliest looking Bob Frey Sneaky pete thing that was half created by Poukey (a great player who does weird stuff to his cues..LOL). It's ugly as sin and wouldn't scare anyone away...and shoots almost as good as the Scruggs.
I have been itching to buy a Schon SL24 (is that correct?), the "Playboy" cue. I see them on ebay from time to time. I really like the look of that cue, and I'm sure it shoots fine.
OK...that wasn't a very incredible story, but it's the story of MY first custom cue. What is yours?
Shortly after that I found AZB and was introduced to Skip Weston’s cues. I decided to order my first "true" custom from him. I then saw a Skip on 
