From Early to Mid 90's-Ernie Martinez

cuesblues

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
You don't see too many of these old Ernie Martinez cues around.
I have limited photography skills and I kept getting interrupted so this is the best I can do with what I have to work with.

I played with one last night and decided to go back to the old Ernies.
The butts are fat compared to most cues.
The hit is sharp and very lively.
I was so impressed after a couple of years playing with other cues which are great cues, newer, and fancier,
but if anyone has played with an older EM cue they know what I'm talking about.
He made everything on these cues, even the pins, and the octagon rubber bumpers on four of them.

Except the cues made when he was a Showcase he uses his own 3/8-12 pin and some are piloted.
The Showcase EM cues are phenominal players also.

Two are old jump/break cues that also have 3/8-12 pins.



Ernie 003.jpg

Ernie 005.jpg

Ernie 006.jpg

Ernie 013.jpg

Ernie 009.jpg
 
Fatboy<-----------------is feeling very stupid right now.


I forgot about those cues, I awalys liked them, never owned any, but sure do like them. nice collection.
 
Favorite

bnall said:
Nice batch of Martinez cues there Ted. Which one is your favorite?
Click to expand...

That's a tough call Brian.
Last night I played with the ebony cue-ivory spears, the wrapless cue is amazing and the cocobolo cue with the long metric pin is hard to beat.

The cocobolo cue with the ivory spears came with 4-shafts.
2-Ernie shafts and 2-shafts made from original Predator blanks they sent him.
That cue hits like a pinball machine.
It's hard to say, he was very consistent in his hit, taper, and spent a lot of time making these cues back in the day.
 
Nice set there Ted. I like the one with blueish veneers. I have some JP's that would look great on it.
 
SS Piloted Joint

shamadam said:
Nice cues Ted! Thanks for sharing. BTW, I
like the piloted S.S. jointed one the best.:grin:
Click to expand...

Why doesn't that surprise me Dom.
Ernie didn't make too many of those.
The shafts on that cue are really heavy.
The cue was made for a friend of mine that has a big stroke and likes a real front weighted cue.
He refers to most shafts as balsa wood.

He now plays with a Kikel and Dave saves his heaviest, most dense shaftwood for him.
 
Thats a beautiful collection of Ernie's cues you have there Sir.

Your pictures of Ernie's pins look like something out of Nassa's engineering department - perfect - looks like surgical equipment.

I know this was a time when he earned his reputation - outstanding.

Thanks for sharing - best pictures of his cue's I've ever seen !!!

Tommyd1
 
cuesblues said:
Why doesn't that surprise me Dom.
Ernie didn't make too many of those.
The shafts on that cue are really heavy.
The cue was made for a friend of mine that has a big stroke and likes a real front weighted cue.
He refers to most shafts as balsa wood.

He now plays with a Kikel and Dave saves his heaviest, most dense shaftwood for him.
Click to expand...

Ted am I still in the Will for these too?:grin:
 
Scruggs

bnall said:
Ted am I still in the Will for these too?:grin:
Click to expand...


No, Scruggs only,
Kathy loves Ernie's cues and was even wondering why I was posting pics.
If you take her with it you can have any cue you want...no will required
 
Ernie

Fatboy said:
Fatboy<-----------------is feeling very stupid right now.


I forgot about those cues, I awalys liked them, never owned any, but sure do like them. nice collection.
Click to expand...


Thanks Eric

I forgot about them too as have a lot of people.
There was a time when he had a lot of recognition and he still does among some of the older cue builders and people in Colorado.
He's just a master machinist and has helped a lot of people.
I started playing with James White cues for the last couple of years, but I've been trying some of my other cues lately, took one to the pool hall and was really blown away.

By the way, my 95-year old mother just moved into a new assisted living in Henderson and when I go out there maybe I can buy you a Dr. Pepper.

Peace

Ted
 
cuesblues said:
You don't see too many of these old Ernie Martinez cues around.
I have limited photography skills and I kept getting interrupted so this is the best I can do with what I have to work with.

I played with one last night and decided to go back to the old Ernies.
The butts are fat compared to most cues.
The hit is sharp and very lively.
I was so impressed after a couple of years playing with other cues which are great cues, newer, and fancier,
but if anyone has played with an older EM cue they know what I'm talking about.
He made everything on these cues, even the pins, and the octagon rubber bumpers on four of them.

Except the cues made when he was a Showcase he uses his own 3/8-12 pin and some are piloted.
The Showcase EM cues are phenominal players also.

Two are old jump/break cues that also have 3/8-12 pins.



View attachment 117623

View attachment 117624

View attachment 117625

View attachment 117627

View attachment 117628
Click to expand...

Hi,

Very nice group. In your opinion, how do the the Showcase era cues compare with the later cues?

Thanks
 
Showcase

PhilosopherKing said:
Hi,

Very nice group. In your opinion, how do the the Showcase era cues compare the later cues?

Thanks
Click to expand...

That's a good question

The Showcase cues, when he left in 95 and opened up his own shop, throughout the 90's are all very comparable.
The cocobolo cue with the long pin he used at Showcase is impossible to describe, you would have to play with it.
As long as you have the time to screw it together with all of those threads.

I have a new one that also surprised me the last time I played with it.
The shafts weigh 4.5 oz. and when I first got it I wasn't sure...it was a little front weighted for me.
Since I've been trying so many different cues lately I think the new ones are very good also.
His old cues are just so lively and he finally got his old taper bar back or got one identical to it.
I doubt I will have him re-taper the new one but he offered to do it.

Thanks
Ted
 
cuesblues said:
That's a good question

The Showcase cues, when he left in 95 and opened up his own shop, throughout the 90's are all very comparable.
The cocobolo cue with the long pin he used at Showcase is impossible to describe, you would have to play with it.
As long as you have the time to screw it together with all of those threads.

I have a new one that also surprised me the last time I played with it.
The shafts weigh 4.5 oz. and when I first got it I wasn't sure...it was a little front weighted for me.
Since I've been trying so many different cues lately I think the new ones are very good also.
His old cues are just so lively and he finally got his old taper bar back or got one identical to it.
I doubt I will have him re-taper the new one but he offered to do it.

Thanks
Ted
Click to expand...

I have one of the Showcase era cues... I love the way it plays. Do your shafts have phenolic inserts? Mine do. Do you know if that was common?

Thanks
DSCN0138.jpg
 
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Pics

Tommyd1 said:
Thats a beautiful collection of Ernie's cues you have there Sir.

Your pictures of Ernie's pins look like something out of Nassa's engineering department - perfect - looks like surgical equipment.

I know this was a time when he earned his reputation - outstanding.

Thanks for sharing - best pictures of his cue's I've ever seen !!!

Tommyd1
Click to expand...

Thanks Tommy,

I think his pins are part of his unique style.
The two semi-piloted pins on the end are numbered and dated at the bottom 9-95 and 26-95.
Part of the first 50 or so after he left Showcase.
As far as my pics go, I have no artistic ability and I cringe at the thought of digging out cues and taking them.
Then I have to get the right cue back with the right shafts.

Peace

Ted
 
cuesblues said:
I know that the Showcase True Hit shafts had an insert but I don't think mine do.
Another great question and I will ask Ernie.

What pin does your cue have?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure of the measurement, but it's the same pin as your two, with the "S" inside of a diamond.

Thanks again
 
Showcase

PhilosopherKing said:
I'm not sure of the measurement, but it's the same pin as your two, with the "S" inside of a diamond.

Thanks again
Click to expand...


Definitely an Ernie and he was in full stride when he made that cue.

I just looked at my Showcase Ernie shafts and they do have an insert that I never really noticed.

These must be the predecessor of the True Hit shafts that Showcase used to market so heavily.
Heres a pic of the True Hit logo from a Showcase cue after Ernie and Gale Clark.
I think this shaft has a cocobolo insert.

Now I know why philosophy is philosophy.
I never gave it a thought.

Thanks
Ted

Showcase 003.jpg
 
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