good all-around cue stick with good bang for the buck?

R

random512

New member
Hi, Is there a good "all-around" cue stick that has good bang for the buck? Basically a cue stick that gets the nod from forum members as a no brainer cue stick for those who want to start playing now and figure out their ideal cue stick later?
 
All depends on how much the player is willing to spend. There are a lot of plain-jane cues that fit that category both production and custom.
 
It also depends on your location. In Germany Joss or McDermott are not the best choices.

I'd go with a Cuetec having a R360 shaft, it's solid, stable, good enough for VanBoening ;) Parts everywhere, a truly proven mass market cue.

I very much recommend the CER and CEV series, they are stunning plain janes at around 170$ or used from here somewhere.
After 4 months or so you could change the horrible Everest tip for a softer one.

Examples:
https://www.dynamic-billard.com/en/...cue-cuetec-edge-r360-cer-2-nature-3-8x14-pool
https://www.dynamic-billard.com/en/...iard-cue-cuetec-event-cev2-nature-3-8x14-pool

Or you can go black.

Cheers,
M
 
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Honestly my playing cue is the McDermott deluxe cue that came as kit. Plays great for me but I'm just a average player. I think it's a great cue for $70.
 
A used one.

I am not a fan of buying any production cue new.

Expect to pay 1/2 of retail for used production cue.

I recommend buying something like sneaky pete or merry widow if you get a USED custom. Low end cues are the best movers when you are ready to sell, in this market.

Ken
 
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Schmelke sneaky pete is a good cue for not much money.
http://schmelkecue.com/


I play with a Rat cue, and have been very impressed with it. It was a custom build, but he has a line of cues at muellers. Mine plays great, and was very impressed with the quality of the cue and working with Ryan.

His line of cues at muellers
http://www.muellers.com/Rat-Custom-Pool-Cues.html

Other cues I'd look at are Joss, Lucasi, schon, mcdermott, and star/lucky. A used sneaky from most of the custom makers is a good choice as well.
 
So many good choices. Do you have a price range? I'd look at:

Schmelke sneaky
Players HXT
Cuetec R360
Viking
McDermott
Joss
Predator Roadline
OB sneaky
Schon
Jacoby


I tried to list those, roughly, from least to most expensive. Going with the base model cues you're looking at a range of $100-400 or maybe $500.
 
Players HXT (also branded as Pure X). About $130 at Amazon including a low deflection shaft. Also comes with a Kamui tip which is a premium tip and costs about $20 extra on most cues.

I bought one to use as a visitor cue at home. It plays unbelievably well for the price, or even twice the price.
 
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Schon

Buy a Schon. Best bang for any buck out there. Good resale value on your investment should you decide to move up, extra hafts can be had very easily and the main thing is almost every one I have had has played good. Hard to beat on any level.
 
Nothing wrong with a Players sneaky Pete. I've been playing pool for 20 years and I still have one of their jump break cues. One of the best values for your money.

I refuse to pay more than $300 for any cue, custom or no. You don't need an expensive cue to win, despite what anyone on here tells you. That is not to say that high end customs are bad. Quite the contrary, they can be wonderful functional works of art and craftsmanship. But, they are absolutely not needed in order to play world class pool. SVB plays with a cuetec and he can beat everyone on azb and most of the world for that matter.

Cheers...
 
mattb said:
Buy a Schon. Best bang for any buck out there. Good resale value on your investment should you decide to move up, extra hafts can be had very easily and the main thing is almost every one I have had has played good. Hard to beat on any level.
Click to expand...

If you can find a good used one and its in your price range this is probably the best bet I think. Schon cues play great and are usually easy to resell down the road. If you get a good deal on a used one then you'll likely be able to sell it for what you paid if you keep it nice.
 
Schmelke

I bought a Schmelke Sneaky cocobolo built to my specs of 17 ounce, 12 mm shaft with pro taper, no logo with Kamui soft tip. Had it in about 3 weeks at about $150.
Fantastic customer service, personal phone calls and as good a hitting cue as I have ever played with. Can't go wrong.
Robert
 
But buying used does come with its own pitfalls. You could be buying someone else's problems… So, unless you can touch it before you buy. You might want to think about buying used. Enter

Nice thing about buying new is you have a retailer standing behind the product. Usually
 
Buy Quality

for under $500. I would buy a new Mezz (EC-7 series), or a good used Schon. Limited run production, high quality and will hold value, Not to mention play anything pretty damn well.
An R-360 from Cuetec is nice but take it to a 1-hole tourney, and you're gonna feel like you have a Fiat at a Ferrari collectors convention. :eek:

McDermot is making knock-offs from China now. Guy I know bought one new in Vegas for like $40 The originals are much more (and look it as well). Be aware !
 
If you can, go to a store that sells many different brands and try some out until you find one you like. Also try different tips too. They can make a big difference.
 
I second the suggestion for a Players sneaky pete. I bought one for $70 and it plays as good as my custom. If you something a little fancier, McDermott is always a solid choice, as is Schmelke. I bought a Star cue, marketed by McDermott for a friend, for $123. It looks and plays great.

In today's market, I think it would be more difficult to buy a bad cue than a good one. I wouldn't sweat your first cue too much, just get what appeals to you within your budget and begin your journey.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
 
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