Let's Compare Cues to Cars Or Furniture
If you went an d bought an Ethan Allan bedroom set, you'd expect tp ay more than if you went to aok wood furniture store. The quality of the wood, the care and attention that went into the construction and the final finished product all contribute to the product's superiority. Could you sleep on an bedroom set from the oak wood furniture store..absolutely....would you sleep on the Ethan Allen set as well......absolutely. then why he difference in price....total labor hours involved and overall manworkmanshi.
A Rolls Royce cots a lot more than a cadillac but it is a better car...without a doubt...all hand assembled with the finest quality products available and with an attention to detail and quality uncomaparbel with any other car maker. Does the Rolls Royce get you to your destination any sooner than a Cadillac would no...both are suitable transporation but no question which automobile is the better made car.
Cues....does a high end, collectible cue make one a better pool player....probably....because it's more mental...with a $2k, $3k or $5k cue in your hands, you'll definitely concentrate on the shot more than and maybe that's why you play better....you can never fault the equipment.....but would Efrem Reyes be at a disadvantage playing me with a beat up house cue, NO....he'd drill me regardless of the cue he's using.
But as was mentioned, a custoi cue can be made to your exact specifications.....length of taper, exact ferrule and shaft sizes, variety of joints, the actual construction (the avriety and different types of woods used & veneers) and the final finished product's balance and feel.....some cue-makers still make full splice cues and then lastly, the total hours required to finish the cue. Every cue is meticuosuly made to exact specs so that if you want the cue to weigh 18.65 ozs...that's what you'll get...not 18.8 ozs.....the balance point is carefull positioned based upon the cue's weight and the weight isn't determined solely by adding a heavier weight bolt or a lighter oneThe cues made by Bill Stroud, Tim Scruggs, Joel hercek, Verl Horn, Richard Black, James White, Paul Mottey, Pete tascarella, Ernie Guitterrez, Jerry Franklin, etc. are cues that will ultinateky become like treasured works of art the way original Balabushka, Gus Szamboti or Burton Spain cues are considered to be.
Every pool player should own at least one high end cue during their lifetime to enjoy the true difference and pleasure playing with one of these cues. The overall improved feel is just amazing and if you get to own more than one, then Nirvana is just around the corner.
Matt
........:smile:
