Honest questions about cues..

[brokenarrowjbe]

For me the right cue is all about how it feels. I would encourage you to play with whatever you have available. I like Brent Hartman, aka BHQ, and have several. I also have a matched set of Bob Thompson's I bought just to see if I liked them. They play OK and look nice but are not as nice as my BHQ's. To ME. You may feel the absolute reverse. I started with a Joss years ago and had to sell it due to personal financial incompetence and over indulgence of alcohol. Oops. I liked it but can't even remember what it looked like. Use what works for you. If an elkmaster tip works, hats great. If a Kamui clear super soft is your holy grail use that. Pool players are always looking for an edge, from low deflection shafts, to tips that allow more spin with less effort.

Good luck.

 

[gregcantrall]

Congrats on your win at the Western BCA's.

Lyn

Thank you.

While we did not quite play to the level of the pro's, it was rewarding in that I won against evenly matched competition.

The Western BCA has become our vacation of choice. We always meet some great people and enjoy the competition.

Just to keep this semi on topic, Shane was shooting with a Cuetec.:wink:

 

[Lou Bones]

Customer backing with a life time warranty for me its made in the USA atop the list. I may be hard headed, but when I can buy American I will.

OB cues and shafts are made here in the US. I just bought a new shaft from them and it has a lifetime warranty. Moreover, they have great customer service, make great quality products, and are affordable (with cues from around $330 up).

McDermott is another company that is US based and has a great warranty and decent customer service. They have cues in all price ranges.

The cue maker that someone else on here recommended to you (Pat Diveney) has an extremely good reputation and if you know what you want or like, you can't go wrong with him either.

These are all solid options that meet your criteria of made-in-the-US, good customer service, and great warranty. They also cover a spectrum of price points with great quality options.

I personally think there is something to be said for good quality, but also believe that it can be had without breaking the bank. I don't think a $50 cue will have good quality simply because quality materials cost more than that. Virtually any layered cue tip costs around $20. So that plus the costs of the wood, ferrule, joint, wrap, labor, etc., would necessitate that anything remotely decent has to cost more than $50. But that doesn't mean it has to cost upwards of several hundred dollars.

So, bottom line is narrowing down your variables: (1) You want American made with good customer service and warranty: you have some excellent options. (2) price point: you need to decide how much you want to spend. You can find a cue that will meet your playing needs and style within almost any price range, so decide what you want to spend. (3) Most importantly, you need to figure out what you like. Some people like pro tapers whereas others like conical euro tapers; some people like a soft hit whereas other like a firmer hit; some like larger diameters (12.75-13mm) while others much prefer narrower (11.3 - 12.3mm), and so forth. Try any cues you can and get a sense of what you like. Then pick an American made cue within your price range that meets YOUR playing style.

Good luck and have fun with whatever you choose!

 

[Dr_CollieCue]

How do you get to that point with so much on the market?

I was just in a similar situation (except I live in a more populated area) having to decide on a new cue without any preconceived notions about what I wanted except that I was not going to buy a LD shaft for my main playing cue (I may pick one up later). I concluded I had two basic choices - go somewhere like Super Billiards Expo and hit a lot of cues, or select a cue that is generally known to play well and buy something else later if I acquire different preferences as i play.

I took the latter approach. After reading a lot of posts, I saw there were many good comments (and no bad ones) about Schon, Mezz, Joss, and Pechauer. Generally, their cues are viewed as of high and uniform quality, and most people really like the way they hit. I chose Joss because the maker was within driving range and I wanted to discuss my choice with him (Dan Janes). I chose a cue with pretty standard specs - 12.75 mm, 19.5 ozs (I may have that dropped to 19), the standard medium-firm tip, and no wrap. It isn't particularly fancy. The cue has more than my expectations so far (well balanced, comfortable hit and feel, and easy to adapt to).

Good luck in your choice.

 

[Straightpool_99]

With so many on the market, and such a huge difference in price range how do you go about getting the best cue?
Ask everyone you know to try their cue.
There is no way you can honestly test them all so is price the main factor along with what is around your area of purchase?
Availability, word of mouth, cue reviews (but these only narrow the selection of cues to try. Buying without trying is not a good idea).
Everyone will have a favorite for various reasons, and many not very sound. Chevy vs Ford type of thing..

Are custom cues really custom?
Most of the time: NO. Many are ordered by flippers who are out to make a quick buck selling them. That's why 90% of them look exactly the same. When was the last time you saw a truely interesting and groundbreaking custom cue? Most production cues look more exciting than the average custom. Apparently everyone on the planet wants a hoppe cue, or a titlist...sigh
Unlike golf clubs or motorcycles that are actually built for one person how are they called custom cues when not truly made for one person?
IMHO they aren't "custom" unless they are built for you, with your specifications. "Custom" has become the name for small one man operation cues, regardless of specs.

Is there really that much difference in a $40 house cue vs a $ 2500 custom?
Playability wise: Not in anyway that can possibly defend the price difference. In looks, yes, if you know what to look for. To a layman (non poolplayer) a Players brand cue probably looks as good as most customs.I saw a cue that was a conversion of a Dufferin with the logo still on for sale for more than 2000 dollars. Slightly different joint and a single letter on the cue..madness!
I hear many times that it doesn't matter the cost of the cue, but the person behind it.
True dat.
So why do people buy expensive cues vs a $40 house cue or cheap two piece?
Prestige......and every once in a rare while someone has a very particular set of characteristics they want in a cue, that they can't find in a production cue. I have to stress that the latter is the exception rather than the rule.
Would you buy older cues online or would you just stick to what you can touch before you spend money?
Buy online only after trying a cue from the same maker. Still, since every wooden cue is unique, it is a bit of a gamble.
Can you honestly feel a difference between low end vs high end cues?
Yes, and sometimes the high end cues are worse! Seriously there is not a very good correlation between playabiltiy and price once you get past about the 200 dollar mark. The cheapest cues available are usually easily distiguishable from the more expensive ones. Midrange vs. high end is tough to call.
What brand sells the best line up from top to bottom? Subjective I know, but wanted to throw that out.
Impossible to answer. Most brands have their fortè in a particular pricerange.
IMO its very frustrating trying to push back the BS, and get the nuts, and bolts to the forefront.
I predict you won't be much better off after this thread.
Is it one of those things in life when people think more money equals better product when in real world truth not so much?

Yes, in the highest possible degree. If I were you I'd forget all about reputation and prestige when selecting a cue. Try as many as you can and then buy the one you like best. After using this for a while you may want something slightly different. That is the time to approach a cuemaker and ask for something that is custom.
................................

 

[vinniebabarooch]

tap...tap...tap

How much do you want to pay for ego ?

some guys pay 10K++ to be members of
an exclusive circle jerk club.

Or maybe investment.

Not much room for profit in a $500 production cue.

 

[Banks]

My cut house cue feels more natural in my hands than any other cue I've tried. I've probably spent more on tips for it than i did on the cue and the cutting. It all depends on what feels good to you. If i lost it, I'd go right out and play with as many house cues as i could until i found "the one" again. Boggles the mind how someone could pay several hundred for what is more or less a house cue.

 

[jasonlaus]

tap...tap...tap

How much do you want to pay for ego ?

some guys pay 10K++ to be members of
an exclusive circle jerk club.

Stupid post of the year contender? Good luck, you may win.

With this line of thinking anybody that doesn't play off the wall is a member of the circle jerk club.

Just cause you can't afford something doesn't make somebody who can an A hol.
Guess you drive the cheapest car, wear the cheapest clothes, eat the cheapest food, etc.?
If you dont, according to you, you're a JK off.
Have a nice cheap day and quit worrying about what "we" do with OUR money.

 

[speedy5963]

Great topic, when I started play pool I had a somewhat cheap two piece cue I purchased from the local pool hall, did the job. A good 5 years later when I got back into pool I started trying a number of different pool cues. Before getting into custom cues I had a nice Joss and Predator. Both hit good but I got into custom cues. Like many have stated, custom cues generally do bring a "look" you like as well as play and some buy strictly as investment or for collection. I've had a number of cues I wish I would have held on to but purchased, tried out and sold. As far as reasonable, Coker makes a great cue and on the 2nd hand market you can pick one up at a great cost, hard to beat. Nothing wrong with playing with a production cue either, if something works well for you, why change.

 

[cardiac kid]

My cut house cue feels more natural in my hands than any other cue I've tried. I've probably spent more on tips for it than i did on the cue and the cutting. It all depends on what feels good to you. If i lost it, I'd go right out and play with as many house cues as i could until i found "the one" again. Boggles the mind how someone could pay several hundred for what is more or less a house cue.

John,

Careful, the AZ money spent police are watching. See the post above.

Incidentally, looked for you on the brackets at the Western BCA event. Didn't see your name.

No APA Singles Nationals for me. Choked my way out of a sure win at Regionals.

Lyn

 

[vikingpitbull]

My cut house cue feels more natural in my hands than any other cue I've tried. I've probably spent more on tips for it than i did on the cue and the cutting. It all depends on what feels good to you. If i lost it, I'd go right out and play with as many house cues as i could until i found "the one" again. Boggles the mind how someone could pay several hundred for what is more or less a house cue.

What house cue do you use? Is it better to buy a house cue, and have it cut or just buy a sneaky.

 

[vikingpitbull]

What about Valhalla cues by Viking? I know that is one brand I can buy close by.

 

[Straightpool_99]

My cut house cue feels more natural in my hands than any other cue I've tried. I've probably spent more on tips for it than i did on the cue and the cutting. It all depends on what feels good to you. If i lost it, I'd go right out and play with as many house cues as i could until i found "the one" again. Boggles the mind how someone could pay several hundred for what is more or less a house cue.

This is actually a really smart way to find a nice cue for someone on a budget. Go to every pool hall in the area, try every house cue in every place. Buy the best one. Get a repairman to make a joint for you, and you're golden. If you want you can even add a wrap etc later.

I think there are a lot of people deluding themselves about custom cues. They are beautiful works of art, sure (some of them at least). Some even play well. But I've never tried any cue that I can do something with that I can't do with any cue with a predator shaft, or for that matter a Players HXT. I like the sound and feel of my expensive cue, but it doesn't do anything any better than the above cues if I look at the matter objectively.

Shane Van Boening plays with a Cuetec that looks like a dog chewed on it, with a loose weight bolt that rattles like a bad AC unit. Don't you think he'd buy a nice custom if he thought it would play better? It would simply be a matter of economics. Even the tiniest difference in playabiltiy would be huge at his level, yet he likes the Cuetec...

 

[SC02GTP]

Go out and try one for yourself. It IS the ONLY way you will answer your questions.

 

[vikingpitbull]

Also I have a chance to buy 6 vintage never used AMP/AMF Legacy cues from a AZB member. Problem is I have never played with one so its hard to pay for something you have never held before.

Here they are. They want 70 for the green, and 125 for the fancy cues.

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[jasonlaus]

John,

Careful, the AZ money spent police are watching. See the post above.

Incidentally, looked for you on the brackets at the Western BCA event. Didn't see your name.

No APA Singles Nationals for me. Choked my way out of a sure win at Regionals.

Lyn

That's the difference, I didn't call anybody names cause they play with whatever cue they have (free to 100,000), I merely responded to an ignorant post.

 

[cardiac kid]

What house cue do you use? Is it better to buy a house cue, and have it cut or just buy a sneaky.

Know several other excellent players aside from "Banks" who use a personal house cue. If you only play at a specific room, ask them to keep it aside for you between visits. Also a great way to judge a best weight for you. Try several. Don't like the smooth feel of the cue, now you know you want a wrapped cue. Don't like the tip. Have the room change it. Great inexpensive way to learn a lot about cues.

Lyn

 

[vikingpitbull]

Know several other excellent players aside from "Banks" who use a personal house cue. If you only play at a specific room, ask them to keep it aside for you between visits. Also a great way to judge a best weight for you. Try several. Don't like the smooth feel of the cue, now you know you want a wrapped cue. Don't like the tip. Have the room change it. Great inexpensive way to learn a lot about cues.

Lyn

Yeah, I should have stated as for now I will be a basement hustler. I got a 9' table, and was trying to figure out house cues as well. How much does it cost to convert a house cue vs just getting some sneaky or ??? The 6 cues above in the pictures will cost me a tad over 600.

 

[cardiac kid]

Yeah, I should have stated as for now I will be a basement hustler. I got a 9' table, and was trying to figure out house cues as well. How much does it cost to convert a house cue vs just getting some sneaky or ??? The 6 cues above in the pictures will cost me a tad over 600.

Not familiar with the cost of converting a house cue to a two piece. This is another chance to contact Pat Diveney. He might quote you. Now you'll have a comparison with a "custom" sneaky.

Lyn

 

[prewarhero]

This is actually a really smart way to find a nice cue for someone on a budget. Go to every pool hall in the area, try every house cue in every place. Buy the best one. Get a repairman to make a joint for you, and you're golden. If you want you can even add a wrap etc later.

I think there are a lot of people deluding themselves about custom cues. They are beautiful works of art, sure (some of them at least). Some even play well. But I've never tried any cue that I can do something with that I can't do with any cue with a predator shaft, or for that matter a Players HXT. I like the sound and feel of my expensive cue, but it doesn't do anything any better than the above cues if I look at the matter objectively.

Shane Van Boening plays with a Cuetec that looks like a dog chewed on it, with a loose weight bolt that rattles like a bad AC unit. Don't you think he'd buy a nice custom if he thought it would play better? It would simply be a matter of economics. Even the tiniest difference in playabiltiy would be huge at his level, yet he likes the Cuetec...

No, he likes the cuetec because they pay him to like it. Just like earl did when he was sponsored by them. Once they dropped earl how fast did he change cues. Also, Alison fisher and earls shafts were custom made.