Honest questions about cues..

[Kickin' Chicken]

to the op;

another great value you might consider is a Made in The USA, Schmelke cue.

These guys have been making high quality cues in Minnesota for over 50 years and they are very reasonable.

you can pick the model, weight, tip size, wrap, etc, and still be in the approx $300 range. Maybe even less.

Def worth a look:

www.schmelkecue.com

best,
brian kc

 

[The Piper]

Depends on who you are trying to impress, someone else or yourself. I have a custom cue on order, but it was a design that I wanted and could afford for a while, with the little things added that I wanted. Taper, ferrule material, joint, look. All under 1,000 bucks. Collectors would laugh it, new players would find it plain, but to me. It's going to be just right.

I kind of equate it to my other passion, fly fishing. You have to have confidence in what you are using. If you have more confidence with a custom cue. Then it might just give you that little edge that you need mentally during play.

 

[HQueen]

Actually I understand the essence of your post. Just disagree with your premise. A quality shaft is a quality shaft regardless of how long it was aged or who machined it. Custom does not mean better. It means unique to that one product. Production means repeatability. Not necessarily less quality. We can agree to disagree.

Incidentally, one of my friends is the cue maker for Southwest. He's explained to me how and how long it takes to make one shaft. Understand the "custom" process very well.

You believe a shaft that was turned down over a few weeks or maybe a few months will stay as straight and true as a shaft that was turned over 3 to 5 years?

Enlighten me, obviously I don't understand the "custom" process as well as you.

 

[Pushout]

Actually I understand the essence of your post. Just disagree with your premise. A quality shaft is a quality shaft regardless of how long it was aged or who machined it. Custom does not mean better. It means unique to that one product. Production means repeatability. Not necessarily less quality. We can agree to disagree.

Incidentally, one of my friends is the cue maker for Southwest. He's explained to me how and how long it takes to make one shaft. Understand the "custom" process very well.

You believe a shaft that was turned down over a few weeks or maybe a few months will stay as straight and true as a shaft that was turned over 3 to 5 years?

Enlighten me, obviously I don't understand the "custom" process as well as you.

Not everyone is aware of just what goes into the manufacture of Southwest cues and the care taken in producing them. And, not everyone will believe it if you tell them.

 

[Ak Guy]

Most will do

There is who knows how many thousands of cues that can be shot well with. There is a wide choice in shafts and tips. I think most would agree a very good player can walk into a pool room, grab a house cue with a decent tip and beat 90% or more of the shooters in the room. There is no need to pay a ton of money for a cue, unless you are into "fancy or collector cues". I have 2 Pat Diviney playing cues with matching shafts. The cues were made to my specs and I have about $830.00 in those 2 cues and they will out last me. But, many appreciate and are willing to pay many thousands of dollars for works of art, even if they seldom or never get used and won't shoot any better then a cheaper cue. So get the cue you want. Have fun shopping.

 

[Runnintable]

There is a difference between a cheapie cheap cheap cue and a cue over a certain price point.

Quality of Manufacturer process and materials used. Got to do some research. You can buy a cue for under 500$ that will give you everything in playability that you want. Anything over that is fit and fininsh and design jazz, but let me add as the the quality of manufacture goes up with the right maker so does playablity-------> and price. Balance baby balance.

 

[cardiac kid]

You believe a shaft that was turned down over a few weeks or maybe a few months will stay as straight and true as a shaft that was turned over 3 to 5 years?

Enlighten me, obviously I don't understand the "custom" process as well as you.

Queen,

I'm certainly no expert. Have visited Southwest in Las Vegas, whom I guess most everyone would agree is a top "custom" cue maker and Dan Dishaw in Syracuse, NY, also a well known "custom" cue maker, my knowledge of cue making is limited to those two. Dan has several computer operated four axis lathes as well as a few analog. Amazing shop. Guess I would catagorize Southwest as an "old world" operation by comparison. Both produce very high quality products. Now would you please enlighten me as you obviously have greater knowledge of cue making than I. I'm just a poor old country boy who's played pool for fifty six of my seventy years.

Lyn

 

[JC]

Valley supreme that's well preserved from years of smokey bar.

Just taking the rubber band off of that bad boy and screwing it together drums up action. :smile:

JC

 

[Banks]

Just taking the rubber band off of that bad boy and screwing it together drums up action. :smile:

JC

15oz bar cue and an apa hat. May as well drag around an atm with me!

 

[Straightpool_99]

15oz bar cue and an apa hat. May as well drag around an atm with me!

I want this kind of glasses and this cue! In theory I could retire in 2 years, if only I could play:grin:.

 

[asiasdad]

I'll bet he plays real sporty with his 10K++ cue
just like the president of the circle jerk club
who just gave me red rep

 

[Straightpool_99]

...................

 

[cardiac kid]

I'm thinking that if you were an unscrupulous hustler you could wear contact lenses with the opposite prescription and they'd cancel eachother out. Some optometrist is probably going to rain on this parade though. Stay tuned.

Did you ever have an opportunity to play or watch the late Will Paye (Cecil), et al? His glasses were twice as thick! Wow, could he play!!!

Lyn

 

[crazysnake]

No. More expensive does not translate into better. A personal playing cue introduces or eliminates only one of several constantly changing variables when someone plays. What it really boils down to is the players ability to adjust and acclimate to the cloth, the balls, the table roll, the rails, the noise, the temperature, and whatever other internal noise that gets in the way of your awareness of the latter. The cue only needs to be reasonably straight and have a decently shaped tip. Once you have something that fulfills those two simple requirements your good to go. It's like when you eat soup, you use a spoon and it works, and you enjoy your soup and you don't think "wow! That spoon makes good soup."

 

[vinniebabarooch]

View attachment 378385

I'll bet he plays real sporty with his 10K++ cue
just like the president of the circle jerk club
who just gave me red rep

You really are a d-bag

 

[vikingpitbull]

I think I seen a Samsquanch!!!

 

[asiasdad]

You really are a d-bag

Thank you Mr. President

 

[JoeyA]

We are all on the same journey with different paths. ENJOY!

If you are experienced enough, you can tell the difference between a poorly made cue and one that is made well. That being said, if you don't play well, you most likely won't be able to tell the difference.

I notice that people say, "so and so can play with any cue" but if you notice "So and So", they almost always are very choosy about what they play with.

Some cues are difficult to build because of the performance characteristics or the difficulty of shaping the wood and making it work.

Some cues are simply more intricate and some are simply have more beauty and so they cost more.

If you want a good playing cue, find one that enhances your abilities regardless of the cost.

If you want a magnificent looking cue, cut back on other things and spend the money.

If you want to save some money, do as others have suggested, BUT FIRST; go try those suggested cues/shafts and decide if that is the direction you want to go. (That is good advice for any cue btw).

That's about as honest an answer as I can give.

JoeyA

 

[JoeyA]

With so many on the market, and such a huge difference in price range how do you go about getting the best cue?

By asking for advice the way you have just done. By testing out different cues to see which is the best cue FOR YOU.

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?
No, price is not the main factor for decision making in low end or high end cues. It depends upon what you are looking for in a cue. Performance, quality of workmanship, beauty and collectability are all important factors for some to consider..

Everyone will have a favorite for various reasons, and many not very sound. Chevy vs Ford type of thing..

Are custom cues really custom?
Yes

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?
Those are not, imo.

Is there really that much difference in a $40 house cue vs a $ 2500 custom?
Yes.

I hear many times that it doesn't matter the cost of the cue, but the person behind it. So why do people buy expensive cues vs a $40 house cue or cheap two piece?
Because they want a cue to look a certain way or want the cue to play a certain way.

Would you buy older cues online or would you just stick to what you can touch before you spend money?
I would not buy any older cue online unless I tested the cue myself. I would however, go the pool room and ask everyone if you can hit a few shots with their cue and form your own opinion.

Can you honestly feel a difference between low end vs high end cues?
I think I can, most of the time.

What brand sells the best line up from top to bottom? Subjective I know, but wanted to throw that out.
OB cues for American made production cues, imo.

IMO its very frustrating trying to push back the BS, and get the nuts, and bolts to the forefront.

Is it one of those things in life when people think more money equals better product when in real world truth not so much?
Value is sometimes in the eye of the beholder, much like beauty.

.............JoeyA

 

[goober]

I've asked myself the same question for as long as I can remember. I've gone on buying jags to get classic manufacturers because frankly I don't have the money to get a custom made cue on Social Security. I've had McDermott, Adams(60 or 70's model), Cuetec, even Minnesota Fats in the beginning. I took a chance on the closest thing I could find to handcrafted custom in a DP cue with a Stage IV shaft. I'd say all the first ones I mentioned didn't play all that different to me. The DP is another story altogether. The tip is a little larger than I'm used to but plays well for me. When I was in my teens and through college I had a really inexpensive two piece that I thought was wonderful because I could walk in the pool rooms with a cue in a case and it made me feel like I was better than I really was. Like lots of the better players who've responded - mental image and focus can make any piece of wood "your" player.