What's to guarantee the custom cue will be a better playing cue than any mass-produced cue? There isn't.
As far as looks and "bling" goes, depending on the custom cue maker and his reputation within the industry for the skill to craft a knock out design over the years as well as good player, many of the China/Japanese/American made fancy cues are in fact excellent feeling and shooting cues. A custom cue without the "bling" but a variety of woods used is no guarantee that it'll be a good shooter either. More expensive doesn't mean best feeling or best shooter. Why Cuetec for some of the pros? Over the years they've played with Joss, Lucasi, Meucci, McDermott, Schon, Adam, Falcon, etc. that were fancy or plain.
I think the most important aspect of a personal shooting cue is total weight, weight of butt and shaft separately, balance, shaft and tip size, and tip hardness or softness. All personal for each of us and doesn't matter who makes them.
I've used some pool room cues hanging on the wall that I would like to have stolen because they played and felt so good.
