How many have been dissapointed?

XxMerlinxX

XxMerlinxX

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So I'm having my first custom cue made and I have a picture of it in my mind's eye. The problem is, will it really be as good looking and hitting as I hope for it to be? How many of you guys that, once having finally received a cue built to your EXACT specifications... just didn't live up to the expectation or turn out looking quite like you had anticipated?
 
XxMerlinxX said:
So I'm having my first custom cue made and I have a picture of it in my mind's eye. The problem is, will it really be as good looking and hitting as I hope for it to be? How many of you guys that, once having finally received a cue built to your EXACT specifications... just didn't live up to the expectation or turn out looking quite like you had anticipated?
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can't say that happened. i only own one custom made by dick neighbors and when i got it it was all i thought it would be.
 
XxMerlinxX said:
So I'm having my first custom cue made and I have a picture of it in my mind's eye. The problem is, will it really be as good looking and hitting as I hope for it to be? How many of you guys that, once having finally received a cue built to your EXACT specifications... just didn't live up to the expectation or turn out looking quite like you had anticipated?
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Well my Joss was a 1/1 made by Dean and I love it. The only thing I didn't like was the shaft. I tryed to have it cut down, But I finaly just got a OB-1 now I wouldn't trade it for any cue.
 
I took a chance with an "up and coming cue maker" on here a couple of years ago. I won't name names and haven't seen him or his cues posted for a long time so I'm guessing he's no longer doing it, but I got burned. Bubbles in the finish, gaps under the ferrules, handle diameter thinner than requested, butt heavy, I was very disappointed. I had KV replace the tips/ferrules, had it refinished and eBay'd it for a big loss. I couldn't in good faith let it go out like it was so rather than throw it in the backyard bonfire I at least fixed it up where it was a reasonable bar player before selling. I believe that's the exception to the rule though and if you're involved and working with someone reputable all will be well.
 
XxMerlinxX said:
So I'm having my first custom cue made and I have a picture of it in my mind's eye. The problem is, will it really be as good looking and hitting as I hope for it to be? How many of you guys that, once having finally received a cue built to your EXACT specifications... just didn't live up to the expectation or turn out looking quite like you had anticipated?
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I bought a used cue on Ebay for a good price that was made by a very well known cue maker. I liked the cue and the way it played and one of my friends talked me into selling the cue to him. I didn't want to sell it, but he persisted and I sold him the cue thinking that I could have another one made just like it if I wanted to.

After a couple of months passed I missed that cue and I ordered one like it directly from the cue maker. The cue I ordered was a little nicer because I substitued ivory inlays in place of the Holly inlays that the cue I sold had. When I got my new cue it wasn't the same. It looked good, but it didn't play like the one I sold and I was disappointed. The cue was an ebony cue with inlays and trim rings and the original cue had some of the blackest ebony i've ever seen and the new cue which cost more didn't have the same quality ebony. The butt sleeve was almost grey colored instead of black. The cue was well made, but it didn't suit me and I sold it.

James
 
XxMerlinxX said:
So I'm having my first custom cue made and I have a picture of it in my mind's eye. The problem is, will it really be as good looking and hitting as I hope for it to be? How many of you guys that, once having finally received a cue built to your EXACT specifications... just didn't live up to the expectation or turn out looking quite like you had anticipated?
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In almost every case. Once the excitement wares off you find yourself going back to your old cue then back to the new cue and so on trying to see what you like. I prefer buying used cues I can play with before buying. They have always been the best for me. I bought a used $40.00 palmer for several times it's new price. It was just an exceptional cue and the instant I picked it up it felt good.
In the other respect I had a Szamboti I could not sell. Once someone hit balls with it that was the end of the deal. I finally did get a buyer who sent the cue back to Szamboti for several new shafts a weight change and an added bumper, it was a Rambow style. That cue continued to change hands at least four more times till Szamboti died, then it became a collectable and no one cared how bad it played.
 
XxMerlinxX said:
So I'm having my first custom cue made and I have a picture of it in my mind's eye. The problem is, will it really be as good looking and hitting as I hope for it to be? How many of you guys that, once having finally received a cue built to your EXACT specifications... just didn't live up to the expectation or turn out looking quite like you had anticipated?
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It all depends on your expectations.....although there are exceptions, you typically get what you pay for.....ie, if you spent $500 from a reputable cuemaker on a solid player, you are going to get a nice, good-playing $500 cue......if you spend $2500 with a high-line cuemaker, you'll likely get a great playing $2500 cue with the expected bells/whistles/inlays.....

What did you spend and what do you expect? I'd say that if you consider yourself a reasonable guy with reasonable expectations, you'll likely be pleased.....if you are the type that gets buyers remorse or has a tendency to put things up on a pedestal, you're likely in for a letdown....
 
About 2 years ago I ordered a stainless steel cue when an elk master tip. Freaking thing hit like a baseball bat. Boy was I disappointed.
 
I would really have a hard time buying a cue I haven't hit with. The exception is my playing cue which I had made for me "but" I had hit with several of the cuemakers cues at his house and knew what I was going to get. Another one is in the works. Buying the other way, without hitting or being familiar with what the cuemaker "consistently" creates would be very hard for me.
 
Gerald said:
I would really have a hard time buying a cue I haven't hit with. The exception is my playing cue which I had made for me "but" I had hit with several of the cuemakers cues at his house and knew what I was going to get. Another one is in the works. Buying the other way, without hitting or being familiar with what the cuemaker "consistently" creates would be very hard for me.
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I can agree with this but I'd like to add that when you're going to order a custom made cue that it's probably best to at least have a chance to shoot with a cue or 2 from that maker to get an idea of what you're going to end up with. The only exception to that would be this, if you get a chance to shoot with a cue that is a maple forearm, points etc.... don't order an all ebony cue and expect it to be similar. If you like what you tested then you should order the cue with similar woods, design is up to you, of course.

As for my experience, I've ordered a lot of cues over the years but almost all of them have been Paul Mottey cues. I've yet to be dissatisfied. The only other ones I've ordered outside of Mottey are Jim White (Mottey shop), Tim Scruggs (great reputation), and Gina (great reputation).

I would say do your best not to over think about your cue while waiting for it as it could lead to slight disappointment when it arrives. Place your order and try to forget about it.
MULLY
 
How many guys have been dissappointed? Just go over to the wanted/for sale category. If you want to guarantee that you will get a cue you like, buy a cue that is all ready made and hit some balls with it for as long as the dealer or maker will let you.
 
StrokeofLuck said:
I took a chance with an "up and coming cue maker" on here a couple of years ago. I won't name names and haven't seen him or his cues posted for a long time so I'm guessing he's no longer doing it, but I got burned. Bubbles in the finish, gaps under the ferrules, handle diameter thinner than requested, butt heavy, I was very disappointed. I had KV replace the tips/ferrules, had it refinished and eBay'd it for a big loss. I couldn't in good faith let it go out like it was so rather than throw it in the backyard bonfire I at least fixed it up where it was a reasonable bar player before selling. I believe that's the exception to the rule though and if you're involved and working with someone reputable all will be well.
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Had a similar situation happen.... a few years ago, I'm not going to name him or out him or anything, idk if he is even doing cue's anymore, but i had seen pics of his cue's he'd already had made and they looked nice, nothing fancy, or WOW like you'd get from a Gina, or Boti, or Gilbert, but just decent and nice looking... which was what i was looking for something simple but nice and decent playing...

Well i get the cue and first think was in the butt it had a phenolic ring right in the middle of the wood... WTF!!! second the shafts, you could see where he stopped sanding and doing the taper.... Third the joints didnt match up evenly.... 4th, one of the shafts was bent like a damn boomerang! So after sending the cue back, to be fixed, shafts n joints, and getting a Sneaky Pete from him for like 50$ ( which actually was a freaking awesome playing cue ) and played better than the custom cue he made... I ended up selling the custom cue for a severe loss to a friend, and kept the sneaky pete which was basically a house cue chopped and redone with a dark laquer so it looked like a house cue but with a custom shaft.......

the sneaky pete looked sweet and i took it every where when i wanted to get some action, cuz it played like a 2000$ cue lol.... stupid me though ended up selling it when i bought my Gilbert lol.....

Although I did take a chance on BHQ from AZB and his cue's are NICE! so not all newbie cue makers are junk.....
 
I got a custom cue from LPCustom cues, the cue looked AWESOME. I had asked for a small (11/12 or less) tip and got a big tree trunk (13). Other than that, I was really pleased with the work that had been done. I would just make sure that every email you send and every message you leave has a response, otherwise you might end up with something that isn't exactly what you had hoped for. Good luck!
 
I'm very rarely disappointed. I know what I want and I know where I can get it that way.

The real problem is most people don't actually know what they want. They just hope what they get just so happens to be it.

If you take the honest time it takes to 'know' what is best for you game , fully 'Embrace' what is best for your game (That's the hard one) and are 'Prepared' to pay what it honestly costs to get it , you will.

That's a lesson in life , not just pool.
 
NewStroke said:
About 2 years ago I ordered a stainless steel cue when an elk master tip. Freaking thing hit like a baseball bat. Boy was I disappointed.
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Yea, I had the same problem when I had a custom cue made out of Inconel....thing hit like a dang steel pipe:smile:
 
Custom Cue Purchase

This is a very good question. There are cues out there in the "for sale" arena, made by the greats, yet they are for sale. What gives?

If the original purchaser was looking for a Magic Wand, we all know they were immediately disappointed.

You can take a good cue & put the wrong tip on it, for your style of playing, & you'll give the cue away, rather than play with it.

Sometimes an ounce (or more) of weight can be added or subtracted, & the cue will feel like a different cue.

Maybe the tip diameter is the wrong size for your hands.

I've known people that custom ordered cars & couldn't stand the way they looked in a week.

Caveat (buyer-beware) Trying something out isn't a sure fire way to buy something either. Without knowledge of what you want the end product to be, you may not be able to find the product for you.

I heard something today, that I would like to share with you. Somebody once said, "If a man doesn't know his enemy (competitor) or himself, often times he will lose because of his lack of that knowledge"...
 
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