Here is my review on my new Merry Widow player from Joe Baker Custom Cues.
Where to start. The forearm, and butt sleeve were from a piece of Brazilian Rosewood, that I stumbled across from an old luthier, in Illinois, it was/is gorgeous wood, and the pics don't do it justice. The handle is a piece of outrageous curly maple that I found in Ohio. The handle has some of the nicest figure, that I have come across, and we cored it with rock maple for stability, and weighting.
The cue is 58" long, and weighed in at a very precise 18.9 natural ounces. The cue is dead straight, both together, and apart. The balance point is spot on, and the cue feels like a natural extension of my arm. The finish, and fit are excellent. I should know, I hounded Joe, until it was perfect, and it is. The shaft has a very respectable ring count, and the grain is near perfect. The shaft was sealed and burnished, and is very slick! The ferrule is LBM, and it has an Everest tip.
Ball control was easy, and english was repeatable, and as predicatable as possible. The hit was the bonus! This thing has the purest most perfect ping/crack to it, that these ears have ever heard. Maybe the Brazilian Rosewood forearm, had something to do with that, who knows. The hit was beautiful, very lively, solid, and firm. The cue has a Thin walled stainless steel sleeve, over phenolic joint, with a Southwest Style Joint Pin. The joint was very well done, and was quite seamless. The butt cap is double black linen, with a SW style bumper. Overall, I could not be happier with this cue, or it's maker. I had a design in my head, and Joe made it a reality. I would recommend one of Joe's cues to anyone, they flat PLAY! His prices are reasonable, and the craftsmanship, excellent! Kudos to you my friend, on a job well done, the cue is gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier. If you want to contact Joe for a cue, his number is 740-621-2322. I have no problems offering my recommendation for this cuemaker. I have owned several of his cues, and they have all been very nice, with this one being the cream of the crop. The pictures, are ones that I took, and do not do justice to this cue. Hope you all like them.
Where to start. The forearm, and butt sleeve were from a piece of Brazilian Rosewood, that I stumbled across from an old luthier, in Illinois, it was/is gorgeous wood, and the pics don't do it justice. The handle is a piece of outrageous curly maple that I found in Ohio. The handle has some of the nicest figure, that I have come across, and we cored it with rock maple for stability, and weighting.
The cue is 58" long, and weighed in at a very precise 18.9 natural ounces. The cue is dead straight, both together, and apart. The balance point is spot on, and the cue feels like a natural extension of my arm. The finish, and fit are excellent. I should know, I hounded Joe, until it was perfect, and it is. The shaft has a very respectable ring count, and the grain is near perfect. The shaft was sealed and burnished, and is very slick! The ferrule is LBM, and it has an Everest tip.
Ball control was easy, and english was repeatable, and as predicatable as possible. The hit was the bonus! This thing has the purest most perfect ping/crack to it, that these ears have ever heard. Maybe the Brazilian Rosewood forearm, had something to do with that, who knows. The hit was beautiful, very lively, solid, and firm. The cue has a Thin walled stainless steel sleeve, over phenolic joint, with a Southwest Style Joint Pin. The joint was very well done, and was quite seamless. The butt cap is double black linen, with a SW style bumper. Overall, I could not be happier with this cue, or it's maker. I had a design in my head, and Joe made it a reality. I would recommend one of Joe's cues to anyone, they flat PLAY! His prices are reasonable, and the craftsmanship, excellent! Kudos to you my friend, on a job well done, the cue is gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier. If you want to contact Joe for a cue, his number is 740-621-2322. I have no problems offering my recommendation for this cuemaker. I have owned several of his cues, and they have all been very nice, with this one being the cream of the crop. The pictures, are ones that I took, and do not do justice to this cue. Hope you all like them.
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