Josey Sneaky vs. Custom

angldemn

angldemn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've read so many good things about Josey cues that I think I'm just gonna have to get one.

I learned from Sherri today though that the blanks for the SPs are made elsewhere, and that the fanciest ones are still less expensive than the plainest custom.

My first inclination is to go with the custom where every detail of the cue is attended by Keith himself, but I can't help but feel the others are a better value.

Does anyone have experience with both types of cues? Also, I'd like opinions on the timeless timber vs standard shaft.
 
Really, cant go wrong with a Josey, irrespective of which route you go...

Free advice is worth every penny. You have to pay/ use/ own it...the call is youz.
 
Thanks for the reply, there are just so many options; I'd like a way to qualify them.

Any other opinions on the SPs or the timeless timber.
 
First of all...the full splice blanks that Keith is getting he checks out thoroughly before using in a cue. Many makers use a pre-made full splice blank because unless you are set up to specifically do full splices, it can be a time intensive process with lots of material waste. Some makers simply do not wish to mess with it, and look to those shops which are set-up to do this type of construction. I can assure you, that the blanks Keith is using are quality blanks.

While having a quality full splice blank is important, it is what the maker does with that blank that can make all the difference between a decent playing cue and a great playing cue. I'm my personal opinion, Keith's 'sneaky petes', especially the fancier ones, are a lot of cue for the money...and make for great players. Another thing about Keith's cues are they are pretty doggone consistent in play, from cue to cue.

Okay, they are on the stiffer side as players...this may be partly due to his use of the big Radial pin, combined with his taper, which tends to be more conical, than say, a Pro taper. This is with his regular shafts. If you wish to go stiffer still, then the Timeless Timber™ shaft is the way to go...they are uber-stiff. My primary playing shaft is the TT shaft.....love it!

You will find that the quality of the craftsmanship is the same whether it be one of his sneakies or one of his higher end cues. Fit and finish are superb...his attention to detail is outstanding. It's obvious he has a passion for his craft.

Dealing with both Keith and Sherri is a complete delight, and they offer some of the best customer service in the business...they want their customers to be completely happy with their cue, and will do just about whatever it takes for that to happen. Keith received the 2011 ACA Cue Maker of the Year Award for good reason.

I would have no hesitation whatsoever in wholeheartedly recommending a Josey cue to just about anyone.

Here is a pic of my current Josey, and my only player...I commissioned the blank from Prather, and Keith did an utterly amazing job on completing this cue for me. I simply can't imagine now shooting with anything else!!

josey1-2.jpg


All the best in your decision!!!

Lisa
 
angldemn said:
Thanks for the input.

Love your cue, it's really quite elegant.
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Thank you! Seriously, talk to Keith and/or Sherri and tell them exactly what you would like in a cue, what budget you have to work with, and they can come up with something for you. If you are in more of a hurry...they often have a few of their sneakies available, ready to go in the shop. They hold their value pretty well.

Lisa
 
I hit with a tullipwood into ebony front fullsplice yesterday that was magic....I belive ktownd owns that cue now....contact him.....it had a nice lizard wrap with fancy inlaid points and dimond inlays on the butt.....man that cue hit great.......hats off to keith for the level of cue he is making.....:smile:
 
ComptonCustomCues said:
I hit with a tullipwood into ebony front fullsplice yesterday that was magic....I belive ktownd owns that cue now....contact him.....it had a nice lizard wrap with fancy inlaid points and dimond inlays on the butt.....man that cue hit great.......hats off to keith for the level of cue he is making.....:smile:
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If you can get a piece of tulipwood that has been properly seasoned, and turned...they play like a dream! Many do not know that tulipwood is a true rosewood, and typically, rosewoods make for some very nice players, with great feedback.

The Joseys are some of the 'good guys'. There will be no worries about lack of communication, or long overdue delivery dates. If something in the order was unclear, or if they just want to double check a spec with you, they will call. My experiences with them have been quite enjoyable.

Lisa
 
I have a plain jane in progress now I am building with tullipwood and while it is a good tonewood don't forget the ebony out front in this josey......I belive that is what made this cue so good. The quality of the ebony was good and imo the cue was top notch in every way. I am at least a little qualified to say so :smile: Again all the work I have seen out of the josey shop is top notch and the hit leaves nothing to be desired....great cue maker
 
angldemn said:
I've read so many good things about Josey cues that I think I'm just gonna have to get one.

I learned from Sherri today though that the blanks for the SPs are made elsewhere, and that the fanciest ones are still less expensive than the plainest custom.

My first inclination is to go with the custom where every detail of the cue is attended by Keith himself, but I can't help but feel the others are a better value.

Does anyone have experience with both types of cues? Also, I'd like opinions on the timeless timber vs standard shaft.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to bust your chops angldemn but a simple reminder to everyone.
The history bench mark for the tool we use in our passion is the Brunswick 26 1/2 the Balke-Collender and the Titlist. All modern cues are modeled after these cues which were not custom but production cues. Of course coring has negated the time honored tradition of full splice jointing two types of wood into a single blended tool, I don't draw the line in the sand between production and custom, or full slice and coring.

My preferred "production" cue is Joss I don't fault Dan, for being a hall of fame master cue maker, yet producing a line of manufactured cues, but rather I see him as carrying on the tradition of the Brunswick line, producing great affordable cues for the masses. No frills no gimmicks like most production cue companies chasing the latest space age material or process, just a solid playing cue. Cues with consistency you know exactly what to expect when you pick one up, just like the Brunswick line.
Dan is also approachable and will gladly produce a one of cue for you as well. This is all my opinion of course but sometimes it doesn't hurt to view the mountains from a different angle. Some of the most prized cues to collectors and shooters are converted titlist cues, converted "production cues"

I would never fault Josey for using an out of house FS butt. Dozens of people produced titlist cues, I don't here people knocking a titlist conversion because its a production butt, do you? And as you pointed out, its more affordable without compromising quality.
 
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ComptonCustomCues said:
I have a plain jane in progress now I am building with tullipwood and while it is a good tonewood don't forget the ebony out front in this josey......I belive that is what made this cue so good. The quality of the ebony was good and imo the cue was top notch in every way. I am at least a little qualified to say so :smile: Again all the work I have seen out of the josey shop is top notch and the hit leaves nothing to be desired....great cue maker
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Not discounting the ebony front at all....but both being very dense woods, can make for a heavy cue. I really like pairing the BEM with the tulip...kinda like the Three Bears porridge....this one's just right! LoL!

Lisa
 
bud02 said:
I'm not trying to bust your chops angldemn but a simple reminder to everyone.
The history bench mark for the tool we use in our passion is the Brunswick 26 1/2 the Balke-Collender and the Titlist. All modern cues are modeled after these cues which were not custom but production cues. Of course coring has negated the time honored tradition of full splice jointing two types of wood into a single blended tool, I don't draw the line in the sand between production and custom, or full slice and coring.

My preferred "production" cue is Joss I don't fault Dan, for being a hall of fame master cue maker, yet producing a line of manufactured cues, but rather I see him as carrying on the tradition of the Brunswick line, producing great affordable cues for the masses. No frills no gimmicks like most production cue companies chasing the latest space age material or process, just a solid playing cue. Cues with consistency you know exactly what to expect when you pick one up, just like the Brunswick line.
Dan is also approachable and will gladly produce a one of cue for you as well. This is all my opinion of course but sometimes it doesn't hurt to view the mountains from a different angle. Some of the most prized cues to collectors and shooters are converted titlist cues, converted "production cues"

I would never fault Josey for using an out of house FS butt. Dozens of people produced titlist cues, I don't here people knocking a titlist conversion because its a production butt, do you? And as you pointed out, its more affordable without compromising quality.
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I do not think that anyone is discounting that Joss makes a good cue...they definitely have a following. However, the OP did specifically request to hear experiences with Josey cues. Just sayin'...

Lisa
 
ridewiththewind said:
I do not think that anyone is discounting that Joss makes a good cue...they definitely have a following. However, the OP did specifically request to hear experiences with Josey cues. Just sayin'...

Lisa
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Did I get off topic Lisa or did I stay within the the subject of the OP?
Secondly has anyone else here addressed the comparison part of angldemn's OP? Just sayin

angldemn said:
I've read so many good things about Josey cues that I think I'm just gonna have to get one.

I learned from Sherri today though that the blanks for the SPs are made elsewhere, and that the fanciest ones are still less expensive than the plainest custom.

My first inclination is to go with the custom where every detail of the cue is attended by Keith himself, but I can't help but feel the others are a better value.

Does anyone have experience with both types of cues? Also, I'd like opinions on the timeless timber vs standard shaft.
Click to expand...
 
I got one of his fancy sneakies this past January and LOVE it!!! I have both his standard rock hard maple shaft and a Timeless Timber - both are great!! Would recommend his cues without reservation.
 
bud02 said:
Did I get off topic Lisa or did I stay within the the subject of the OP?
Secondly has anyone else here addressed the comparison part of angldemn's OP? Just sayin
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Actually, you did get off topic....he didn't ask about Joss cues, or Brunswick cues....or even for the history lesson. The OP just wanted to really know if there is a difference between Keith's sneakies and his other types of cues. And, as a matter of fact, I did address the comparison between the regular Josey and Timeless Timber shafts.

Can you show me in your initial post where you directly addressed those questions? You didn't.
 
ridewiththewind said:
Actually, you did get off topic....he didn't ask about Joss cues, or Brunswick cues....or even for the history lesson. The OP just wanted to really know if there is a difference between Keith's sneakies and his other types of cues. And, as a matter of fact, I did address the comparison between the regular Josey and Timeless Timber shafts.

Can you show me in your initial post where you directly addressed those questions? You didn't.
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1 Its pretty clear you don't understand metaphors.
2 the only direct question asked was "Does anyone have experience with both types of cues"? Meaning a Josey custom vs a Sneaky"
No one has replied to it directly including you.

I replied to his statements about his concern with using an out of house FS butt.
I learned from Sherri today though that the blanks for the SPs are made elsewhere, and that the fanciest ones are still less expensive than the plainest custom.
Click to expand...

I think the Brunswick titlist butt is a fine example of a production FS butt being accepted as a canvas for many notable cue makers. Which addresses the next part of his OP.
My first inclination is to go with the custom where every detail of the cue is attended by Keith himself, but I can't help but feel the others are a better value.
Click to expand...

As for the Joss part of my post, many purist knock Joss cues for a number of reasons, the two most common are, their CnC points, its a production cue ect. The fact is its affordable, and thats also a point made in the OP.

My little statement which began with "see below". This address the OP concern about Josey not producing the FS blank.
The history bench mark for the tool we use in our passion is the Brunswick 26 1/2 the Balke-Collender and the Titlist. All modern cues are modeled after these cues which were not custom but production cues.
Click to expand...


I ended my post with
I would never fault Josey for using an out of house FS butt. Dozens of people produced titlist cues, I don't here people knocking a titlist conversion because its a production butt, do you? And as you pointed out, its more affordable without compromising quality.
Click to expand...

That IMO supports the fact that Josey is a fine cue maker which also produces a high Quality "very affordable" SP by using an out of house blank. Again addressing the OP statements. You really need to remove your Josey glasses and realize there are many fine cue makers. Josey being no exception, he won cue maker of the year this year, enough said.

You have a fine cue and support Josey's talent and attention to detail. My post is not a plug for Joss but rather drawing similarities between the OP concerns and purest that believe a cue is not a cue unless its FS and made exclusively by a custom maker. Purest have lots of reservations and Janes is no exception, in the same vein Josey is no exception as well. Just because Janes makes a fine line of playing cues doesn't negate the fact hes a side note to purest. Josey makes fine cues as well but a purest may take exception to him using out of house blanks. I thought I made that point clear. I see similarities in Janes cues with purest and the OP concern with Joseys use of blanks. The bottom line is Joseys SP are fine playing cues at an affordable price and very attractive as well. I would not hesitate to own one.

There was a kid asking about buying a Pechauer vs a lucasi hybread cue the other day, about the same price as Josey's simple line. I gave my opinion that I thought it was the better cue. I didn't try to sell him a Josey or a Joss, thats the same thing I'm doing here. You seem to think I'm plugging Joss but I'm not. The similarities are Joss cues have zero value to purest. And IMO the OPer was trying to make the same conclusion with Josey SP. Please; get off my A$$.
 
bud02 said:
1 Its pretty clear you don't understand metaphors.
2 the only direct question asked was "Does anyone have experience with both types of cues"? Meaning a Josey custom vs a Sneaky"
No one has replied to it directly including you.

I replied to his statements about his concern with using an out of house FS butt.


I think the Brunswick titlist butt is a fine example of a production FS butt being accepted as a canvas for many notable cue makers. Which addresses the next part of his OP.


As for the Joss part of my post, many purist knock Joss cues for a number of reasons, the two most common are, their CnC points, its a production cue ect. The fact is its affordable, and thats also a point made in the OP.

My little statement which began with "see below". This address the OP concern about Josey not producing the FS blank.



I ended my post with


That IMO supports the fact that Josey is a fine cue maker which also produces a high Quality "very affordable" SP by using an out of house blank. Again addressing the OP statements. You really need to remove your Josey glasses and realize there are many fine cue makers. Josey being no exception, he won cue maker of the year this year, enough said.

You have a fine cue and support Josey's talent and attention to detail. My post is not a plug for Joss but rather drawing similarities between the OP concerns and purest that believe a cue is not a cue unless its FS and made exclusively by a custom maker. Purest have lots of reservations and Janes is no exception, in the same vein Josey is no exception as well. Just because Janes makes a fine line of playing cues doesn't negate the fact hes a side note to purest. Josey makes fine cues as well but a purest may take exception to him using out of house blanks. I thought I made that point clear. I see similarities in Janes cues with purest and the OP concern with Joseys use of blanks. The bottom line is Joseys SP are fine playing cues at an affordable price and very attractive as well. I would not hesitate to own one.

There was a kid asking about buying a Pechauer vs a lucasi hybread cue the other day, about the same price as Josey's simple line. I gave my opinion that I thought it was the better cue. I didn't try to sell him a Josey or a Joss, thats the same thing I'm doing here. You seem to think I'm plugging Joss but I'm not. The similarities are Joss cues have zero value to purest. And IMO the OPer was trying to make the same conclusion with Josey SP. Please; get off my A$$.
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Actually...he was asking for comparisons between the pre-made blank Josey petes vs those cues that Keith builds from scratch. Not on your A$$....just would you like to pay closer attention to the OP's initial post.

And yes, it did most assuredly come off as you were pushing a Joss in a Josey thread.

Lisa
 
angldemn said:
I've read so many good things about Josey cues that I think I'm just gonna have to get one.

I learned from Sherri today though that the blanks for the SPs are made elsewhere, and that the fanciest ones are still less expensive than the plainest custom.

My first inclination is to go with the custom where every detail of the cue is attended by Keith himself, but I can't help but feel the others are a better value.

Does anyone have experience with both types of cues? Also, I'd like opinions on the timeless timber vs standard shaft.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify. :grin:

Lisa
 
ridewiththewind said:
Actually...he was asking for comparisons between the pre-made blank Josey petes vs those cues that Keith builds from scratch. Not on your A$$....just would you like to pay closer attention to the OP's initial post.

And yes, it did most assuredly come off as you were pushing a Joss in a Josey thread.

Lisa
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I pointed that fact out, and I also pointed out that you did not address his only question as well.

I'm leaving now its clear you feel you have a need to dictate this threads content. I won't be a part of distracting from the OPers concerns. I leave you to govern the Josey only thread. Maybe someone will address his question about the comparison of Josey's SP and a Josey custom.

BTW you are on my a$$, heres your original comment. I find it very disingenuous you deny it. At the same time not replying to the original "comparison" question yourself.
I do not think that anyone is discounting that Joss makes a good cue...they definitely have a following. However, the OP did specifically request to hear experiences with Josey cues. Just sayin'...

Lisa
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Just where is he asking for Josey experiences? He asked for a Josey comparison. Maybe you should stay on topic as well.

Edit
I personally think my post has more relevance than someone that owns a Josey dancing around in the tread saying Josey makes an awesome cue. Which he does BTW.
 
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To the OP....Either a Josey 'pete' or the Pechauer you referenced in your other thread will serve you well as a nice quality cue. The main differences would likely be the pin and shaft tapers.

I gave you my opinions on the Josey cues based on my personal experiences with not only the cues, but the Joseys themselves. I cannot, and will not, pretend to have any experience with the Pechauer cues. I can tell you that both the Pechauer and Joss are regarded as the better of the production cues, by many.

As to loving the 'wine' color, as you mentioned concerning the Pechauer in your other thread.....if you decide you would like a Josey, I would recommend that you ask Keith for a nice dark piece of Purpleheart for your cue...if he has a piece of curly purpleheart, even better! The purpleheart, in the darker shades will give you that 'wine' color you are looking for. Purpleheart is also one of the most stable of the exotics, as it is often used for handles (under the wrap) of many custom cues. Plays very well, also.

I hope that some of this information helps you to decide upon your first quality cue....like your first gf or kiss...it's one you will remember. :smile:

All the best!
Lisa
 
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