algebraist
Registered
I just bought one of these, for less than $250. First, let me say that it's a good cue -- it has a nice solid hit, it's beautifully balanced, I like it. But I'm returning it, for two reasons.
First, if you look at the stock picture of it on any dealer's website (such as: http://www.cheapcues.com/Joss_Pool_Cues_JOS02.asp), it shows a very intricately-grained piece of wood. I'm not an expert, but I'd call it "curly maple." What you actually receive, though, is a much plainer product. Cue stick photography is an art I haven't mastered, so I apologize for not posting a picture, but just imagine a plain piece of wood, maple I suppose, but with no interesting grain to speak of at all. It's still good looking, but nothing like what they advertise. (If Joss had provided a realistic picture I probably would still have bought it anyway, but with reasonable expectations, and would have been spared the initial disappointment when I opened the box.)
Second, the joint is so tight that it squeaks pretty horribly when I take it apart and put it together, which is difficult to do. I've read the threads on this forum that suggest some wax or soap might fix that; the same threads say that it also might not, and in any case I don't think it should be necessary to "fix" a brand new cue. Full disclosure: I ordered it with a 12.75mm shaft instead of the standard 13mm, and the dealer shipped it with a 12.75mm shaft from Joss (not a turn-down of a 13mm shaft). So perhaps the shaft and butt were not matched at the factory and maybe that makes a difference. (But if it does, it makes me skeptical that a second shaft, say a Predator for example, would be likely to fit any more smoothly -- after all, that would certainly not have been matched at the factory.)
Anyway, there you have it. As I said, it's a nice cue, and it plays well.
First, if you look at the stock picture of it on any dealer's website (such as: http://www.cheapcues.com/Joss_Pool_Cues_JOS02.asp), it shows a very intricately-grained piece of wood. I'm not an expert, but I'd call it "curly maple." What you actually receive, though, is a much plainer product. Cue stick photography is an art I haven't mastered, so I apologize for not posting a picture, but just imagine a plain piece of wood, maple I suppose, but with no interesting grain to speak of at all. It's still good looking, but nothing like what they advertise. (If Joss had provided a realistic picture I probably would still have bought it anyway, but with reasonable expectations, and would have been spared the initial disappointment when I opened the box.)
Second, the joint is so tight that it squeaks pretty horribly when I take it apart and put it together, which is difficult to do. I've read the threads on this forum that suggest some wax or soap might fix that; the same threads say that it also might not, and in any case I don't think it should be necessary to "fix" a brand new cue. Full disclosure: I ordered it with a 12.75mm shaft instead of the standard 13mm, and the dealer shipped it with a 12.75mm shaft from Joss (not a turn-down of a 13mm shaft). So perhaps the shaft and butt were not matched at the factory and maybe that makes a difference. (But if it does, it makes me skeptical that a second shaft, say a Predator for example, would be likely to fit any more smoothly -- after all, that would certainly not have been matched at the factory.)
Anyway, there you have it. As I said, it's a nice cue, and it plays well.
