JUDD,LAMBROS,CAPONE, or BLUE GRASS
- Thread starter thekid
- Start date
I have both a capone and bluegrass. I prefer the Capone. But its a matter of personal taste. For 1k you can get a nice looking capone especially on the used market. I would try as many of the ones as you want as you can. Thats the best way.
Aaaahhhhhh What???????
Hello,
I know I'm going to get blasted for this but I can't let this go.
Any one who would say that a Lambros is below any other cuemaker might not know a well made cue from a budweiser cue. I mean WOW, have you ever held a Lambros? Have you ever shot with one? Ever Looked at the points, inlays, finish, shafts, joint, total execution of a cue?
I'm not saying I'm the greatest authority on cues but WOW. I've had a Judd, and know Robin Dobson personaly and have shot with hers and a great cue it is but, IMO, a small step below a Lambros. Although a Judd is easier to get, and more readily avalible, and affordible.
Capone Makes a great cue as well, I wouldn't say he's below anyone either. I had one, I sold to another AZer 2 months ago, very nice point work, moved the cueball around effortlessly.
Blue Grass Top notch work, never owned one, but shot with a few.
You know what, the thing about the stiff hit can be remedied, if ordering a cue from Mike Lambros ask for a little bit more flex in the shaft, not a problem, Maybe a softer ferrule?
I know everyone has there opinions and you may have just struck a nerve with me, but In my opinion there are 3 cue Makers that are top of the world, in quality, construction, integrety, and quality.
Joel Hercek
Barry Szamboti
Mike Lambros
Only problem, good luck getting one.
This reply isn't to insult anyone, I promise, just someone who's been around cues for awhile and found the best.
My Brother and I build custom cues and the 3 cuemakers above are my idols for Quality, Construction, Integrety, and quality. My uncle is a friend of Mike Lambros, so I know a lot about his cues, not to mention I have 2. As far as knowing any of the above cuemakers personal integety, or as a quality person I don't know them, but I'm just talking about there cues.
The best advice about cuemaking I ever got wasn't from a cuemakers mouth, it came from holding and playing with there cues, which translated to........
Don't Be A HACK.
Bryan Fisher
Fisher Cues
pharaoh68 said:
Hello,
I know I'm going to get blasted for this but I can't let this go.
Any one who would say that a Lambros is below any other cuemaker might not know a well made cue from a budweiser cue. I mean WOW, have you ever held a Lambros? Have you ever shot with one? Ever Looked at the points, inlays, finish, shafts, joint, total execution of a cue?
I'm not saying I'm the greatest authority on cues but WOW. I've had a Judd, and know Robin Dobson personaly and have shot with hers and a great cue it is but, IMO, a small step below a Lambros. Although a Judd is easier to get, and more readily avalible, and affordible.
Capone Makes a great cue as well, I wouldn't say he's below anyone either. I had one, I sold to another AZer 2 months ago, very nice point work, moved the cueball around effortlessly.
Blue Grass Top notch work, never owned one, but shot with a few.
You know what, the thing about the stiff hit can be remedied, if ordering a cue from Mike Lambros ask for a little bit more flex in the shaft, not a problem, Maybe a softer ferrule?
I know everyone has there opinions and you may have just struck a nerve with me, but In my opinion there are 3 cue Makers that are top of the world, in quality, construction, integrety, and quality.
Joel Hercek
Barry Szamboti
Mike Lambros
Only problem, good luck getting one.
This reply isn't to insult anyone, I promise, just someone who's been around cues for awhile and found the best.
My Brother and I build custom cues and the 3 cuemakers above are my idols for Quality, Construction, Integrety, and quality. My uncle is a friend of Mike Lambros, so I know a lot about his cues, not to mention I have 2. As far as knowing any of the above cuemakers personal integety, or as a quality person I don't know them, but I'm just talking about there cues.
The best advice about cuemaking I ever got wasn't from a cuemakers mouth, it came from holding and playing with there cues, which translated to........
Don't Be A HACK.
Bryan Fisher
Fisher Cues
pharaoh68
Banned
Alaskin Assasin said:
Have I ever held a Lambros? Yes. Several. With the ultra-joint. Without the utlra-joint. Doesn't matter. Its a great playing cue. I never have and never will dispute that. Lambros cues play great. What I said, and what I still firmly believe is that Lambros cues are NOT on the same level as say, a Bluegrass cue which I've not only held in my hands and played with. I've owned. There is no comparison. They are among the finest hitting cues out there which is why there is such a tremendous demand for them. Lambros is good. Bluegrass is better. That's all I'm saying.
Alaskin Assasin said:
Had a Judd also and I still liked it better than the Lambros. Judd and Trudy make great playing cues. You think they play beneath a Lambros? Go tell Efren that and see what he says. Think he'll give up his Judd and start playing with a Lambros? Doubt it.
Alaskin Assasin said:
Play on a Capone is also solid. Again, I never said they didn't play well. I simply said that Capone cues don't play as well as, say, a Bluegrass or a Judd. Have I ever owned a Capone? No. Because based on the way they play (and yes I have played with Capones before) I don't want to spend my money on one. As far as point work goes, I suppose its ok. Personally, I don't like pencil thin veneers. It takes away from the point of a veneer which is to add an accent to the point. It is to set the point apart from the forearm and, when you can stack five veneers that equal 1/16 to 1/58 of an inch, you tend to lose the beauty of the veneer.
Alaskin Assasin said:
Owned one. Shot with one. One of the best cues i have ever owned and one of the only cues that I truly regret selling!!!
Alaskin Assasin said:
I never said that a Lambros plays too stiff. I don't mind stiff. That's why I loved my Bluegrass. It was stiff as hell.
Alaskin Assasin said:
You said quality twice. (sorry.
Couldn't resist.)Alaskin Assasin said:
Which one of these is not like the other??? Hmmm.... Good luck getting one? Check billiard warehouse every three to five weeks. He always stocks them.
Alaskin Assasin said:
You said quality twice... again!
Hello,
You know what, what we have here is a difference in opinions, and two people sold on different cue makers, and thats what keeps them in buisness. If every one wanted only a Lambros/Bluegrass, there wouldn't be others so I respect your decision to stand behind bluegrass.
I agree with Capones having too thin of veeners, and I think he is not the level of cuemaker of Lambros, Bluegrass. But what a cue anyway.
As for Efren playing with Judd, Remember Efren Reyes played about 20+ years with the same $15 cue made in the philo......if I know anything about what Efren likes in a cue it comes down to the shaft for him mostly, LONG TAPER, and a very dense heavy shaft. Efren has been experimenting with different cues, and tips for the past 6 years or so. He played forever with Elk master but decides to try medium tips for awhile. You know as well as I, Efren could take a Duffrin, or Schmelke, alter the shafts and play his game with it.
Yes, Lambros does sell to the billiard warehouse, and has had a great relationship with them since the begining of his career as a cuemaker. There are never very many at the billiard warehouse, don't know about the every 3-5 weeks?
And yes I know I said quality twice, it's #1 priority.
By the way I do think Lambros makes a better cue than Bluegrass, but if you were to ask me what I thought about his cues, without any of the conversation we're having, I would say his concentration on quality is superb, as is Lambros, Szamboti, Hercek. Now throw in Searing, Mottey, Tascarella, and Kersenbrock and were getting a list of who's who's.
Your opinion is well respected can't put down a fellow cue lover.
By the way, of the Blue Grasses you have shot with, what forearm wood(birdseye, cocobolo, ebony ext...) did you find had the best hit? I am an Ebony lover, and love the way ebony plays, I shot with a ebony bluegrass that was awsome, but then I shot with one with a Curly forearm and man it suprised me, just looking for your input.
Later
Bryan Fisher
Fisher Cues
You know what, what we have here is a difference in opinions, and two people sold on different cue makers, and thats what keeps them in buisness. If every one wanted only a Lambros/Bluegrass, there wouldn't be others so I respect your decision to stand behind bluegrass.
I agree with Capones having too thin of veeners, and I think he is not the level of cuemaker of Lambros, Bluegrass. But what a cue anyway.
As for Efren playing with Judd, Remember Efren Reyes played about 20+ years with the same $15 cue made in the philo......if I know anything about what Efren likes in a cue it comes down to the shaft for him mostly, LONG TAPER, and a very dense heavy shaft. Efren has been experimenting with different cues, and tips for the past 6 years or so. He played forever with Elk master but decides to try medium tips for awhile. You know as well as I, Efren could take a Duffrin, or Schmelke, alter the shafts and play his game with it.
Yes, Lambros does sell to the billiard warehouse, and has had a great relationship with them since the begining of his career as a cuemaker. There are never very many at the billiard warehouse, don't know about the every 3-5 weeks?
And yes I know I said quality twice, it's #1 priority.
By the way I do think Lambros makes a better cue than Bluegrass, but if you were to ask me what I thought about his cues, without any of the conversation we're having, I would say his concentration on quality is superb, as is Lambros, Szamboti, Hercek. Now throw in Searing, Mottey, Tascarella, and Kersenbrock and were getting a list of who's who's.
Your opinion is well respected can't put down a fellow cue lover.
By the way, of the Blue Grasses you have shot with, what forearm wood(birdseye, cocobolo, ebony ext...) did you find had the best hit? I am an Ebony lover, and love the way ebony plays, I shot with a ebony bluegrass that was awsome, but then I shot with one with a Curly forearm and man it suprised me, just looking for your input.
Later
Bryan Fisher
Fisher Cues
pharaoh68
Banned
Alaskin Assasin said:
God I love peaceful debates! Its so much nicer here than in the NPR forum!
Anyway, of the Bluegrasses I have either owned or shot with, the forearms were ALL maple. I have yet to have the luxury of playing with an ebony forearm Bluegrass.
I'll admit that Lambros cues do play very well but, as you said. Its a difference of opinion. Everybody has their own taste. Yours is Lambros. Mine is Richard Harris (well, actually Mottey but, man! I love Bluegrass!)
And as far as Judd goes, yes. Efren could shoot with a Dixon/Ticonderoga pencil and still beat most of us, but I value the opinion of a man who is arguably the best pool player of all time. Sure! He's played with Filipino unknowns but now, he's sold on Judd. Selling mine was a tough call but it helped me afford something else I was looking for so, it had to be done.
Anyway, I respect you opinion and have the utmost respect for you for respecting mine. As I said earlier, peaceful debates are so much more pleasant than the bickering that often goes on in some of these threads.
Take it easy Bryan,
-Brian