Mr. Bautista,
Thank you for this thread and the opportunities it will provide.
Your question suggests that cues fall into one of two categories, Players and Show Pieces. I tend to agree with this though some cues can do both equally well.
I think the category would be defined by the 'intent'. The intent of the builder and the intent of the buyer.
I believe that some cues, particularly today, are built solely for the purpose of being Show Pieces. They are built in much the same manner as any other cue and therefore should have certain play characteristics, had they been born as a Player. Therefore, we have the intent. Is the cue being conceived as a Player or as a Show Piece?
The advent of CNC has made possible, insanely intricate designs combined with symmetrical alignments within .001". For intended Show Pieces, CNC has become the artist's paint brush and the cue the canvas. Add a 5 figure price-tag and you can pretty much guarantee that this cue will not be played. It has become an intended Show Piece.
I see nothing wrong with this as we have a segment of the buying public that buys Show Piece cues in much the same way as they would buy any other form of art.
They are referred to as collectors. For them, the cue is an investment and a source of pride. The cue should realize an easy life as it's only activity will be that of occasionally being released from it's glass confinement for the purpose of the proverbial 'test-hit'.
The other category is the Player. It was conceived with one thought in mind; to play 'lights-out'. It's life will not be so easy, it's expected to perform.
These are the cues that I strive to build, the cues of my intent. Performance is priority. If some of my creations happen to have visual appeal, so much the better, that's the gravy, though I doubt that many builders set out to build cues with 'ugly' as the 'intent'. The builders of Player cues are also artists. Their art shines in the way the cue performs at the table. In the hands of an accomplished and skilled player, the cue becomes the compliment to the player's talent, the highly sought after 'magic wand'. The key-word here being 'compliment'.
I believe a Players cue has character and a personality. It is a living, breathing entity. It knows it's purpose in life and will give you it's all if you know how to talk to it, much like a good horse or a good dog. The cue wants to perform, that's what it's built to do. It wants to run like a Thoughbred with the right player at the reins. It has spirit and character, the stuff great playing cues are known for and made of.
I mentioned the 5 figure price-tag. No doubt, that's a lucrative market.
But that's not why I build cues. I don't need the money. My reward comes when players, whose game I'm totally in awe of, come back to me and say, "man, you build an incredible playing cue". I don't build cues for collectors.
