This is the cue that started my new obsession about 6 weeks ago. I am just amazed at the quality and the finish. Had always had really nice Mcdermotts before this. To be completely honest I don't seem to play any better with a custom cue.
I own a nice older Schon cue and 2 well recognized custom cues and they all have 5/16x14 ss joints. I have predator shafts for my custom cues with the ring work matched to the cues and a predator shaft for my Schon and honestly I play just as well with my Schon as I do with the custom cues. One thing I've noticed is I don't worry about something happening to the Schon while i'm playing like I do with the more expensive cues. I've told myself that if I get a nick or scratch in the finish of the custom cues it can be fixed, but I still have that feeling that I need to be more careful and it seems to make a difference in my game. Maybe it's just me, but the Schon cue plays nice and it's fun to play with.