Minimal price for the best cue possible?

[3kushn]

I own several basic cues from well known respected cuemakers that were significantly below $1,000.

These are cuemakers regularly produce custom cues in the thousands of dollars.

OK?? You're saying your guys don't charge as much as mine. And that means what? A cue can be had for less than a grand?

Yep sure can. I agree.

 

[hang-the-9]

I like all the answers I received so far, bit I was indeed referring to best possible performance and technology currently in existence. I didn't ask which cues are good but cheap, I asked which cue is absolutely the best, performance-wise, and how much it would cost.

But I'm still talking about cues where you pay entirely for quality, without spending additional thousands on looks and expensive but otherwise useless materials, like those 6000-7000$ cues, or the Intimidator for example.

There is no best technology of a cue, a cue needs to match how the player hits not just meet some arbitrary standard. I could play great with a cheap house cue and not make a ball with a $200 shaft.

Technology in cues is called wood and leather, we're not talking about a tablet with the fastest CPU where you can compare it with another one with a benchmark. You can compare cues all day long but that all goes out the window the second a real person uses it.

It's like asking which beer uses the most technology in making it and picking one based on that. Bud Light may have 40 scientists and million dollar building making it, but people that really like beer will rate it very low compared to many that are made by 3 guys in a barn somewhere.

You may as well ask what is the best season. Sure summer is nice, but not if you are a pro skier or like to drive your convertible in Maine and look at fall leaves. Just because you can point to a cue and say that is has 14 different features like aluminum bracing around a carbon fiber center with a hollow gold ferrule does not mean that it will be better than one that is just wood and a tip.

 

[Thomas McKane]

It's like asking which beer uses the most technology in making it and picking one based on that. Bud Light may have 40 scientists and million dollar building making it, but people that really like beer will rate it very low compared to many that are made by 3 guys in a barn somewhere.

This had me rolling on the floor laughing, amen brother!

 

[Catamount]

My best answer to the OPs question is an OB cue. Specifically, models 122-129 in their 2012 line. For around $400, you get a choice of four different top notch LD shafts, and a custom quality butt. The butt has a full length maple core, 3/8 x 10 pin, flat faced wood-to-wood joint, and OB's Centralized Balance System. All of this adds up to a cue with great balance, feel and playability.

 

[hang-the-9]

This had me rolling on the floor laughing, amen brother!

Thanks :grin:

Funny part is that the made in a barn by 3 guys is literally true, they are in NY that my wife and I go to had a brewery we visited http://www.butternutsbeerandale.com/

Walk into a barn, they have the brewery on the left, counter on the right. They ran out of what I wanted and the guy just walked over to the brewery side and picked me up a few cans right off the line LOL

 

[DJSTEVEZ]

Some of the responses in this thread are a real "I thought it was just me" experience.
My cues range from an entry level Cuetec to a Tim Scruggs Brunswick-Willie Hoppe conversion. The cue that hands down, hit the best and with which I have played the best is a green label Dufferin Sneaky Pete.

Folks in the know that I have spoken to about this speculate the difference that accounts for this is the dramatically larger amount of wood-to-wood contact of the this particular sneaky pete as opposed to a conventional cue.

Currently I play with a Lucasi Hybrid. It took a while to make the transition to the stiffness of the bonded shaft, but now that I have I like it a lot.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

Some of the responses in this thread are a real "I thought it was just me" experience.
My cues range from an entry level Cuetec to a Tim Scruggs Brunswick-Willie Hoppe conversion. The cue that hands down, hit the best and with which I have played the best is a green label Dufferin Sneaky Pete.

Folks in the know that I have spoken to about this speculate the difference that accounts for this is the dramatically larger amount of wood-to-wood contact of the this particular sneaky pete as opposed to a conventional cue.

Currently I play with a Lucasi Hybrid. It took a while to make the transition to the stiffness of the bonded shaft, but now that I have I like it a lot.

Since the Scruggs is now third in your stable ship it to me so I can take it off your hands.