New player, cue advice needed

[fish2]

Weight bolts are commonly used since a cue maker cannot always get a customer’s targeted butt weight without one.
The task is to use the lightest weight bolt & to make it headless with a cored butt to allow positioning the weight bolt.

As long as the weight bolts are installed while the cue is being built and making sure it does not screw up the balance, I am good with that. Should have made myself clear that I was referring to weight bolts that are added at the bottom of the butt to achieved a certain weight like most production cues, while it does correct one requirement of the cue, it screws up the balance for me.

 

[mattydrva]

Best bang for the buck is a Schmelke.

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I couldn't agree more. A custom made Schmelke was my first and probably last cue I'll buy. Great value. Great company. Hard to go wrong with a Schmelke. When ordering you can specify weight, shaft diameter, joint type, tip and length. I ordered a 60" which fits my long arms quite well. I occasionally ponder "upgrading" to a fancier cue when my skill level warrants it but would only be fooling myself and uselessly draining my checking account to do so.

 

[xX-Wizard-Xx]

i recommend starting off strong and wasting a ton of money on a southwest .... this way you get a good shaft .. haha

 

[measureman]

I couldn't agree more. A custom made Schmelke was my first and probably last cue I'll buy. Great value. Great company. Hard to go wrong with a Schmelke. When ordering you can specify weight, shaft diameter, joint type, tip and length. I ordered a 60" which fits my long arms quite well. I occasionally ponder "upgrading" to a fancier cue when my skill level warrants it but would only be fooling myself and uselessly draining my checking account to do so.

I have a $231 Schmelke and a $1000 Troy Downey cue and I play the same with both cues.

 

[SSP]

Started with my first league with a friend and I’m now hooked but I was borrowing his Dufferin 19oz and I need something of my own now. I like the weight, tried a Lucasi 19oz Rival series LHRV and I liked the rubberized grip but it has a more slender low deflection tip which I’m unsure about. Wondering if there are other starter cue recommendations and if the rubber grip will hold up over time compared to no grip or linen wrap etc. budget limit around 1K but would like to leave some room to get a break cue as well.

Thanks,
D

IMHO a $1000 cue to start is too much, you don't know what you are looking for in terms of how it feels to you yet, I would start with a known entry level cue from McDermott, Cuetec, Viking ect and play with it for at least 6 months, in that time ask other players to test hit their cue and compare it to what it feels like compared to yours, in 6 months time you will get an idea what you like about your cue and what you don't, now you can make a better informed decision on what YOU want in your cue, if you get a McDermott you get a lifetime warranty on warpage, change weight bolts and shaft and turn that cue into your break cue, remember no one else has YOUR stroke, your arm length, your height ect. hope this helps, Welcome to the game that will drive you nuts...If you are not already there.