OB shaft taper confusion...help :)

I haven't played with one but am interested in OB to swap out from my predator. I'm curious how much he was asking for the demo classic

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I have 2 OB Pro Shafts & an OB Classic.

Other than the different color of some of the wood laminations, all 3 of mine are fine.

I clean them with just a touch of spray car cleaner that has cunnuba wax in it & then burnish them with brown paper bag paper.

I very good player in my area just last Friday commented how smooth my shaft was compared to his Predator Z2 Shaft.

I also have a McDermott i2 shaft & that may be the way you might want to go. It squirts a bit more than the OB Classic but I think it feels more like a regular maple...because basically it is, just cored out & a carbon fiber tube inserted. It has a longer 'Pro' taper than the the Classic.

Anyway, Good Luck with whatever you decide.

Keep in mind that a different tip on a shaft can change the feel of the hit & actually the hit itself.
 
john coloccia said:
Thanks! How do you think the I2 plays compared to a traditional maple shaft? I saw some test Select Billiards did, and it doesn't seem any better than maple at all...maybe even worse. It definitely seemed worse than the GCore the guy demoed too. Maybe it's just not a good test? I'm pretty sure I've never had to adjust my aim 3 inches to make a shot, but maybe I'm wrong. Yeah, the I2 is a definite consideration, but like everything else, it seems impossible to get my hands on one. Ditto for Mezz. Would love to try one, but where?
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Like I said, I think it squirts more than the OB Classic, but it squirts considerably less than the maple shafts that I've had & as far as I know it has always squirted less than any stock G-Core. There have been some smaller diameter G-Cores that have competed, but then it was not apples to apples.

I picked up both the Classic & the i2 slightly used for about 1/2 price from a member here. I think I have a PM from him still on file. I'll see.

Nope but I think it was ME007 or NME007.
 
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john coloccia said:
I'm not sure it's for sale. I didn't ask because I had planned on buying an OB cue with a classic shaft. It was Encore Billiards in Milford, CT. They were very nice and accommodating, by the way. The shaft itself was very straight and there was nothing about it that your local cue builder couldn't just sand out. The hit really was very nice mounted on one of my old McD. Incidentally, it rolled straight as a pin when I mounted it. Maybe I just got lucky because I know a lot of old McDermotts don't roll straight unless the shaft is matched up.
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Cool, thanks

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John,

The OB-1 and OB Classic tapers are identical. If they felt different to you then it is possible that the dealer you were at may have cleaned (sanded) one or more of the demos and possibly altered the taper somewhat.

With that said, here is what I would like to suggest. If the dealer you went to did not have plus shaft demos or had demos that were not quite up to par, then I will be happy to have a new set of demos sent out to that dealer next week. That way, you can go back there and be potentially be the first person to try out those shafts straight from the factory. Just like you would be if you bought a new one.

Hopefully this will give you a better impression of our products and will convince you to buy one of our shafts. At the very least, you may have a better experience with our brand, even if you don't buy one.

If you plan on going back there to give it one more shot, send me an email at shane@obcues.com and remind me so when I am back in the office on Monday I will make sure the new demos get sent out.

Let me know if you have any questions.
 
john coloccia said:
Those squirt test videos must be completely screwed up then. If I find them, I'll post them here. It's the only comparisons I'm able to find on those McD shafts, so it's all I have to go on. I did play a GCore and I thought it felt mushy, but that's just my opinion. Some others have told me they think it feels firm. LOL...we can't make up our minds. :)
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Well, I've played regular maple with soft tips for more than 4 decades & the i2 came with a medium. I think it was an Everest or maybe a Talisman & I would not call it mushy.

It hit more firm than I was use to. As I said, a tip between the ball & the shaft can certainly change things.

I think too many times individuals make definitive statements & are not comparing apples to apples.

If I had to choice between a G-Core & the i2, I'd go with the i2.

That said, it retails for about twice the price.

See if you can find & contact that NME007 guy. He had a contact to getting demo shafts & trade in shafts.

Back to the OBs. I really like my OB Pro Shafts, but I grew up with the European/Conical taper at 13 mm. So the 11.75 mm Conical taper is nothing to me. Keep in mind that the smaller diameter does not 'grab'... or tighten up until farther up than a 12.75 mm would. I actually like it tightening up naturally at contact.

Good Luck.
 
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shanesinnott said:
John,

The OB-1 and OB Classic tapers are identical. If they felt different to you then it is possible that the dealer you were at may have cleaned (sanded) one or more of the demos and possibly altered the taper somewhat.

With that said, here is what I would like to suggest. If the dealer you went to did not have plus shaft demos or had demos that were not quite up to par, then I will be happy to have a new set of demos sent out to that dealer next week. That way, you can go back there and be potentially be the first person to try out those shafts straight from the factory. Just like you would be if you bought a new one.

Hopefully this will give you a better impression of our products and will convince you to buy one of our shafts. At the very least, you may have a better experience with our brand, even if you don't buy one.

If you plan on going back there to give it one more shot, send me an email at shane@obcues.com and remind me so when I am back in the office on Monday I will make sure the new demos get sent out.

Let me know if you have any questions.
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This is another reason I like my 3 OB shafts even though I have had no cause or reason to need such...

AND they are right here in the USA.

My condolences for the loss of your Colleague.
 
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john coloccia said:
Thanks, Shane. I'm over 1 hour away so it's not easy for me to get out there to try one (business, twin 2 year old girls...yikes!). That said, I definitely don't have a bad impression. In fact, I have a good impression. I called your guys a couple of times today asking dumb question, and whoever I spoke to was very helpful and patient!

I've tried some other highly regarded low deflection shafts recently and none made it past more than a few strokes before it was obvious I would never be happy with them. In contrast, I spent a good 30 minutes playing with the Classic and OB1. The OB1 is not for me because it's a soft hit, but I'm sure the guys who like that will love it. Like I said, I basically started this thread because I really want to fall in love with the classic and I'm hoping there's just something wrong with that shaft I tried. While I didn't really notice much difference in deflection, I'm assuming that whatever mechanism my brain is using to compensate for it has just gotten good at it's job and adjusts automatically after a few shots. I did notice I was more accurate, though, probably because it's more forgiving if I accidentally add a bit of english.

If I can find another time to get out there, I'll surely let you know. It took me 2 weeks to find a couple of hours where I could get the stars to align and sneak out for a bit. Twins are a lot of work, Shane!
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I 'baby' sit my 2 year old Grandson a couple of times a week & there's barely a minutes rest & that is only when he takes a nap.

As to the squirt, I adjusted very quickly to the reduced squirt when playing with the OB Classic. If you're use to using english & not BHE at the pivot point of the cue, I think we are very use to making various adjustments very quickly because of conditions, speed of shot, etc.

That said it took me about 4 good sessions to get completely comfortable with it for ALL shots.

I did my own squirt tests for the i2, the OB Classic, & a juiced, sanded down 314 CAT.

The modified CAT is ridiculously low squirt but whippy, the OB Classic defeinitely squirts less than the i2 & that was both at 12.75 mm BUT with different tips. The OB had a Kamui Super Soft & the i2 had that medium.

I think you would be happy with the OB Classic if you keep it clean & burnish it with the brown paper. That said, I think you might like the i2 as well.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know of no reason NOT to go with the OB Classic.

Best Wishes,
Rick

PS Congratulations on the Twins. My oldest Son is married to a Twin & She is expecting to deliver my 2nd. Grandchild in March, ONE of a gender that we do not know.
 
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John, I own the OB+1, and what you said resonates with my experience as far as the hit and feel of the shaft.

Have been using a Kamui Black SS with the OB+1, and yes the hit is a little soft, especially if you are not used to it. A friend just put the Zan Hybrid Max on his OB+1 and he loves the way it hits now. Grabs the cue ball like a softer tip, but has that firmer hit that many appreciate. He let me hit with his cue for about 10 minutes a week ago; will be switching to that tip as soon as soon it arrives. Hoping in the future that OB will offer that tip from the factory.

My point is do not make any conclusions until you know the combo of tip/shaft you were hitting with.

The shaft finish does seem a little rough out of the box. As English has been saying, a little burnishing and wax (my preference) cleans it up quite nicely.

OB's Lifetime warranty and customer service can't be beat.

English...your absence from the aiming forum has turned that place into a ghost town. Miss the battles over there. You're killing Ekkes; he needs the traffic to sell SAMBA.
 
john coloccia said:
I'm not the only one confused: Posts #12, #13 and #14.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=201925

We didn't know the genders either. In fact, pretty much everything that happened starting around 8:00pm that night was quite a surprise!
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I have no experience with an OB-1, so I can say anything about them other that I would think that the hit & feel should be different as the construction has some differences.

I just never liked the the look of the wood ring ferrule nor the though of of foam fill in the cue... but that's just me.

Good Luck with getting to the dealer to give them try. Hell, take the twins on a field trip.

Best 2 Ya,
Rick
 
WGDave said:
John, I own the OB+1, and what you said resonates with my experience as far as the hit and feel of the shaft.

Have been using a Kamui Black SS with the OB+1, and yes the hit is a little soft, especially if you are not used to it. A friend just put the Zan Hybrid Max on his OB+1 and he loves the way it hits now. Grabs the cue ball like a softer tip, but has that firmer hit that many appreciate. He let me hit with his cue for about 10 minutes a week ago; will be switching to that tip as soon as soon it arrives. Hoping in the future that OB will offer that tip from the factory.

My point is do not make any conclusions until you know the combo of tip/shaft you were hitting with.

The shaft finish does seem a little rough out of the box. As English has been saying, a little burnishing and wax (my preference) cleans it up quite nicely.

OB's Lifetime warranty and customer service can't be beat.

English...your absence from the aiming forum has turned that place into a ghost town. Miss the battles over there. You're killing Ekkes; he needs the traffic to sell SAMBA.
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But it's harmonious with no discussion & that seems to be what is desired.

If Mr. Ekkes wants traffic, then he only has to say something controversial about SAMBA. :wink:

Somehow I don't see that coming from him.
 
ENGLISH! said:
But it's harmonious with no discussion & that seems to be what is desired.

If Mr. Ekkes wants traffic, then he only has to say something controversial about SAMBA. :wink:

Somehow I don't see that coming from him.
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Harmonious=Boring

Boring=Less eyes on the ads

Less eyes on the ads=Less revenue for AZB

I'd even bet that Stan's Pro One system's sales have suffered with all the harmony. Yourself and a few others were his biggest sales force.

Out of sight, out of mind. Ask JB about that approach.
 
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