Open letter to bob meucci

[JAM]

You are reading me right Mr B. There is nothing that I would like more than to see Bob Meucci back on top of the pile again.

I think that I know him well enough to know that his 'art' is more important than his 'trade' to him.

I have been singing the praises of his earlier work. Probably to such an extent that I am still getting frequent enquiries from league standard players who want one.
But I am reluctant to supply them the current product because I don't want to get caught up in any after sales hassle for the low margins that I would make on a sale.

I once went with Bob to see a UK cue maker. During the meeting he convinced a guy who had more than 20 years experience manufacturing snooker cues that his method of cutting timber was wrong. It was a joy to listen to his spiel and they adopted the Meucci method.

The brand profile in the late 80s has never been matched with Jeans commercials and features in lifestyle magazines. His publicity material and point of sale literature was classic. If he had channeled some of that panache into promoting the game itself then we would be a lot further forward than we are.

People should know and understand that. Which is the reason that I posted the thread.

An old road dog named Geese that I used to run with shot with a Meucci in the '70s and '80s. He loved his cue and called it the "Black Ghost."

Players from this era used a ton of english on their shots, much more so than today's tournament soldiers, IMO. Geese's best game was one-pocket, and he used to bank like there was no tomorrow.

I was told that the old Meuccis had a lot of "whip" to them, and the players who do use english a lot may benefit from this so-called "whip."

Of course, today there is new equipment on the market with a variety of tips and materials used in making cues. Many regular pool players today, as an example, enjoy shooting with the Predator shafts, which are supposed to eliminate squirt, but some of the older players who do use a ton of english on their shots do not seem to benefit from the Predator shafts because of their shooting style.

Different strokes for different folks, as they say! :grin-square:

The old Meuccis were some of the best; that's for sure. At that time, they were the favorite of many a player.

 

[neilhin]

Something about a Meucci

I have about 40 cues in my personal collection. They are all fairly high end (Schon, Predator LEs and SEs, Joss, Jacoby, Viking, McDermott, Samsara, Carmelli, CC, several Titlists, etc, etc.)

For me, the cue that has the best combination of weight, balance, feel and hit is my Meucci 'Jim Rempe' from the '80s. Amazingly, the shaft has better "low deflection" characteristics than most of my other, newer shafts as well!

With the plethora of cuemakers out there you'd think that there there would be something out there that outperforms this old cue. I haven't found anything yet. Bob had his own ideas about cuemaking but I believe he knew exactly what he was doing.

 

[ShootingArts]

Great to hear from Debbie Meucci!

Great to read the post from Debbie Meucci weighing in on this old thread. I'm in a posting mood this morning so I'll tell my Meucci story too.

I got mine in the early eighties after ten years playing with house cues. It played differently to put it mildly! For six months after I bought it I would fling it in a corner when I was playing poorly in a match up or tournament and snatch a cue off the wall to the vast amusement of the folks watching. "Moochies" were held in high esteem in Louisiana. I did finally get used to shooting with that Meucci shaft and when I did it could make a cue ball walk and talk.

I took my break from pool a few years after buying the Meucci and when I gave it to a coworker ten years later it was still perfect despite not having the best of care over that period. Needless to say I have regretted giving the cue away many a time after returning to pool.

Hu

 

[FullTilt151]

I worked at Meucci for about 3 years back when I was around 21 in Olive Branch. I met Bob a couple times and he seemed like a no bullshit kinda guy (to us guys in the shop anyways). I remember being blown away by how much work went into making a pool cue. My step dad and brothers all played pool, growing up we had a table in the living room.

I ended up running a pantagraph machine, doing all the inlays, it was interesting. I followed them down to Sledge, MS while I was going to college near there, but I quit after a while and went to work at a casino.

Good group of people there. I wonder if 'Rock' 'Amp' and 'Rambro' are still around???

I remember Bob's son blaring the Star Wars theme music in the parking lot on our smoke breaks. heh.

 

[sydbarret]

meuccies are the anti predator

I'm playing with a meucci right now that was made to play. Probably one of the better playing ones you will ever come across. It's probably from the early 90's.

Only problem is the shafts are a little too thin. If I could ever get my hands on 2 new 12.8/13 shafts cut like these 2, forget it.

If you don't get meuccies you're not doing it right imo.

 

[DallasHopps]

The first cue I bought that didn't come from Wal-mart or Sears, incidentally the first I bought after the age of 16 and knew a little better, was a Meucci Originals cue that I found in a pawn shop. I had been reading online trying to find which brands were decent, and somebody in one of the articles held Meucci in very high esteem. That same cue, today, I would pass on. But then, I bought it for double what I'd consider paying today because of the name and somebody's opinion. I've bought and sold close to 10 more since then, and all but one have been great. The flaws I've found in brand new cues make me really disappointed... especially in limited editions where it's obviously due to lazy QA (on a Bob Meucci Customs Casino cue, the number "2" dice on the shaft was made as a "3"... instead of scrapping that shaft ring, they colored in the middle dot and Bam!... now it's a 2... unless you can see). And that first old Meucci that I grew to love? I sent it in to get refinished... 10 months later it came back in "eh" condition with a replaced butt sleeve that was not color matched very well. More of the same from a company that I know can do better- and with my "battered woman's syndrome" I keep hoping they'll change.

 

[pro9dg]

Hey Doug,
I am Bob Meucci's oldest daughter Debbie. I can tell you have met my big loveable Dad. He always steals a crowd no matter wear he goes. There is actually a reason for the Hawain shirts and shorts. He is very warm natured growing up poor outside of Chicago and sleeping in the unheated garage. He wears shorts in the winter.LOL Not many people really know about the rough beginnings in the basement at Bensinger's in Chacago where the son of a machinist who loved to do a little hustleing started trying his hand at custom pool cues. The big man also has a very big heart. I remember Mom & Dad bringing home homeless people even when we didn't have much ourselves. Dad went from the shop in the basement of Bensinger's (late 60's) to work for a cuemaker that said he would make him a partner. The man got him to set up machines and design cues then left him high and dry and backed out of his original deal. Eventually a man asked Dad to move to Memphis, TN and start a cue company with him. We got moved and the man didn't go forward with the deal. It was around Christmas and we were pennyless but the Lord provided. Dad was a guardian for a man who had just won big and he even found a $100. bill in a mud puddle. Shortly after Christmas 1975 2 investors @ only $5,000 each and Meucci Originals was born. Dad also use to do Elvis impersonations at the tournaments (including Lake Tahoe) and staked a few players back then. I can't really go threw the whole life story here but I suggested Dad put it on his website. I think, as one of the people on this website said, Dad still has some fight in him and I wouldn't be surprised to see some exciting new things happening. Dad still doesn't like computers but I read your letter to Dad over the phone and e-mailed a link to all the comments to the office. Warm wishes, Debbie

Hi Debbie
I am so sorry that I did not see your post from back in February. But I was in the Emirates during most of that month doing qualifiers and PR work on the World 8 Ball Championship and never went near these forums.
I loved reading your letter and I do agree that the life story of such a significant figure in our industry cries out to be chronicled for posterity.

I hope when you read my original post out to him that he was not offended by what I had written. I was a sincere compliment to a respected old friend. But I hoped that it would galvanise him to repair the loss of reputation that seemed to blight the Meucci name in recent times.

Your father is a great man and I miss seeing him.

I have some great pictures of him with Prince Billah. If I can get my friend JAM to give me a tutorial on how to post them on this site then I will happily share them with you and the world of AZ.

Give him my regards when you next talk to him.

Doug Gordon


I do have some mega mega stories about the Big Man in my own autobiography.

 

[M HOUSE]

Not so sure your right about this one

"Those players were all paid to play with that cue."
Bob refused to pay anyone to play with his cues and Earl won a LOT of tournaments back in the day with his.

One day back in the early '80s I stopped by the factory in Olive Branch, Ms. The fellow that met me at the front door seemed overly friendly and took me straight back to Bob's office. He asked if he could get me anything to drink and then he left the room. There was a table right there in the office so I killed some time by hitting some balls. When the worker finally came back he told me that he just spoke with Bob on the phone and that Bob would be running a little late. He added that Bob said that if I was in a hurry I could just sign the contract and leave it on the desk, as he handed me this several pages thick document. It was at this point that I found out why I had received the Royal treatment. Turns out that I just happened to show up on the same day that Earl was due in to sign his deal with the company, and this worker thought I was Earl.

Now I didn't read the contract, but I suspect there would have been far less paperwork if the deal had only involved some free cues.

 

[bklynjava]

I see the thread has some older posts from 4/29 But after reading most of it, all I have to say is I love my Meucci's...