Pechauer Question&Cue/Shaft Recommendation

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el_h3fe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey guys I have a few questions (some of which will be very broad and have alot of answers) but I need some opinions and I need them quickly. I picked a pool cue for the first time a year ago and just joined an APA 9-ball league. Its probably important to point out that I am currently a 5. I've got pretty good ball control for only playing a year but always played with mediocre cue. Recently I decided that I need to take it to the next level because I can now feel the difference in deflection, ferrule and tips between cheaper cues vs. better quality.

So, I invested in a Pechauer JP-19L cue with the stock shaft. Here is a link to the picture, description and material: http://www.cheapcues.com/Pechauer_Pool_Cues_JP19-L.asp
I paid 450.00 for it. My price range is 400-500 which I figured was not that bad for someone at my skill-level considering when you start paying more than that its for inlays and exotic woods etc...

This brings me to my first question... What is your overall opinion on Pechauer? Namely... What is your opinion of their shafts? Most of the people that play a Pechauer do not use the stock shaft... They have changed it out with a Predator 314 2nd gen. shaft (I believe). I am worried that I may have rushed into buying this one a bit too fast. I did search for a month before making the decision but my worries are that the standard Pechauer shaft is not a technology shaft and it just seems like their shafts are not going to hold up or play nearly as well some of the technology shafts out there like the 314, Vikings V-Pro, the G-Core or anything else like that and considering the shaft is prices around the same as those shafts that it may not be worth it.

My second question is this... If I decided to send this Pechauer back (which I can do because I have 30 days to send it back which is coming up soon which is why I asked for quick responses :) ) what cue company recommendation would you guys make for someone like me with my skill level and my price range. One big reason that I went with the Pechauer is that even though they aren't the best shafts, everyone that plays them likes them and they have the lifetime warranty including warpage.

Its not an absolute necessity because if I get the right cue with the right shaft, I should be good for a very very long time but having the warranty is nice. I am not biased toward any cuemaker and thats mostly because I have not played long enough to try them all out. I have heard good and bad things about Viking for example but if the recommendations I get from here say they are god based on your own experiences, I am open to get one.

I need to start somewhere and eventually will upgrade and go with a custom cue maker but I am not there yet and I do not knoe what exact specs I would want for myself and I think the best route for me is to go with what people have played with and had the best experiences with. I am sorry for the very long post but I felt it necessary to go into detail about what I have, what I know and what I want.

Absolutely ANY input about Pechauer cues and/or experiences with any other cue makers is greatly appreciated. If I didn't include something, let me know and I will be more than happy to answer questions. Thanks so much in advance for the help!
 
Pechauer is a very good cue, you didn't make a bad choice.

The shafts are top quality as well. The wood on mine has some of the straightest grain from top to bottom that I have ever seen with a high growth ring count as well.

Past there it's simply preference. The Pechauer hit is stiffer than I like, but most people seem to prefer pretty stiff cues. I also like a cue longer than 58". Those are the two reasons alone that I play with a different cue.

All that being said, you should return the cue if it doesn't feel good to you, or you're having trouble with it. Don't return it because of other's opinions especially if you play well with it and it feels good in your hands.
 
I appreciate your feedback. I definitely agree that they are very stiff hitting cues. I am not basing my decision solely on the opinions of other people, trust me. I am just wondering what everyone elses preference is. The thing is that I have not come to a point where I have said "Hey... I prefer this brand/type of cue above all others and will only ever play with this type of cue." As of right now, there are quite a few cue makers that actually feel good to me. I could narrow it down to some of the brands that I have shot with and liked alot if that helps but I definitely want and NEED the feedback of others players to know which shafts and cue makers are ideal overall for alot of people.

I've played with Viking, McDermott, Pechauer, Predator and loved them all. I've only played with a Joss cue one time but I did like it. It was actually similar feeling to the PEchauer I shoot with now. Never had much chance to shoot with Lucasi or Meucci but I've heard good things about them all and thats why I'd love to hear some more feedback.

Thanks alot for the feedback you've provided though, angldemn. It certainly helps to know that about Pechauer shafts. I've had alot of trouble finding alot of reviews and info on Pechauer shafts and exactly how they are made whereas Viking and Mcdermott and Lucasi and Predator all have graphs, pictures and entire reviews on how their cues are made, what technology they are utilizing and what makes it worthwhile.

Also, does anyone know why there aren't alot of people using Pechauer shafts and why when I look on here and google it, I have alot of trouble finding information about Pechauer shafts. Why are they so scarcely used? Is it because they do not mass produce like McDermott, Viking etc... and focus more on the quality of the cue which causes less production or is it something else?

Again, thanks to everyone in advance for the feedback!
 
Just in case you hadn't seen this about the construction of Pechauers:
http://www.pechauer.com/article.php?article_id=3
http://www.pechauer.com/article.php?article_id=5

As far as low deflection shafts are concerned. You can find an litany of arguing about them on here. Here are points of info and my opinions on them.

1. Low deflection shafts reduce deflection by about 30%, they are not zero deflection shafts. Furthermore it will augment the effects of swerve. If you play like they are zero deflection you will probably play better than with a normal shaft. But, to really play top notch you need to learn to compensate for English effects with any shaft you use.

2. You will get way better feedback and feel from a high quality solid maple shaft than any low deflection shaft.

3. Top players were recently polled on here for preference of low deflection vs regular shafts. The results were 50/50; neither one is a bad option.

Personally, I feel in the long run regular shafts will help you become a better player. I also think you need to find a cue that fits just like you need to find a shoe that fits. Pechauer is a great choice for quality, but it's up to you to decide if it's the right cue for you.

If you'll excuse me now, I'm going to hit a bunker while the sh1t storm of arguments about this begins.
 
Pechauers are solid well made cues. The shaft that comes with it is just fine.
It sounds like you are starting to drive yourself nuts over this cue purchase.
Just play with it and stop worrying about it.
Also that is a sharp looking cue. Enjoy and relax.
:welcome:
 
i agree with everything already posted here. pechauer is a great cue for the money. all their cues are made the same - you really are paying for the joint and ornamentation. you can't go wrong with any pechauer.

i use the stock shaft. again, as already posted here, this is more a personal feel. there is nothing wrong with a stock pechauer shaft.

pechauer is the only cue i shoot with and i recommend them all the time. this forum is full of high end players and custom cues hence why i think pechauer isn't mentioned as much here.
 
My buddy shoots a Pechauer and it feels very similar to my Schon. They both have a pretty hard tip. I bought my Schon with the 314-2 and after a year added the standard Schon shaft with ivory ferrule. It hit to hard for me. I changed the tip to a Kamui black soft. It is now my favorite shaft. I'll put on a Kamui tip on the 314 some day, but now it's just a spare.

Not a damn thing wrong with the old standard solid maple shafts. Better players than anyone on here played them and set records that will never be matched.

BTW, marketing, either giving shafts or paying money to use a given product has an awful lot to do with it. Just look at the hype over some custom cues here on this forum. Do you really think waiting five years and paying $5,000 for a stick will make you better?
 
Quit worrying about your cue purchase. Pechauer is a great cue compay. That make a solid quality cue, and there is nothing wrong with any of their
standard shafts. Solid maple shafts have been around for a very long time. Every player that plays with a standard shaft naturally learns to adjust to whatever deflection occurs from the shaft. Thats a matter of time. Stick with your cue and shaft. The best thing you can do to improve how your cue feels, is experiment with different tips. That alone can make a big difference in how you play with your cue.
 
I've had a Pechauer shooting cue, jump cue, and breaking cue. I've liked all three. They make a quality cue. I liked their cues so much, I purchased one for my father for Christmas. He loves it.
 
I really appreciate all of the feedback from everyone. I never thought that the cue was a BAD one to purchase... I was just more worried about whether or not it was the RIGHT one for me. I just felt that I didn't research other cues as well as I should have and the biggest thing was that I wasn't sure that a regular maple shaft was not going to hold up or perform like a technology g-core or 314-2 etc...

One other question... Other than due to personal preference... If Pechauer shafts are perfectly fine and hold up as far as durability and playability... Why is it that I see a ton of people that bought a Pechauer went with 314-2 predator shaft. Its more expensive but it is a "technology" shaft. I guess I just don't understand why if a regular maple shaft from Pechauer is just as good as the other shafts... Why do they take so much time developing the g-core for instance which they brag has the carbon fiber core at the top of the shaft to help prevent distortion and vibration etc...

Not trying to bother you guys with these questions as I'm sure they've been answered before but I just want to have them answered so that I can determine which route I want to take. The Pechauer shaft that I have does hit well and it performs but I just can't help but ask since I hear about people changing them out all the time. Maybe its just because they see that all this time and science is put into developing these shafts and they think that its going to help them perform better and since the Pechauer shaft isn't utilizing all this technology they feel that its going to be inferior...
 
Have you considered keeping the Pechauer and purchasing a Predator shaft to match it on a later date if you wish? Kind of the best of both worlds if you wish to experiment a little. There is no right or wrong answer as others have alluded to because everything is personal preferance. I've actually thought about purchasing a Pechauer plus a matching Predator shaft instead of a Predator cue because a) I like the balance of the Pechauer/predator shaft combination better than the Predator butt with the Predator shaft. b) I like the quality of Pechauer better (and the designs). C) should a problem arise because of say a manufacturing defect, I think it would probably be much easier to deal with a cue maker here in the states rather than overseas such as as predator.
 
I definitely agree. Thats one of the very big reasons that I went with the Pechauer cure because they have a lifetime warranty including shaft warpage. And yes, I have considered a predator shaft for the cue and thats half the reason that I've been asking all of these questions because I am thinking of doing that and wanted to get opinions on shafts because I wanted to make sure I wasn't pointlessly spending money on a predator shaft if it wasn't going to make much difference.

Thanks alot to everyone for the information. I really appreciate it and it helps to put my mind at ease that I haven't made a mistake. I guess maybe its time I just shut up and get used to the cue and if its not what I wanted or I come across something that fits me and feels alot better I'll get rid of it and try that one until I find what it is that I'm looking for.

If anyone else has any insight they wanna post, please feel free. Theres been alot of info posted here but I'd love to hear some more from anyone who has an opinion they'd like to share.
 
measureman said:
Pechauers are solid well made cues. The shaft that comes with it is just fine.
It sounds like you are starting to drive yourself nuts over this cue purchase.
Just play with it and stop worrying about it.
Also that is a sharp looking cue. Enjoy and relax.
:welcome:
Click to expand...

That is sig-line material right there......should be a sticky as well :thumbup:

To the OP: The Pechauers are a fine cue. You won't go wrong with one.
 
first off, congrats on the purchase of a nice looking cue. yoe made a good buy. i was contemplating buying a pechauer po8c at my local pool hall for the last month, when i finally decided to pull the trigger on it i found it had been sold the same day. i have too many cues now i just liked the looks of it.

as far as the shaft goes , like another poster said you could always buy a 314 shaft for it. if you did not like how the 314 played you could always sell it or keep it in case you decided to sell the cue later you may could get a better deal with both shafts going with it.
 
After more than a decade of hiatus I decided to get back into shooting again with a different cue (used to play with a beat up Adam). After much research I bought a used Pechauer PH-5 off eBay. It's my first "higher" end cue.

I think Pechauer has some of the best designs and is a reputable (some also say undervalued) brand. I also appreciate the fact that Jerry Pechauer selects the logs and his shop processes all the wood. The lifetime warranty is great too, and it's maintained the same weight screw system for over 30 years.

At first I had to tweak the weight to get the feel I want (especially after not playing for a while), but now I've settled in with no additional weight (19 oz.) and using the stock shaft.

It is a GREAT cue and piece of functional art even though it's not like a $1,000+ custom piece... but still, every time I pull the cue out of my case I cannot help but admire it and the effort that went into it. :smile:
 
I've had my Pechauer for over 10 years and love it. I have other cues as well but play with the Pechauer all the time. If one buys a Pechauer a good choice was made!
 
Thanks alot to everyone for the extremely valuable information. It has put my mind at ease. I did alot more research and went to a local pool shop and tested a few different shafts including the v-pro, g-core, 314-2, z2 and i-2 shaft. I've decided the 314-2 is the one I like the best so I am going to invest in one and shoot with it for a while to see how it feels. I'm keeping the Pechauer shaft, having it turned down a bit and putting a different tip on it so that I have it as another option.

If anyone has any other advice or input, feel free to post it or PM me. I'm always interested in learning more and considering the advice of fellow pool shooters. Thanks alot!
 
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