Production Cues vs. custom
- Thread starter John oleson
- Start date
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
It was for you last night!I just had my best league night of the season with my Mali green. Mali must be the best cue out there!
But that’s you and you may have already plateaued and reached your ceiling whereas someone can still get better.
That’s your take on having something built exactly the way you want it to be instead just accepting what someone
decided the cue should have and look like. Sure, you get to shop and choose what you prefer which is how most
pool cues are purchased. But it’s not the same, just like with golf, i.e., custom fitted clubs vs. standard loft and lie.
When a cue embodies all the features you want from shaft taper, size, weight to the type joint, butt diameter, full
splice, cue butt & shaft weight ratio, ferrule material and size, it typically feels better stroking and energizing the
cue ball. The balance of your stroke feels better, you concentrate harder and generally play better. Now some folks
don’t care and a cue is just a cue. Others enjoy not having to settle. How many cue brands are intentionally built near
18 ozs. so the manufacturer can stick a piece of metal in the butt to make it heavier for the customer to get a 19.5 oz.
cue? That same type cue built at 19.5 ozs. without any weight bolt feels different because of its weight distribution.
Custom made cues are not for everyone. Frugality, skepticism, unfamiliarity, closed minded, scant prior experience &
or a bunch of other factors can influence why custom cues are frowned upon. But there has to be a resultant benefit
for custom cue makers to have flourished down through the the last 60-75 years. There is a difference but because you
doubt it doesn’t change reality. For a long time, a lot of people believed the world was flat. A custom made suit doesn’t
always look good on a someone obese. Custom fit golf clubs seem silly for a hacker that can’t break 90.
So a custom cue in the hands of a player that can’t run a table seems out of place too. But how about this? How much worse would these people look or compete if they didn’t go custom? I dunno and maybe not at all? But if the person was slim and fit, a custom suit always looks better. If they were a 20 handicap playing with standard loft & lie golf clubs and switched to playing custom fit clubs, they’d play better. If you were a decent pool player, knew what you preferred in a cue & your current cue didn’t fit the bill, switching to a custom built cue typically helps your game improve. A pool cue alone doesn’t make you a more talented, better player. Pool is more mental than physical. Playing with a cue that you enjoy more than another helps you play better. It isn’t guaranteed because like I wrote, pool is also a mental game. To play truly great, ability also helps.
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I think that’s the definition of a custom cue……Hmn……maybe there’s something to this?
xX-Wizard-Xx
Well-known member
Really a predator cue or any well made production cue... Is good enough for anyone ... Most production cues are good enough for most anyone.
Custom cues are really more art ... I don't see how they contribute very much more to a person's game.
Go back and read my definition of a custom cue and it has nothing to do with a pool cue’s appearance.
Custom cues encourage, if not inspire, trying harder; most people do better when a cue is built to their specs.
Custom cues encourage, if not inspire, trying harder; most people do better when a cue is built to their specs.
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I am somewhat of a beginner / intermediate player, but some cues feel better in my hands than others. Probably everybody has a particular cue, whether they own it or not, that they would play better with. I would imagine that there are multitude of nuances about a particular individual that would allow one cue to fit better than another for their game. If I were a person accomplished enough, and had the money, I definitely would go with a custom-made cue.
Tom, perhaps you are already doing this and if so, you are a lot more savvy than the average pool player that likely
doesn’t know much about their cue. Just ask most players what the weight of their cue shaft is, the cue butt, the
shaft diameter and taper length, whether it uses a weight bolt, is it positionable and what it weighs? If you get more
than 50% to just even answer what the cue weighs I’d be surprised. Most likely you’ll get guesstimates like around
19 ounces but they don’t really know. My point is don’t be like those players and you don’t seem like you are.
Ask questions about different cues you try. Start with the tip brand, then ferrule composition if you don’t already know
it, joint and thread type, playing weight, shaft thickness, I.e., diameter, and stuff like that. Look at those cues closely.
I decided upon 18.5 ozs. being my target cue weight and I won’t buy or order a cue that isn’tunder 19 ounces. The six (6) flat ivory joint cues I carry weigh within 4-5 grams of 18.5 ozs. weight. I know what I like and so I ordered them to match or else searched until I found what I wanted. It’s the reason I don’t own a Joel Hercek cue. I searched for 4 years looking for a flat ivory joint cue (min. level 5 design) that weighed under 19 ozs. and never found any. Joel told me he recalls only making a few cues with those specs over the years. And I won’t settle for less than what I want, especially at that price range. So I never added a cue but you don’t have to be a s fanatical as I am. Just learn what you like in a cue and then when you are ready, pick a great cue maker, like Bob Owen, and have a cue built your way instead of letting the cue maker decide for you.
DDG. his blanket statement, is why this poster was the first I ever blocked since 2005.
Hopefully that poster will ''grow up''.
But some just choose to be this way.
Makes me blame his family for his actions.
Most people in life don't enjoy this behavior.
Makes everyone else look that much better.
Jason Shaw's viewpoint of these types....is ''spot on''.
J.S Quote....
That's what Social Media is for ''to disrespect people''.
bm
xX-Wizard-Xx
Well-known member
To each their own .... If you really want it bad enough you don't need at $3000 custom cue. ... I had a $30 cue from kmart and could shoot lights with it when I was a kid. I grew up and thought I need a custom cue ... I really didn't
I started with a k-mart Dufferin 2-piece cue with a brass joint in my teens, and while it was fine at the time, I knew that there were better cues out there since I was able to test hit other higher end cues. Once I got my Meucci in the mid 1980's, I was in heaven for a while -- that cue definitely increased the amount of spin I could generate on the cue ball compared everything else I had used until then.
Today's modern cues deliver a lot more bang for the buck given the newer technologies that have been developed over time, so I agree that one does not have to exceed $500USD to aqcuire a quality playing cue. However, once you start getting into custom cues, that is where you get to fine-tune the cue specs for your exact preferences and aesthetics. While these will not make your shooting "better," they will be much more enjoyable to use since they will be your "ideal" cue made just for you alone.
Today's modern cues deliver a lot more bang for the buck given the newer technologies that have been developed over time, so I agree that one does not have to exceed $500USD to aqcuire a quality playing cue. However, once you start getting into custom cues, that is where you get to fine-tune the cue specs for your exact preferences and aesthetics. While these will not make your shooting "better," they will be much more enjoyable to use since they will be your "ideal" cue made just for you alone.
xX-Wizard-Xx
Well-known member
That is more a less a justification for wants > needs ... You need a custom cue for inspiration or a reason to try harder I think is a poor reason ... I think the cue spec thing is a sales pitch ... The majority of production cues that are considered higher end today are probably as good as it gets
Many production cues brands' higher end line-ups like Predator's Ikon's and Mezz Exceed line are considerably higher priced than many low to mid range custom cues ($2k+ USD and up). At these price ranges, cue quality and performance are pretty even, though you will probably not see genuine elephant ivory on newer production models since such materials limit where the cue can be marketed and sold.
You’re mixing the message…….you don’t need anything but a cue…….even a decent house cue fits that bill.
Now what you like is undoubtedly different and playing pool with equipment you like makes it a better, more
rewarding experience. And in that process, you derive the drive to play better. And to do that you try harder or
at least most pool players do. And when you learn enough about the game to be a competitive player, along
the way you acquire insight about pool cue anatomy which educates you about why a cue can feel different
and what you like the most. At that point you’re ready for a custom cue, even a Sneaky Pete version. Remember
a custom cue is one built to your exact specifications that the cue maker ordinarily would not use to build the cue.
You’ve completely misunderstood the point. Initially it was about a fancy design or appearance but that’s not the
true reason for ordering a custom cue. However, if you can afford to drop several thousand on a cue, then why not
also get one that has all the bells and whistles in its design. I can sell any of my cues for what I originally paid and
a few would net me a tidy profit. How many pool players can say they’ve never lost money on a cue sale? I can.
And I’ve bought and sold 7-8 custom cues the last 20 years. If you buy smart and take care of your cues, you won’t
lose money selling a custom cue. Now the last two customs I have were made by Bob Owen & Jerry Rauenzahn.
Both cues arrived Memorial Day Weekend 2016, a month before the CA ivory ban took effect on July, 1, 2016 that
caused me to stop ordering custom cues otherwise I’d still be ordering or buying a new custom cue every two years.
I’m not trying to convince you that custom cues make economic sense because you have your opinion. A simple player
design custom cue, unless it’s made by a top name cue maker, will likely depreciate a bit over time while the cue maker
is still active. But when that changes, it also has the chance to appreciate. Now a more decorative design, say a level 5,
would retain more value because it has a unique appearance enhancing its overall desirability and market demand too.
Most people lose money when they sell their pool cues. A well made custom pool cue by a popular cue maker doesn’t.
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You get a production cue if you are looking for a normal player that you aren't afraid to take out and play with. You get a custom cue if you have a specific design and specs in mind that you want for your cue or if you are a collection whore. Each of my customs are based off specific visions or motifs I had from cue makers whose work I have admired and are all absolutely 1 of 1 cues unique to me.