Quality of affordable cues...

jbart65 said:
Avid shifts are pretty damn good. I've got an 11.75 I used to play with that's excellent.

Skyler Woodward is playing these days with a sub-$400 Cuetec wood shaft ...
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I am a fan of the Avid line. They play good. They are very affordable. But the quality is there. And you can get the excellent Duo extension or switch to Cynergy shafts if you want. The Cuetec shafts are interchangeable IME. By that I mean they really fit, no joint facing wobbles when you switch around etc…. Of course I went to a different player. 😜. But the Cuetecs are keepers.
 
Kim Bye said:
I have sold a lot of Valhalla cues to clubs who want better house cues and to players just starting out. Very durable cues and the quality is very good at the price point.
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I've got a Valhalla and I played with it last week while temporarily without my carbon shaft. High quality for the price.

Whatever tip I have on it is the best I've ever played with. I put it on myself, but forgot what it is!
 
JPB2 said:
I am a fan of the Avid line. They play good. They are very affordable. But the quality is there. And you can get the excellent Duo extension or switch to Cynergy shafts if you want. The Cuetec shafts are interchangeable IME. By that I mean they really fit, no joint facing wobbles when you switch around etc…. Of course I went to a different player. 😜. But the Cuetecs are keepers.
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The Avid butts are perfect for Cynergy shafts at a relatively affordable price. My Avid butt now holds a Cynergy shaft.

Duo Extension might be the best on the market. Seamless connection to my butt. Light. Connects quickly, easily and smoothly. And stackable. I do wish Cuetec added 4- and 8-inch pieces for different configurations.

Just got cues from Longoni and Lucasi Pro, and both also have excellent, stackable extensions. Longoni has 4- and 8-inch pieces, exactly what I like.

Lucasi is 3- and 6 inch, like the Cuetec Duo, but there's also 9 and 12 inch.
 
Around 2001, I bought a brand new Predator SPJLW for something like $450 which made me the proud owner of a classic 314 low deflection shaft, with a Uni-Loc quick release joint, and a linen wrapped, full splice butt with green veneers -- my "Green Hornet". After over 20 years, I still use this cue on occasion, and it always plays much better than I do. I carried this cue through many years of everyday play, including several brutal campaigns through south Mississippi's bar table leagues. This cue held up very well, especially considering I am not one of those "mother hen" type cue owners.

I am certain I could have found a good sneaky at a cheaper price back then, but considering the play I've had and the value retained, I am equally certain that I made the best possible purchase I could have. My advice is to talk to everyone and try out other folk's cues as much as they will allow -- shooting an entire game reveals so much more than a couple of quick practice shots. Read everything -- not as valuable as it once was but still a source of some good information. Finally, spend as much extra money as you can comfortably manage. A good cue can be a lifetime purchase if you pick right. An extra hundred or two (probably three today) can make all the difference in the world. Over a 10 year span, it boils down to just dimes a day.
 
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fjk said:
I'll also add that while I believe an inexpensive production pool cue can play as well as a $10,000 cue from a legendary marker, some cues, do, in fact, play better than others for some reason. In my 40 plus years of playing I had two cues that I consistently played way better with. One was a plain 4-point Tasc with a Cortland wrap (no surprise there). The other was an entry level Pechauer. Of course, I traded or sold them both years ago. I don't know why I did that.
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On some of the cheaper production models, occasionally the stars align just right and they pop one out that hits as good as anything you've ever played with. Wood just happened to be best of the bunch, machines ran perfect that day, wasn't exposed to atmospheric changes, etc... Viola!!
 
xX-Wizard-Xx said:
Expensive cues are way over rated ..... Paying 4k + for a cue is nutty
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Paying $25k for a Rolex sounds even more ludicrous….but people are buying and wearing them every day.
So under the aforementioned scenario, it looks like buying a Breitling watch is easily justifiable & practical.

You purchase what you can afford and desire. Wanna wear a Timex when you could easily afford to buy a Rolex?
I guess you don’t see a difference or else the difference, as striking as it obviously is, doesn’t matter much to you.

Pool cues are the same thing. Limited editions and one of a kind artifacts do not appeal to everyone. And just as
importantly, everyone cannot afford those type things and pool cues are a splendid example. Quality does matter.

Now at what point does one draw a line and say that’s too much to pay? Everyone lives within their own financial
means. Some people are inclined to spend whatever it takes to get what they want, not what they need, what’s desired.

Others are more frugal minded or can’t appreciate there could be a difference which is why something costs more and
sometimes, a lot more. It comes down to this. A cue is a tool. It’s the person wielding it that matters more than the tool.

So buy what you like, can afford. Wear it pride or play with it knowing others can’t, and ignore any critics. I assure you
there are more people wishing they could having what you do than saying it’s a waste of money. That is the real world.

I’d trade, or sell, as many of my cues as needed if I could have found the right Joel Hercek cue. It’s what I’ve wanted for a long time and price wasn’t important. People think I’m nuts but for some, price is irrelevant when it comes to some things.
 
Every Dufferin I have seen is quality. Cue making is a simple enough process and a skilled operator knows how to select and properly cure the materials. I have seen some pretty atrocious cross grain in the shaft of other cheap Walmart offers. Dufferin is quality and affordable is my experience.
 
Still the guy buying it was nutty ....
Bavafongoul said:
Paying $25k for a Rolex sounds even more ludicrous….but people are buying and wearing them every day.
So under the aforementioned scenario, it looks like buying a Breitling watch is easily justifiable & practical.

You purchase what you can afford and desire. Wanna wear a Timex when you could easily afford to buy a Rolex?
I guess you don’t see a difference or else the difference, as striking as it obviously is, doesn’t matter much to you.

Pool cues are the same thing. Limited editions and one of a kind artifacts do not appeal to everyone. And just as
importantly, everyone cannot afford those type things and pool cues are a splendid example. Quality does matter.

Now at what point does one draw a line and say that’s too much to pay? Everyone lives within their own financial
means. Some people are inclined to spend whatever it takes to get what they want, not what they need, what’s desired.

Others are more frugal minded or can’t appreciate there could be a difference which is why something costs more and
sometimes, a lot more. It comes down to this. A cue is a tool. It’s the person wielding it that matters more than the tool.

So buy what you like, can afford. Wear it pride or play with it knowing others can’t, and ignore any critics. I assure you
there are more people wishing they could having what you do than saying it’s a waste of money. That is the real world.

I’d trade, or sell, as many of my cues as needed if I could have found the right Joel Hercek cue. It’s what I’ve wanted for a long time and price wasn’t important. People think I’m nuts but for some, price is irrelevant when it comes to some things.
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It's still nutty doesn't matter if others do it .... Lmao .... A 1million dollar car ... What about that car makes it's so desirable to pay 1million dollars .. oh because it's limited edition ... It's looks ... Just because ..... What about that company .... Why do they feel their car has that value (because there are nutty people that pay it) ... What about that Rolex .. it's not worth 25k nor 5k ... Not 1k not for real ... Most of these people buying that type of shit want to impress people or materialistic ... Neither of that means a single thing to me

I go to a pool room old dude pulls a house cue off the wall and beats the shit out of most of the guys with $4k+ cues ... That expensive shit Literally means nothing... That cue isn't going to make you something your not and none of that other stuff will either

The old guy he isn't worried much about tips and low deflection shafts and any of that other shit ... He can just play ... Most people creating tip threads shaft thread ... Just looking for the royal path to excellence ... It isn't there ... It takes time and hours .. no shortcuts ... Predator cutec ECT ... It's all marketing and most people are victims chasing something they don't really need.... Mosconi was making huge runs on Brunswick tables and most of these guys today couldn't run 2 racks regardless of what they have in their hand today.

EXPENSIVE CUES ARE HUGELY OVERATED ...

That 25k Rolex ... Go out and buy one and at the end of the day all you have is an expensive ass thing wrapped around your wrist ...... Giving you time .. that is all it does but you can look at it ... Talk about how much it cost and how shiney it is ... But all you can do with it is get the time ... Doesnt seem like a smart way to spend 25k to me. .. a cell phone does so much more than that ... Really only limited to your imagination ... Way more valueable for less ...

Lots of people do things ... But just because people do things isn't always a great gauge on how bright it is.

Lots of people watch the Kardashians (I'm not thinking it's a great show because of ratings and popularity... It's trash) .. so what ... They can watch it and I will be happy I'm not
 
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Quality of cues ... How much better is a custom cue from today then a well made production cues from today .. ... Probably not a big difference ... You could probably take a reasonably priced production cues and play just as well with it than any of the custom cues ....

I use to play with a $150 meucci sneaky pete and can run racks with that cue ... What more could a custom cue do for me ... Probably not much
 
xX-Wizard-Xx said:
Quality of cues ... How much better is a custom cue from today then a well made production cues from today .. ... Probably not a big difference ... You could probably take a reasonably priced production cues and play just as well with it than any of the custom cues ....
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xX-Wizard-Xx said:
Quality of cues ... How much better is a custom cue from today then a well made production cues from today .. ... Probably not a big difference ... You could probably take a reasonably priced production cues and play just as well with it than any of the custom cues ....

I use to play with a $150 meucci sneaky pete and can run racks with that cue ... What more could a custom cue do for me ... Probably not much
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Most pros are playing with production cues. I've never used a custom cue that I thought played better than any production cue I've tried. Different, perhaps more synced to user's preference, but not better.
 
jbart65 said:
Most pros are playing with production cues. I've never used a custom cue that I thought played better than any production cue I've tried. Different, perhaps more synced to user's preference, but not better.
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Yeah I know I haven't found one I thought was any better then the production cues I own ... I have a custom cue but it's really not any better was just expensive that's all that was added
 
xX-Wizard-Xx said:
Still the guy buying it was nutty ....

It's still nutty doesn't matter if others do it .... Lmao .... A 1million dollar car ... What about that car makes it's so desirable to pay 1million dollars .. oh because it's limited edition ... It's looks ... Just because ..... What about that company .... Why do they feel their car has that value (because there are nutty people that pay it) ... What about that Rolex .. it's not worth 25k nor 5k ... Not 1k not for real ... Most of these people buying that type of shit want to impress people or materialistic ... Neither of that means a single thing to me

I go to a pool room old dude pulls a house cue off the wall and beats the shit out of most of the guys with $4k+ cues ... That expensive shit Literally means nothing... That cue isn't going to make you something your not and none of that other stuff will either

The old guy he isn't worried much about tips and low deflection shafts and any of that other shit ... He can just play ... Most people creating tip threads shaft thread ... Just looking for the royal path to excellence ... It isn't there ... It takes time and hours .. no shortcuts ... Predator cutec ECT ... It's all marketing and most people are victims chasing something they don't really need.... Mosconi was making huge runs on Brunswick tables and most of these guys today couldn't run 2 racks regardless of what they have in their hand today.

EXPENSIVE CUES ARE HUGELY OVERATED ...

That 25k Rolex ... Go out and buy one and at the end of the day all you have is an expensive ass thing wrapped around your wrist ...... Giving you time .. that is all it does but you can look at it ... Talk about how much it cost and how shiney it is ... But all you can do with it is get the time ... Doesnt seem like a smart way to spend 25k to me. .. a cell phone does so much more than that ... Really only limited to your imagination ... Way more valueable for less ...

Lots of people do things ... But just because people do things isn't always a great gauge on how bright it is.

Lots of people watch the Kardashians (I'm not thinking it's a great show because of ratings and popularity... It's trash) .. so what ... They can watch it and I will be happy I'm not
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So, what you are saying is...

1. It's the Indian not the arrow.
2. It's the time not the watch.

??????
 
xX-Wizard-Xx said:
From my observation a person can adapt to almost any cue .... You don't need a custom cue to play pool and be great at it ... No need to spend 4k on a cue not even 2k
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I've watched more than one road-dog walk in, grab a house cue and proceed to wipe the floor with all the regulars. Cue is so over-rated in terms of one's performance. I totally get wanting to own nice shit but its no guarantee you're gonna shoot better.
 
There's a guy who plays in our league Ontario Pool Players League with a Dufferin snooker cue, he's over 60yrs old very good player wins most of the time i think you either have it or not.
 
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