Questions regarding first high quality pool cue

C

Chris

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I want to purchase my first nice cue. To this point I have used primarily house cues, but I also shot with an inexpensive Players cue for a couple years.

I am planning on purchasing in the near future a new McDermott M3 with an Intimidator shaft. I don't know whether I should order the I-2 or the I-3.

The tip size on the I-2 is closer to what I am used to shooting, but the taper of the I-3 is more familiar. I have never shot with a pro taper, and to be honest, when I was checking out McDermott's pro taper (non-Intimidator shaft) in a local billiards store recently, it felt quite strange.

I am tentatively planning on using the cue for playing and breaking, which means I'll have to use a hard tip.

Will the smaller tip of the I-3 be harder to get used to than a pro taper of the I-2? I realize this is something I would be better off trying myself, but the opportunity is not anticipated between now and then. I am leaning towards the I-3, but I am leery of the 11.75 mm hard tip. Will it make the English shots much harder to control?

BTW, Previous to my current ~4 year layoff, I played pretty often for over 20 years, so I'm no stranger to the game. Also, I'm not concerned I will buy an expensive cue and then stop playing.

Any input would be appreciated.

Chris
 
chris,,,it seems to me you're looking at the wrong things. since neither shaft is to your liking, look elsewhere. has someone sold you on that shaft, and you HAVE to buy it? that is not a good reason to purchase it.

there are many cues and many shafts to choose from,,,some generic, some made by custom cuemakers. go over to the cue boards because they are more familiar with all that's out there.
 
First off I don't think you want to buy a cue to play with and the idea of breaking with. Pool halls have sticks and you should use those for breaking. They are good for that.

I have a cheap $25 sneaky pete. Not sure what brand it is but I put a fornellic(?) tip on it and it breaks harder than any stick I have ever used.

For your playing cue what price range are you looking for?
 
chris,,,it seems to me you're looking at the wrong things. since neither shaft is to your liking, look elsewhere. has someone sold you on that shaft, and you HAVE to buy it? that is not a good reason to purchase it.
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Thanks.

The cue I tried felt strange because I'm use to a European taper because I've always shot with pretty cheap cues. It was the lack of taper in the bridge area of the shaft that seemed strange. Since I appreciate the logic behind the pro taper, I am willing to try it.

On the other hand, if there is not a big difference in shooting a ~12 mm tip, in comparison to a 13 mm tip, I'll just go with the I-3, and keep the European taper. I'm just worried that the smaller hard tip will make my English difficult to control. It may be an unfounded worry.

Unfortunately, my concerns are things I can't determine without actually shooting the cue with a shaped, chalked tip for a few racks. I don't have access to cues to do that with.

Although I'm not married to the choice, I picked the McDermott for a few reasons. The warranty looks good, at least on paper. I haven't read anything bad about McDermott cues or shafts. I like the butt design better than others in the price range, which plays a little bit into the choice. Also I like the overall feel and balance of the cue I tried at the store.

Since I'm about to come off the longest layoff of my life, I'm not really used to any particular cue. The only thing every cue I've ever shot with had in common were their similar taper. While I'm not used to any particular cue seems to be a good time to change to something better.

As to what better is, I'm open to suggestions. I'm looking to spend $600-$700, including necessary accessories (joint protectors, case, tip shaper, etc.). Quality trumps cosmetics, but I do like points. :) Aside from that, I'll consider just about anything.
 
Chris said:
As to what better is, I'm open to suggestions. I'm looking to spend $600-$700, including necessary accessories (joint protectors, case, tip shaper, etc.). Quality trumps cosmetics, but I do like points. :) Aside from that, I'll consider just about anything.
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If you're going to spend $700, you'll likely want to not use the cue for breaking as mentioned. Use a tip similar to the ones you've been using - don't switch. That's my recommendation.

Also as said, people have wondered why you're so sold on the I2 or I3 shafts - why not look at Predator shafts, OB shafts, etc.? There are a lot out there.

Joint protectors are $10 or $20 if you just want the simple plastic ones. They work as well as the fancy ones (just aren't as fancy).

If you're serious enough to spend $700, I know a few custom cue makers who could probably craft a pretty nice (simple, but with points and a ring or two) for $400 to $500. You can get an OB partial for $140 (http://www.obcues.com/ordering.html).

For $700, thus, you might spend $600 on a custom butt + matched shaft (from the blank), $60 for a case, $20 for JPs, and another $20 on accessories.

If you have your heart set on the McDermott/Intimidator combo, perhaps you can tell us why?
 
Chris,
6 or 7 hundred is ALOT of money to spend. Not that I mean it's too much, I mean you have alot of choices, and you can get what you want from a custom maker as well as off the shelf, and be sure to get (2) shafts with oyur cue so you can experiment a little. E-bay has a million cases, and accesories with good prices, just look around a bit.
 
Also as said, people have wondered why you're so sold on the I2 or I3 shafts - why not look at Predator shafts, OB shafts, etc.? There are a lot out there. . . If you have your heart set on the McDermott/Intimidator combo, perhaps you can tell us why?
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I don't really have my heart set on the McDermott. However, with the research I have done so far, they appear to build a quality cue, and the company appears to stand behind their product. The warranty against warping is also attractive. The reasoning behind the Intimidator shafts is that I can upgrade at the time I purchase the cue, keeping costs lower.

Since I am not able to try the cues at this time, I am trying to gather as much information as possible before making a final purchase decision. If there are better choices available in my price range, I am very interested in hearing about them.

Is it really possible to get a real custom cue (not a custom ordered production model) for as little as I want to spend? I would love to know which cue makers I should contact for further info. Feel free to PM the info if you are not comfortable posting it publicly.

If you're going to spend $700, you'll likely want to not use the cue for breaking as mentioned. Use a tip similar to the ones you've been using - don't switch. That's my recommendation.
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I'm not saying you are wrong; please don't interpret it that way. I don't understand the logic here, though. Why is it a bad idea to break with my playing cue? I've heard previously that if you can't break with the cue, it's not built very well, which is at odds with the advice I'm getting here. Can you please elaborate?

Everybody who has responded, thank you very much. I would rather second guess my decisions prior to purchase than after.
 
If you're willing to spend 700

Go with a custom cue maker and get exactly what you want. I played with a 12mm shaft for years. (74' palmer) and it was fine, until I started playing with a thicker shaft, (much easier to control.) Now I'm making a new shaft so I can start playing with my palmer, nothing comes close to the solid hit and consistency of feel of the palmer.

Seriously, a custom cue is exactly that, CUSTOM to exactly what you want. Why would you take a chance on spending 700 and not get exactly what you want. Check around, talk to different custom cue makers and figure out exactly what you want.

Don't go production just because they have a warranty. Most custom cue makers will stand behind their cues also. COme up with a design that you would really like to have and throw it at a couple of custom cue makers to see if they can do it and for how much. Then you'll get exactly what you want with whatever diameter shaft, taper and size tip you want.

Besides which, if you really look into cues and how their made, you may just change your idea of what you want and why.....
 
The subject of not breaking with your playing cue is not one of the quality of it but rather the effects of breaking on the tip...i.e. it compresses it to the point of being hard as a brick....
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Chris said:
I don't really have my heart set on the McDermott. However, with the research I have done so far, they appear to build a quality cue, and the company appears to stand behind their product. The warranty against warping is also attractive. The reasoning behind the Intimidator shafts is that I can upgrade at the time I purchase the cue, keeping costs lower.

Since I am not able to try the cues at this time, I am trying to gather as much information as possible before making a final purchase decision. If there are better choices available in my price range, I am very interested in hearing about them.

Is it really possible to get a real custom cue (not a custom ordered production model) for as little as I want to spend? I would love to know which cue makers I should contact for further info. Feel free to PM the info if you are not comfortable posting it publicly.



I'm not saying you are wrong; please don't interpret it that way. I don't understand the logic here, though. Why is it a bad idea to break with my playing cue? I've heard previously that if you can't break with the cue, it's not built very well, which is at odds with the advice I'm getting here. Can you please elaborate?

Everybody who has responded, thank you very much. I would rather second guess my decisions prior to purchase than after.
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Well, in my opinion, what you want in a break cue is not what you want in a playing cue. The break cue only has to do one thing, and is purpose-built for that thing; the playing cue has to work well for quite a few different sorts of shots.

Here's my setup, which I think is very good, and actually only cost me about $655 altogether:

Joss cue, great worksmanship, classy but simple look, solid hit, no frills: $200
Predator 314 shaft bought unused on ebay: $180
Gulyassy Sledgehammer break/jump cue, bought used (still hits like new!) from ebay: $190
"Vincitore" brand (instroke imitator) leather cowboy 3x6 case, bought new off ebay: $85 (I thought this was a steal)

Throw in a tip tool, and talisman pro medium (installed) for the predator shaft, and I'm up to about $700, but I got a good-looking and fantastic-playing cue (in my opinion), a separate excellent jump/break cue, a large, quality, attractive case to hold it all, and various accessories, all for under $700. I think you should at least consider a similar route.

-Andrew
 
Chris - if you're going to spend that much on a cue, you ought to think about picking up a copy of The Blue Book of Pool Cues by Brad Simpson, or, since you're in central Florida, the Orange County Library carries it, just register online and they'll deliver it to you. If you want to PM me, I'll put you in touch with an Orlando cuemaker (Garvey Fowler) who makes one of the best-hitting, best-looking cues you'll ever see. He hasn't been making cues lately but I talked to him last week and he might start again. Ask around about Garvey cues (BTW, I have no financial involvement in this). The McDermott guarantee: "All McDermott cues are guaranteed indefintely, for the original owner, against construction defects that are not the result of warpage or abuse". I think you can get that same guarantee from any custom cuemaker (I just scanned the Blue Book, and every one I checked had the same guarantee, and I spotted a great article in the book about selecting a cue written by Mark Wilson). One last thing - resale. I don't want to stub my toe here, but I've got to think that $600 McDermotts are a lot tougher to sell than a "name" custom. I made the mistake of buying a fairly high-end production cue and won't do it again. Anyway, good luck and holler if I can help any. Jeff.
 
Chris said:
Is it really possible to get a real custom cue (not a custom ordered production model) for as little as I want to spend? I would love to know which cue makers I should contact for further info. Feel free to PM the info if you are not comfortable posting it publicly.
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Yeah, check out DZ Cues .com. I don't represent Bob in any way other than as a satisfied customer. I've been to his shop, too, and he has some good equipment, super-sharp and long points, etc. He's been building cues for a long time, and his prices are more than reasonable. He has a real job, so that may be part of the reason... perhaps he sees it as more of a hobby that pays for itself and not an "I need to support my family" business per se.

But as posted above, you can get a custom butt, a shaft you like, a tip, a cue, and a break cue (or use a house cue for awhile) for $700 to $1000 pretty easily.
 
Correction to my post #11. McDermott Cues has a warranty that covers warpage, per their website. I (lazily) took the information I previously posted out of the Blue Book instead of going to the source; won't happen again. My apologies to McDermott and anyone who was misled by my incorrect statement.
 
I give Bob at DZ a "thumbs-up" just for being nice to deal with and his cues look good too. I have not hit with one, so I can't comment on the play.

If I were to spend $700... I would more than likely buy a good used cue off of Ebay. You should be able to get something cool for that money.

And I agree... use a house cue to break with... it will save your tip...
 
I want to thank everybody for your input. You have given me a lot to think about and I appreciate all the advice and suggestions. I will still probably buy new, but I am not convinced a production cue is the best choice for me anymore. If any cue makers want to PM me with information about their cues (or just links to their sites), that would also be greatly appreciated.

So many decisions . . .
 
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